Haunted Chocolatier’s world will be bigger than Stardew Valley, as confirmed by developer ConcernedApe. Read on to learn more about the game’s latest update and when ConcernedApe hopes to release the game.
Haunted Chocolatier Will Be Bigger Than Stardew Valley
Game World and Release Updates From ConcernedApe
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming title from the creator of Stardew Valley, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, who recently gave out an interesting tidbit about the game. In a Twitter (X) post on June 11, he stated that Haunted Chocolatier’s world is larger than Stardew Valley.
To what extent and how much bigger it is than his previous title, Barone has yet to explain further, but it seems like production is fully underway. In April 2025, he sat down with PC Gamer during the 2025 Game Developers Conference and shared his thoughts about working on both of his projects.
He admitted that he finds it difficult to let go of Stardew Valley, which is affecting his progress for Haunted Chocolatier. "I do love Stardew Valley and I care about the fans and I want the fans to have a great experience. So I'm always concerned with Stardew Valley and making sure that it's doing well, and that pulls me away from devoting all my time to Haunted Chocolatier," Barone stated.
Most of his 2024 was dedicated to working on Stardew Valley’s huge 1.6 update, and now that the patch has been released on both PC and consoles, he is now determined to fully shift his focus to developing Haunted Chocolatier.
Barone elaborated, "The 1.6 update is pretty settled at this point. There were ongoing console ports and bug fixes, but it's pretty settled now. I'm committed to not working on Stardew Valley until I'm done with Haunted Chocolatier… I think it's in a good place. I feel very solid about it. I think if anyone picks up Stardew Valley for the first time in 2025, I'm very proud of it, and I think they'll have fun with it if they like this kind of game."
Despite going all-in with Haunted Chocolatier’s development, he previously stated with Nintendo Life in January that he could work with Stardew Valley for the rest of his life. Regardless, fans might still be treated to Stardew Valley updates in the future after Haunted Chocolatier is finished, but for now, Barone is determined to finish his upcoming chocolatier simulation.
ConcernedApe Hopes to Release It Within the Next Five Years
Haunted Chocolatier was first announced in October 2021 alongside a gameplay trailer and the launch of its promotional website. Some time has passed since then, and Barone hopes to release the game within the next five years.
During an episode of comedian and long-time Stardew Valley fan Bobby Lee’s Tiger Belly podcast on May 19, Lee asked Barone if Haunted Chocolatier will come out in the next five years. He replied with a casual "I hope so," much to the distraught of the comedian.
They continued to talk about how the game seems to be done based on the trailers and snippets shown so far, but Barone said that its just like "Hollywood Magic" that makes it look like it is ready for release.
With his recent tweet, this gives fans more things to look forward to for ConcernedApe’s latest project. Haunted Chocolatier is currently being developed for PC, but Barone hopes to bring it to other platforms as well. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
ConcernedApe Twitter (X) post on Haunted Chocolatier Game World Compared to Stardew Valley
ConcernedApe Interview with PC Gamer
"I Don’t Want To See It Fizzle Out" - Stardew Valley Creator On Why He Can't Give It Up
ConcernedApe Talks Stardew Valley 2 w/ Bobby Lee
