Stardew Valley’s creator says new game will be very different, will take a while to complete

Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, the creator of the widely popular Stardew Valley, is working on a new game, but fans will likely not see the launch of the game for quite some time. Haunted Chocolatier has already been teased and fans are excited, but the game is still in the early stages of development, according to an interview with Screenrant.

Haunted Chocolatier was announced by the creator with a YouTube video of early gameplay around this time last year, and Stardew Valley fans immediately latched onto the game and the new concept. Many expect it to be similar to Stardew Valley, and it will likely have a lot of similarities, but based on the interview with Screenrant, it’s also going to have a lot of differences.

“In some ways, making games and art is just a way for me to connect to people, or for them to understand me,” ConcernedApe said in the interview. “I want people to understand my ideas, my thoughts; who I am. I feel like Stardew Valley is partway there, but it’s not even close to the whole picture. There’s a lot more I need to express, so I’m looking forward to that.”

One particular part of the game will be more expansive than Stardew Valley, and that is the combat system. Because Stardew Valley was so heavily inspired by Harvest Moon, ConcernedApe noted that the combat was a bit dry, so Haunted Chocolatier will likely have a more robust and scaling combat system.

“Getting loot and seeing your numbers go up on the stats? I like that stuff. I feel like a lot of Stardew Valley players aren’t that into it, but I’ve just got to do what I think is fun. And I think that’ll shine through in the game, if I’m excited about it,” ConcernedApe said.

Haunted Chocolatier will also be in the cooker for quite a while. The game is still in early development, and the developer has said that it’s “gonna take a while,” before the game comes out. There is no release date for the game, and there likely won’t be for a long time.

It’s difficult to speculate when the game could release based on what ConcernedApe has said, so gamers will just have to wait patiently for now.