Haunted Chocolatier is going to come out soon. From the creators of Stardew Valley comes a brand-new game in the same vein. Social simulators are increasingly popular these days as a way to escape reality, and they can be some of the most fun, relaxing, and creative experiences out there. ConcernedApe, the developer also known as Eric Barone, proved that he mastered the formula with Stardew Valley. What does he have in store with his next indie hit? Here’s everything we know about the game that has indie gamers waiting patiently.
Haunted Chocolatier Details
Haunted Chocolatier was announced officially in 2021. Almost four years later, there’s still not a whole lot of information out there. Unlike AAA games or titles from major developers like Nintendo, Ubisoft, Square Enix, or Bethesda, indie games take a little longer. Funding is harder to come by, and there are a lot of bumps in the road that slow things down. The indie game is proof of that. Currently, there is no set release date, but there is a trailer. The game is expected to be released in 2026, though that’s far from concrete. For now, fans will have to continue waiting patiently for anything. Fortunately, the developer is very communicative with his audience.
The trailer gives a little bit of an indication of what the game will be like. It’s just an early look at gameplay, but it looks sort of like a Stardew Valley sequel. The graphics are virtually the same, and the mechanics look to be identical as well. This isn’t a surprise, since Stardew has become a phenomenon for ConcernedApe and one of the best social sims out there. Plus, for indie game developers, using the same anything makes it a lot easier to finish a game, hence the same graphics and probably the same engine. That said, it won’t be a copy-and-paste game.
ConcernedApe Talks Haunted Chocolatier
Haunted Chocolatier swaps out farm life for a different take on life: a chocolate salesman for a haunted chocolate factory. It’s Stardew Valley meets Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. ConcernedApe said that this game will have something unique that Stardew did not: boss fights. He also said in an interview that they have been a “whole different ball game according to TheGamer. He also criticized those who called it a copy of his first game since they “haven’t played the game, so they don’t really know.”
Barone also admitted that the Stardew Valley 1.6 update, which finally made its way onto consoles on November 4, was taking up a lot of his time. He wanted to prioritize that before finishing Haunted Chocolatier, which is part of the reason it’s still delayed so long. He is also a solo developer, so he’s doing all of this virtually entirely on his own. Developing any game is hard, and ConcernedApe wants to do both of them right. It is likely that 1.6 is the final major Stardew update, so most of his time will be devoted to the next game from here on out.
In Conclusion
There may still be a couple of years between now and the launch of Haunted Chocolatier, but all good things take time. From a development perspective, it’s impressive that this game, along with Stardew Valley, even exists at all. The fact that everything above indicates that Barone’s next game will be every bit as good as and possibly better than its predecessor makes it worth the wait. Indie games are a vital part of the gaming ecosystem, and titles like these are as fun and exciting as any.
