Summary
It has been nearly six years since ConcernedApe’s farm life simulation gameStardew Valleybegan captivating the gaming community in a way not many of the genre’s titles had ever done before. Since then,Stardew Valleyhas gone on to become one of the most successful indie games ever made, and it still receives regular updates from its devoted developer, Eric Barone. Now, Barone looks to capture the hearts of gamers again with the release of his upcoming confectionery store simulation game,Haunted Chocolatier.
Haunted Chocolatierhas now been in development for nearly 4 years, leaving fans ofStardew Valleyin anxious anticipation of the game’s arrival. As it turns out, 2024 could be the yearHaunted Chocolatiergraces the gaming market with its presence, although Barone has yet to confirm whether that’s the case. At the very least, fans can expect something very similar toStardew ValleyonceHaunted Chocolatierarrives, but likely with many of theimprovements thatStardewinitially lacked on its release.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Release in 2024
Barone began work onStardew Valleyin 2012 with little idea of the global phenomenon it would become. In 2016, he finally finished his work on the game and released it to favorable reviews, with many critics praising it for the new life it breathed into the farm life sim genre.Stardewonly improved from there, with Barone eventually implementinga multiplayer mode intoStardew Valley, as well as many other fan-requested features.
Development forHaunted Chocolatierbegan in 2020, and Barone has been hard at work on it ever since. AsStardew Valleytook him around four years to finish and release,Haunted Chocolatiercould be released in 2024. However, development onHaunted Chocolatierhas most likely been a bit different fromStardew Valley, as Barone has been simultaneously busyupdatingStardewand adding new content— a distraction he did not have duringStardew’s development. This means thatHaunted Chocolatier’s release may not happen until 2025, though fans shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the thought of a 2024 release.
What to Expect From Haunted Chocolatier When It Finally Releases
Despite its similarities toStardew Valley,Haunted Chocolatierwill likely create an entirely different experiencefor players. InHaunted Chocolatier, players run a confectionery store, as opposed to the farm they ran inStardew Valley. According to the information Barone has disclosed thus far,Chocolatier’s core gameplay loop revolves around players collecting ingredients to make a variety of chocolate confections and upgrading their chocolate shop as they progress.
There is little doubt thatStardew Valleyfans are bound to see elements of their favorite farm life sim inHaunted Chocolatier.Chocolatierplayers will, of course, be given the opportunity tobuild relationships with the townsfolk like inStardew Valley. However, they can also build relationships with ghosts that roam the world. There also appears to be a greater emphasis on dialogue choices than there was inStardew Valley, so this will undoubtedly factor into the relationship that players establish with others. Furthermore, just as they could customize their farm inStardew Valley, players can customize their chocolate store inHaunted Chocolatier.
It also appears there will be an even greater emphasis oncombat inHaunted Chocolatierthan there was inStardew Valley. Whereas most ofStardew’s combat was confined to the mines, the world ofHaunted Chocolatierseems to be teeming with enemies. In one video shared by Barone, the player character is seen battling a bee who then drops several items when defeated. These items are probably linked to the player’s store, and will likely serve as ingredients.
It’s currently unclear whetherHaunted Chocolatierwill be released in 2024, but fans ofStardewcan still hold onto hope that they’ll see Barone’s next release very soon. Whether it does arrive in 2024, the gaming community most likely still has something captivating to look forward to in the future, if Barone’s past work has proven anything.
