Haunted Chocolatier: ConcernedApe breaks the silence, no date

Eric Barone published a post on the official Haunted Chocolatier website on Sunday, August 30. Title: “checking in”. This is the first time the creator of Stardew Valley has spoken about his second game in months, and it comes with no date attached.

What he says

Essentially two things. That he is still actively working on the project despite everything else — “working on Haunted Chocolatier is what I want to do most, out of everything I do”. And that he continues to develop it entirely alone, “with no intention of changing that at the moment”.

On the release, the answer is the same one he's been giving since 2021: the game will come out when it's ready. Barone adds that he refuses to rush the release at the cost of quality, and thanks those who are being patient.

Why it matters

Announced in October 2021, Haunted Chocolatier still has no release window, no confirmed platforms, and no price. Five years of intermittent silence, for a game that builds on the Stardew Valley formula — seasons, neighbors, a shop to run — while adding combat and a haunted castle.

The context partly explains the wait: Barone continues to maintain Stardew Valley in parallel, a game released more than ten years ago that is still being updated. A dateless status update is still a status update, but it's better than nothing.