Despite its simple mechanics and SNES-like aesthetics (or perhaps because of them), Stardew Valley is one of the most beloved indie games to come out in recent years. As such, fans have been keen on whether developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone can follow this with the upcoming game, Haunted Chocolatier.
Not much is known about their next project, but Barone recently posted an image from the new title. It doesn’t show much, but it’s a kind of tease, and it’s giving people Stardew Valley vibes.
here's a haunted chocolatier screne pic.twitter.com/bCVy3NJaMS
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) September 5, 2023
Featuring the visual style of ConcernedApe’s magnum opus, the screenshot shows an unnamed, wizened man who says they were “just having the most terrible dream.” Under this image on Twitter, some have commented that it reminds them of Grandpa from Stardew Valley. One person theorized that the new game is set in the same universe and Grandpa has gifted a chocolate shop instead of a farm.
He’s not dead, he’s just sleeping
We don’t know a great deal about Haunted Chocolatier, other than you’ll be running a confectionary place. It’s also going for that Harvest Moon-inspired look, which worked out well for Stardew.
Alongside the new project, Barone is also working on update 1.6 for Stardew Valley, so it’s clearly going to be a busy time for them. We may not hear about the new game for a while longer.
However, that doesn’t stop people from asking when the new update for Stardew is likely to drop. The developer says they “don’t want any pressure,” so we’ll all have to be a little patient before we hear further details about Haunted Chocolatier.
