Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Haunted Chocolatier is a fantastical role-playing simulation game where you make chocolate with ghosts.

Concerned Ape’s Next Game After Stardew Valley is Haunted Chocolatier

Haunted Chocolatier is a fantastical role-playing simulation game where you make chocolate with ghosts.

Stardew Valley developer ConcernedApe has revealed his next game. Called Haunted Chocolatier, it shares many characteristics of the incredibly popular farming sim that’s now a household name, but it intends to stand apart as something more whimsical, fantastic, and “unleashed” than SDV.

Recommended Videos

Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, revealed Haunted Chocolatier through a recent blog post and relatively long 2:25 trailer that shows what’s presumably an early build of the game in action.

Barone said his work to this point has been on the “meat and potatoes” of Haunted Chocolatier, with the “good stuff” still to come.

So far, there are ingredients to collect, chocolate to make with the help of little ghosties, and a shop to decorate and manage. There are relationships to forge, gifts to give, and mysteries to unravel. And, of course, there are enemies to defeat such as slimes and evil ravens. 

Right now, Haunted Chocolatier shares many similarities with Stardew Valley, even down to its pixel graphics and incredible music, but it’s not a sequel to that game. Well, at least not in its current form. Barone hasn’t said one way or the other just yet, but he clarified where SDV is more traditional, Chocolatier will be more “unleashed.”

He said:

So far, I’ve been having fun working on this game. There are so many possibilities. With Stardew Valley, I felt somewhat constrained, because I was working within an established tradition. I don’t regret that at all, but there’s always been a part of me that wanted to go “unleashed”.

I believe this will be a good opportunity, but I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet. I’ve been mostly working on the “meat and potatoes” of the game so far. But what really brings a game to life is the spice, the sauce. And I haven’t really gotten to the sauce yet. That’s coming.

Despite Haunted Chocolatier‘s spoopy vibe, Barone also said that this isn’t an “evil or negative game,” and he wants it to be something “delightful” and “uplifting.” 

There’s still a lot we don’t know about Haunted Chocolatier. Since it’s still in the early stages of development, Barone didn’t share a release window or timeframe, nor did he share the platforms on which he intends to release the game. But stay tuned for more. We’ll be watching this one closely.


GameSkinny is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Jonathan Moore
Jonathan Moore
Jonathan Moore is the Editor-in-Chief of GameSkinny and has been writing about games since 2010. With over 1,200 published articles, he's written about almost every genre, from city builders and ARPGs to third-person shooters and sports titles. While patiently awaiting anything Dino Crisis, he consumes all things Star Wars. He has a BFA in Creative Writing and an MFA in Creative Writing focused on games writing and narrative design. He's previously been a newspaper copy editor, ad writer, and book editor. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music, watching football, and walking his three dogs. He lives on Earth and believes in aliens, thanks to Fox Mulder.