Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, the famed creator ofStardew Valley, is working on a new game calledHaunted Chocolatier.In it, players will manage a confectionery store and harvest ingredients to craft some sweets, all while interacting with friendly ghosts and romancing various NPCs. AlthoughHaunted Chocolatierdoes share some surface-level similarities withStardewValley, it’ll still be fairly distinct from its predecessor in large part because of its heavier emphasis on combat. The game will not only give players a wide arsenal of weapons to use in battle, it will also feature in-depth combat maneuvers like stuns, blocks, and quick attacks. Due to this significant shift in gameplay style,Haunted Chocolatierwill be more of an action RPG rather than a traditional,Stardew Valley-like farming sim.
Haunted Chocolatierwas formally unveiled in October 2021, but work on the game initially began in 2020. However, in April 2024, Eric Barone revealed that he would be temporarily pausing development on the upcoming action RPG in order togetStardewValley’s recent 1.6 update out on consolesand mobile phones as soon as possible. Months after this announcement, Barone stated in a Twitter post on August 28 that he sadly “hadn’t touchedHaunted Chocolatierin a long time” because he was still “committed to finalizing” the aforementioned update first. Since development on the title has yet to be resumed, it seems like players won’t get their hands on ConcernedApe’s next game anytime soon. WhenHaunted Chocolatierdoes eventually come out, though, it should be released on iOS and Android on day one so that it can reach an even bigger audience thanStardew Valleydid upon its launch.
Haunted Chocolatier Should Receive a Day-One Release on iOS and Android
Stardew Valley’s Availability on All Platforms, Including Mobile Phones, Has Led to Great Success
These days,Stardew Valleycan be played on virtually anything with a screen, from tablets and consoles to phones and Chromebooks. This wasn’t always the case, however. When the game made its debut in February 2016, it was only available on Windows PCs via Steam. Eventually, though, the title came to macOS and Linux in July of that year, with versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One being released shortly thereafter in December.Stardew Valleylanded on the Nintendo Switch as well in October 2017, and was surprisingly ported to the PlayStation Vita in May 2018. Meanwhile, the game came to mobile phones nearly two-and-a-half years after its initial release. While the iOS version was launched in October 2018, the Android port was released in March 2019.
Even thoughStardew Valleywas ported to iOS and Android so late into its lifespan, the game still performed well on the two platforms. On the Apple App Store, in particular, thehit indie farming simearned more than $1 million in revenue in the first three weeks after its release. Considering the title only cost $5 on mobile phones and not $15, like on consoles and PCs, this was pretty impressive. What’s even more impressive, though, is the fact thatStardew Valleycontinues to top the sales charts on both Google Play and the App Store more than five years following its launch on those storefronts.
Stardew Valley’s Success on iOS and Android Shows Just How Much of a Hit Haunted Chocolatier Could Be on Those Platforms
SinceStardew Valleywas such a success on iOS and Android despite receiving a staggered launch on the platforms, one can only imaginehow much of a breakout hitHaunted Chocolatiercan beif it releases on mobile phones on day one. The number of gamers on iOS and Android far outnumber those on consoles and PCs, so if ConcernedApe is unable to get the game out on all platforms at launch, then a simultaneous release on Windows, iOS, and Android would be the best way to expose the title to a very large audience. Currently,Haunted Chocolatieris only slated to land on Windows PCs, but Eric Barone has expressed his desire to launch the game on all major platforms at some point, so a day-and-date release for mobile devices isn’t necessarily off the table just yet.
Haunted Chocolatier
WHERE TO PLAY
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.
