Eric Barone isn't worried about "pressure" on Stardew Valley follow-up Haunted Chocolatier: "It's a game that I'm deciding to make. I don't need to make it"

Stardew Valley creator Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone isn't worried about the pressure that invariably comes with developing a follow-up to one of the most successful independent games of all time. Although fans' expectations for Haunted Chocolatier are undoubtedly astronomical, Barone is taking his time.

The solo developer said as much in an interview with Aftermath. While he admitted to feeling some pressure from fans, he iterated on a famous quote often, and quite possibly mistakenly, attributed to Shigeru Miyamoto: "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."

"[Fan expectation] definitely puts pressure on me," he said, "but it's better to have a delayed game that's actually good than a bad game that's on time. When it's ready, that's when I'll release it. I'm not too concerned with the pressure. I don't feel like I owe anyone anything when it comes to Haunted Chocolatier. It's a game that I'm deciding to make. I don't need to make it."

Haunted Chocolatier was first announced back in October 2021, and although at first blush it looks a lot like a spooky take on Stardew Valley, it takes place in a distinct world and has a greater focus on combat. The core gameplay loop, or at least as it was described at launch, involves "gathering ingredients, making chocolate, and running a chocolate shop". 

At the time, Barone said the game was "developing organically" and suggested it could wind up going in different directions, but at the end of the day, the game is called Haunted Chocolatier. It's safe to say there will be ghosts and making of chocolate.

There's no release date yet for Haunted Chocolatier, but now that Stardew Valley 1.6 is out the door, hopefully Barone is freed up to work on it at a faster pace.

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