| Haunted Chocolatier | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gameplay & Story | Release Date Predictions | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Haunted Chocolatier is the latest game by the creator of Stardew Valley, ConcernedApe! We’ll be looking into its development progress and when it might come out, so read on!
Haunted Chocolatier Release Date
Not Anytime Soon, Around 2027 At The Very Least
As it stands, Haunted Chocolatier will not be seeing a release anytime soon, as the development of Stardew Valley’s latest update has required all-hands-on-deck attention from ConcernedApe with regards to pushing out bug fixes and porting to console and mobile versions. Due to this, Haunted Chocolatier will most likely not see a release within 3-4 years where 2027-2028 would likely see early playable versions of the game. This timeframe accounts for the fact that Ape will be solely developing the game on his own with his own high standards of fun and polish.
Haunted Chocolatier was formally announced by ConcernedApe back in 2021, where after the astronomical success of Stardew Valley, he was inspired to develop another similar game, but this time concerning a haunted castle and chocolate! It has been in secret steady development since 2020, where he’s been chipping away at its core features on evenings and weekends whenever he has free time from tending to Stardew Valley.
Alongside bug fixes and updates for Stardew Valley’s 1.5+ patches, he had a constant stream of development updates for Haunted Chocolatier on his Twitter(X) account. However, in April 2023, he announced that Stardew will be receiving a major 1.6 patch that will need his entire focus. Thus, since then, updates about the game have been scarce, where an occasional screenshot or two has been posted.
Even upon the release of the 1.6 patch, he has been preoccupied with fixing any emerging bugs, as well as the tedious task of porting the update to console and mobile versions, wherein it will finally be released on November 4, 2024. After its release, he’ll no doubt spend some time fixing any more bugs that will be found. Then, he might have much more time to finally resume progress on the halted project.
However, Haunted Chocolatier is still far-off before being ready, as it supposedly had meager development time throughout the trials and tribulations of Stardew Valley’s patches, updates, and ports. And even then, its initial announcement back in 2021 was nothing more than a vertical slice of the game, meaning it was only meant to show off its core gameplay mechanics and features, and does not resemble the game proper intended for release. Though we have no way to concretely confirm its development progress, it’s sufficient to say that it will still be a long time before Haunted Chocolatier makes its way to players’ hands worldwide.
Add to the fact that Ape himself is somewhat of a perfectionist who strives to release the best game he could possibly make. On his website, he states "I won’t rest, or release this game, until I am personally satisfied that it’s very fun and compelling, in every aspect. If it never gets there, I’ll just never release it." He continues to reassure fans to not worry about it never releasing, however, as he has total faith in himself and his vision for the game that makes him confident it will be released eventually in the far future. And the far future, as it stands, is around 2027-2028 at the very least.
Until then, if you’re hoping to scratch that charming indie itch, Stardew Valley always welcomes you, either if you’re a first timer, or an old returning player!
Theorizing About Other Games
 |
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Release Date Predictions |
 |
Will There Be A Hi-Fi Rush 2? |
 |
Persona 6 Release Date and Time Predictions |
 |
Pokémon Black and White Remake | When Is It Coming? |
