What We Know About Haunted Chocolatier – What Will Stardew Valley Creator’s New Game Be About?
Haunted Chocolatier is set to be the next game created by Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, the creator of the beloved Stardew Valley farm simulation. Haunted Chocolatier was first announced in 2021, so surely it must be almost ready for release now, right? Well, while ConcernedApe has put out a steady flow of news about the game, he has been busy with Stardew Valley updates, so it might be a while before the game actually comes out. Here is what we know about the mysterious Haunted Chocolatier.
What is Haunted Chocolatier?
According to the official website, “Haunted Chocolatier is an RPG/simulation game, currently in development. In the game, you will play as a chocolatier living in a haunted castle. In order to thrive in your new role, you will have to gather rare ingredients, make delicious chocolates, and sell them in a chocolate shop.” The game’s core gameplay involves finding ingredients, making chocolate, and selling your chocolate.
In addition, the game will involve combat. Yes, Stardew Valley also involved combat when you explored the mines, but the official site says that “Haunted Chocolatier has a greater focus on combat.” There will be shields you can use to block attacks, and blocking them might also stun the enemies. This encourages strategic combat, but those who just want to swing their sword around to kill enemies will be able to do so. The website has a screenshot of the lead character fighting off hoards of little slime creatures, indicating that there will be plenty of hack-and-slash action.
The website says there will be different ways to make chocolate, some of which will be “more intuitive,” while others will be “more conventional.” While the website doesn’t go into detail about exactly what these different methods will involve, it can be expected that players will likely want to try every method and discover their favorite way to make chocolate.
So, When Is The Game Coming Out?
While Barone occasionally posts screenshots on his X page, there is no release date as of now, nor is there a release date window. Last year, Barone announced that Stardew Valley will be getting a 1.7 update, which also doesn’t have a release date. This has led to some concern that Haunted Chocolatier might be in development limbo, and it could be years before we see any substantial updates on that project.
Barone has addressed this concern on the official website. He stated that while the Stardew Valley might cause a small delay in Haunted Chocolatier’s release, it is unlikely to be a significant delay. He said that he has a staff who assists him with Stardew Valley updates, meaning that he has more time to concentrate on Haunted Chocolatier himself. However, depending on how many Stardew Valley updates end up happening, Haunted Chocolatier could very well experience a significant delay.
What about the “Haunted” Part of Haunted Chocolatier?
There’s an obvious question that will pop into people’s minds when they learn about the game. Namely, what sort of roles do the ghosts play in the game? The official site says that “the haunted castle represents the allure of the unknown. The ghosts represent the imprint of the past. All these things are important.” However, the site doesn’t mention what the ghosts will actually do or what actual role they play in the story. Perhaps you can befriend them, help them chase away their demons, or even romance them.
In any case, if the game has as much love and care put into it as Stardew Valley did, it will definitely be worth the wait. Fans of cozy games, life sims, and of course, ghosts can look forward to making chocolate to their hearts’ content. The game will be released on PC at some point in the future, but in the meantime we can enjoy Stardew Valley’s next update.
