If you’ve been waiting for Haunted Chocolatier for a long time and periodically Google “well, when” — we have both good and bad news. The good news: the game is really huge. The bad news: its creator is overwhelmed by things he clearly didn’t expect.
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Haunted Chocolatier will be bigger than Stardew Valley — ConcernedApe revealed the scale of the game
Eric Barone, known under the pseudonym ConcernedApe, gave a new interview — and for the first time described in such detail the scale of his next project.
According to him, the Haunted Chocolatier will be noticeably larger than Stardew Valley: more locations, more monsters, a deeper item system, more equipment slots. The developer himself describes it briefly: “everything is turned to the maximum.”
For fans of farming simulator who have spent hundreds of hours in it, it sounds like a dream come true. But it is precisely the ambition of the project that makes its development so long.
Why Haunted Chocolatier Still Hasn’t Been Released: ConcernedApe’s Fame Is Working Against It
This is where the unexpected part begins. ConcernedApe is one of the few developers who has made a megahit all by himself. Stardew Valley has sold tens of millions of copies, and now it’s working against him.
Eric admitted that he literally doesn’t have time to focus on Haunted Chocolatier because he’s constantly raking through fan mail and business offers from companies. The fame of a solo developer turned into an unexpected administrative burden, which he clearly did not plan for.
At the same time, he works seven days a week: five days a week — Haunted Chocolatier, two — Stardew Valley support, including technical and content patches.
Stardew Valley 1.7 — what is known about the update and when to expect it
While the Haunted Chocolatier is waiting in the wings, Eric does not give up his first hit. Update 1.7 for Stardew Valley is in development — and according to him, the patch’s goal is not to “inflate” the game with new systems, but to add depth to those aspects that currently feel a little incomplete. The release date has not yet been announced.
Bottom line: what to expect from Haunted Chocolatier and is it worth worrying about postponements?
The release date of Haunted Chocolatier is still unknown. But judging by the description, the game is clearly not going to be a passing craft “on the wave of success.” ConcernedApe is building something big, doing it alone and under the constant pressure of millions of people’s expectations.
This is perhaps the most honest answer to the question “why is it taking so long” — and at the same time a reason not to worry: the game lives, grows and has not gone away.
