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

Haunted Chocolatier is the next game coming from Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe.

First revealed back in 2021, Barone continues to work away on the exciting new project alongside Stardew Valley, with the beloved farming sim set to see a 1.7 update sometime in the future. With a series of blog posts offering some insights on Haunted Chocolatier, an update in August 2026 saw Barone touch on the long development, saying, "I won't compromise on the quality of the game by rushing it or releasing it too early".

As a big fan of games like Stardew Valley, I'm certainly excited to see what the new game and its more action-RPG focus brings. If you're keen to learn more about the exciting project, I've brought together a roundup of everything that's been revealed about Haunted Chocolatier so far, from interviews with Barone to the posts on the official website, and all of the latest news.

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."

Later blog posts from Barone have echoed the same sentiment, with the developer saying in January 2026: "The bottom line is, I don't want to give a release date. The game will come out when it's done."

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, PS5, Switch / Switch 2, and Xbox Series X. We may also see a mobile release. We'll keep you posted as more platform news gets announced.

Haunted Chocolatier development

Haunted Chocolatier is indeed the next game from Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone. Also known as ConcernedApe, the Haunted Chocolatier has been in in the works since 2021. But Barone continues to work on Stardew Valley, too, with the sizable Stardew Valley 1.6 update releases on PC and consoles in 2024.

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 a 2024 blog post.

But even as more progress continues to be made on the project, Barone has reiterated 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".

Another Stardew update is planned, too, with Barone posting in 2025 about Stardew Valley 1.7 explaining that it may make the timeline for Haunted Chocolatier longer, "but not as much as you might think." As he explains, the 1.7 update has Barone acting more as "creative director" this time around with a team helping on Stardew Valley updates, so he should have more time for Haunted Chocolatier.

What kind of game is Haunted Chocolatier?

The FAQ 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, 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.

Highlighting its more action leaning focus, Barone also said in an interview with GQ that "the main focus is more about adventuring, finding equipment and getting more powerful. There are monsters, there are boss fights", and "it's for the people in Stardew Valley that go into the mines".

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 was 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."

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".

"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 one 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".

Barone also revealed in June 2025 that the world of Haunted Chocolatier is "larger than Stardew Valley", so it sounds as if we'll have a more expansive place to explore than that of Pelican Town in the farming sim.

Haunted Chocolatier 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 seems to be an example of a boss fight. You can even listen to the music of the "boss bee" here.

Haunted Chocolatier news

• Haunted Chocolatier is "taking a long time," admits Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe – but going "over every last detail" is just what it takes "to make a game I'm satisfied with"
• Expectations for Haunted Chocolatier are "a huge struggle" for Eric Barone because "there's going to be a lot of people playing this game who are expecting it to be a Stardew Valley 2"
• "I am not going to abandon Haunted Chocolatier," says Stardew Valley's Eric Barone: "I know, I shouldn't have announced the game so early"
• Stardew Valley 1.7 is as mysterious as ever, but that's because ConcernedApe doesn't want "too much hype" for the farming sim's new update as "it's going to be a while" before it's ready
• Eric Barone is "committed to not working on Stardew Valley until I'm done with Haunted Chocolatier," but he'll "never say" he's completely done with his magnum opus"

Look ahead with our list of all of the upcoming PC games to look forward to.