Haunted Chocolatier: Everything we know about the Stardew Valley creator's next game

Haunted Chocolatier is a new adventure that's currently in the works from Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe. First officially announced in 2021 with the reveal of some early gameplay, we've steadily been getting more details about the upcoming life sim that will see us take on the role of chocolatier in a haunted castle.

From what's been revealed so far, it sounds like we're in for quite the treat, with lots of chocolate making goodness with a helping of mysterious and some ghostly vibes, too. In fact, Barone recently spoke on the sweet aspect of the new adventure, and said he's exploring the option of bringing in chocolate alternatives and setting a limit on many chocolates we can eat each day as we run our own shop.

With the latest Stardew Valley update now out in the wild, Barone has also said that he's now "committed to not working on Stardew Valley until I'm done with Haunted Chocolatier", with the focus now on the new adventure which is already shaping up to one of the most anticipated new games headed our way. Exciting times certainly seem to be ahead for fans of games like Stardew Valley right now, with the likes of Witchbrook also on the way ahead of ConcernedApe's next game . For a full recap of everything we know so far about Haunted Chocolatier, read on below.

Haunted Chocolatier release date speculation

Currently, there's no Haunted Chocolatier release date, and it's unlikely that we'll see the game anytime soon.

In an FAQ posted back in 2021, Barone stated, "I can't commit to a release date yet" as it's still "relatively early in development."

"I want to be able to work in peace without the pressure of a release date, or even an estimated release date," the post continues.

In a later update, Barone added: "The bottom line, is that I won't rest, or release this game, until I am personally satisfied that it's very fun and compelling, in every aspect. If it never gets there, I'll never release it. But don't worry, I have 100% faith that I'll get it there."

In 2025, during an appearance on Bobby Lee's TigerBelly podcast, Barone also said he can't say if Haunted Chocolatier will be out by 2030, but that's "the goal", adding that "there's still lots to be done".

Haunted Chocolatier development

Haunted Chocolatier is indeed the next game from Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone. Also known as ConcernedApe, the dev had been busy working to bring us the sizable Stardew Valley 1.6 update, which is now available on consoles as well as PC.

While Barone took a break from Haunted Chocolatier to focus on the update for some time, he revealed that he's done "a ton of work" on the upcoming game in another blog post.

But even if more progress has been made on the project, Barone reiterates in the blog that it won't be ready for some time, and just like Stardew Valley, it won't be releasing in Early Access, be crowdfunded, or have pre-orders, "so I don't feel a ton of external pressure to finish the game on a timeline".

Haunted Chocolatier gameplay

The gameplay trailer above, which was released alongside the announcement back in 2021, serves up a vertical slice of how the game is currently shaping up in its early stages. With a look at some of the combat, interactions, town setting, locales, and even some ghosts sporting shades, there's plenty to see that has us excited.

In the first "hello world" blog post, Barone offers some insight into the kind of game Haunted Chocolatier will be, detailing some of the aims for the game and how it compares to Stardew Valley. While it's "developing organically" and may go in different directions, the post touches on the core gameplay loop, which involves "gathering ingredients, making chocolate, and running a chocolate shop."

There is, of course, more to it than that, but Barone emphasizes that he doesn't want to be tied to any particular concept and expressed a desire to "explore more fantastical possibilities" and "experiences that take you beyond the ordinary" compared to the humble play of Stardew Valley.

"Chocolate represents that which is delightful," the post continues. "The haunted castle represents the allure of the unknown. The ghosts represent the imprint of the past. All of these things are important."

"However, don't think for a moment that, because this game features ghosts in a haunted castle, it is an evil or negative game," Barone adds. "On the contrary, I intend for this game to be positive, uplifting, and life-affirming. However, if Stardew Valley mostly channeled the energy of the sun, Haunted Chocolatier channels the energy of the moon. Both are vital."

In a blog post titled "Intuitive Chocolate making", Barone also revealed that there will be more than way to make chocolate in the adventure as we run our shop:

"There will be a more "intuitive" way, but there are also more conventional ways to do it [make chocolate]," Barone writes. "There will be reasons to use both, but you could just focus on one or the other if you wanted to. At their core, they are all processes in which you convert ingredients into final products. It's just that one process might be more “whimsical”, and another process might be more mechanical".

Haunted Chocolatier is closer to an action-RPG

The FAQ also describes Haunted Chocolatier as another "town game" like Stardew Valley, where you move to a new town and try out a new way of living. Not unlike the residents of Pelican Town, you'll be able to get to know the townspeople, be able to develop relationships with NPCs in Haunted Chocolatier and "make progress in many ways".

But the new adventure is closer to an action-RPG in comparison to Stardew Valley (aka one of the best farming games ever made), and it will be a single-player experience.

While it's more of an action RPG in comparison to the farming sim, Barone said in an interview with PC Gamer that Haunted Chocolatier is still very much a life sim, and is similar to Stardew Valley in many ways, but it has more "dark and mysterious" vibes.

Currently there is no word on any multiplayer features for Haunted Chocolatier, but we'll let you know as soon as we hear any news.

Haunted Chocolatier has a "greater focus on combat"  

A later blog post update offered us more insight into the combat of Haunted Chocolatier, which is a bigger part of the experience in comparison to Stardew Valley. As we've seen so far in the early gameplay footage and some screenshots, there will be different weapons we can use, including shields that will allow us to deflect hits as we take on various foes in the world. As the blog details, many attacks can be blocked, and doing so will cause an enemy to become stunned and allow for quick attacks.

"The shield/stun mechanic rewards more cautious, patient players who wait for a window of opportunity," Barone writes. "But you don't have to play like this, you could just as well charge in aggressively, and if you can pull it off, you’ll defeat enemies more quickly that way. There will be other off-hand items besides shields that will compliment different play styles."

Of course, everything that's been shown so far is a work-in-progress, so it may change over the course of the game's development, but it's exciting to see the kind of direction combat is going in so far. Interestingly, a tweet also gave us a look at a screenshot of a big bee foe, which suggests we may be taking on boss battles. You can even listen to the music of the "boss bee" here.

Haunted Chocolatier platforms 

In terms of what platforms Haunted Chocolatier is expected to release on, the FAQ confirms that PC is the only certainty, but there's "every intention" of bringing it to other major platforms as well.

If it follows in the footsteps of Stardew Valley we should see the game head to Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch in the future, too (and perhaps the Switch 2 given that Nintendo's new console is set to launch in 2025). We may also see a mobile release. We'll keep you posted as more platform news gets announced.

Haunted Chocolatier news

• Eric Barone says "I have not touched Haunted Chocolatier in a long time" because he's still working on getting Stardew Valley 1.6 to console
• As Stardew Valley fans enjoy update 1.6, Haunted Chocolatier hopefuls hold onto a scrap of info from Eric Barone: "I had this in mind from the beginning"
• Stardew Valley's Eric Barone is "eager" to get back to working on Haunted Chocolatier but wants 1.6 "bug-free and out to all platforms" first
• If you liked Stardew Valley's bedridden grandpa, you'll love this Haunted Chocolatier screenshot
• Stardew Valley dev shares bite-sized glimpse of next game Haunted Chocolatier
• Stardew Valley dev explains what you actually do in Haunted Chocolatier, and how Diablo 2 influenced it

If you're after more life sims, check out our list of the best simulator games to play right now. Or for more titles we have a list of all the upcoming PC games to look forward to this year.