Stardew Valley is the product of Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, a developer who single-handedly captured the hearts of millions and changed the history of indie relaxing games. The game is a mixture of farming simulation and the RPG genre, giving the players a chance to unwind and relax while experiencing the title.
Despite being released in 2015, the game still averages more than 100,000 players per week worldwide. Stardew Valley has sold more than 41 million copies as of December 2024 and with the 1.6 update released in March of the same year, it is expected that sales will continue to grow even more.
The game has been getting a steady source of updates ever since its release and fans have consistently been supportive of the developer through and through. So why does ConcernedApe want to stop adding to the game?
A lot of players consider Stardew Valley as one of the greatest games of all time, it is a relaxing yet engaging experience for fast-paced players with a hectic lifestyle and acts as a warm embrace for the players while offering them a moment of calm and tranquility.
Despite the game being one of the most successful indie experiences in history, Barone wants to develop a new game titled Haunted Chocolatier which will follow a similar pace as Stardew Valley. Unlike Stardew Valley though, which focuses more on a lifestyle outside the cityscape, growing crops and connecting to nature, Haunted Chocolatier will delve deeper into magic and fantasy.
Barone also assures fans that Haunted Chocolatier will not be a ghostly or sinister game, on the contrary, he wants the experience to be uplifting and life-affirming. The new release will sort of be a false opposite to Stardew Valley, which complements and contrasts each other.
In an interview with NPR, when asked about the future of Stardew Valley, he stated that he has been working on Stardew Valley for approximately 12 years and he does not want to focus on only one game in his entire life. He also mentions how a game can have too much content and will stop if it ever feels overloaded.
“I think a game can have too much content. And I ultimately want Stardew Valley to be the best game it can be. So if I feel like it’s starting to become kind of overwhelmed with content to the point where it’s detrimental to the game’s entertainment factor, I would stop at that point.”
Barone also stated that, although he will be working on other titles like Haunted Chocolatier, he is not entirely closing the book on Stardew Valley.
Although fans are excited about the new game by Barone, he has currently shelved the project till the foreseeable future.
In his recent blog post, he shared that he was not able to work on Haunted Chocolatier for a while because of the Stardew Valley 1.6 update and he also mentioned how even though he wants to work on other projects, Baron simply cannot let go of Stardew Valley.
“It’s hard to “let go” of Stardew, even temporarily, to work on something that isn’t already established and meaningful to people.”
Barone also re-affirms that even though Haunted Chocolatier might take a while to fully develop, he is still working on it and will deliver the complete experience soon. What do you think? When will Haunted Chocolatier be released? Let us know in the comments.
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