Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, the solo visionary behind the global phenomenon Stardew Valley, has admitted to some misgivings regarding the timing of his next project’s reveal. In a candid update, Barone confessed that he regrets unveiling Haunted Chocolatier as early as he did.
“Yep, it’s taking a while to finish the game,” Barone shared in a recent post on his official development blog. “I know, I know, I shouldn’t have announced the game so early. But I had my reasons.”
The world first caught a glimpse of Haunted Chocolatier—a charmingly eerie simulation focused on crafting supernatural confections—back in 2021. This followed a decade of Barone’s singular dedication to Stardew Valley. Half a decade since that initial teaser, the project remains in active development with no definitive release window on the horizon.
This prolonged timeline is hardly surprising to those familiar with Barone’s meticulous workflow; he remains a true independent auteur, hand-crafting everything from the pixel art and musical score to the underlying code. Furthermore, development on the confectionery sim was briefly sidelined to facilitate the massive 1.6 update for Stardew Valley in late 2024. Despite announcing a subsequent 1.7 update for the farming sim in September 2025, Barone has assured fans that his ongoing commitment to Stardew will not hinder the progress of Haunted Chocolatier.
While Barone didn’t explicitly detail why he laments the 2021 announcement, the weight of public expectation likely plays a role. Much of his latest communication was dedicated to setting the record straight and silencing the rumor mill that often swirls around highly anticipated indie titles.
“First, I am not going to abandon Haunted Chocolatier,” Barone clarified, addressing bizarre speculation that the project might be absorbed into his debut title. “But even if I did, I am not going to add it to Stardew Valley. They are separate games.”
He further dismissed theories that Stardew serves as a testing ground for his new mechanics, or that he is pivoting back to his older work due to burnout. “I’m working on a new Stardew update because it’s a very popular game with a large, ever-growing playerbase, and I still have additional ideas for how to improve it,” he explained. “Ultimately, the only thing that matters is that I keep making progress. So, I’m headed back to work.”
Considering Barone’s reputation for perfectionism—it famously took him nearly nine years to achieve 100% completion in his own creation—fans would be wise to exercise patience. Since 2016, he has consistently delivered high-quality content and expansive free updates. Four years of development for a solo project of this scale is remarkably standard. Reassuring his audience, Barone noted he has been “very productive lately” and remains focused on the finish line.
“I’m alive, the game is still in development, and it will come out when it’s ready,” Barone concluded. “Thank you for your patience.”
Source: Polygon
