Haunted Chocolatier Matches Stardew Valley's Scale

Developer ConcernedApe has confirmed that the world in Haunted Chocolatier will be even larger than that of Stardew Valley. Read on for the latest details about the game's development and its anticipated release window.

Haunted Chocolatier's World to Surpass Stardew Valley in Scale

Latest Insights on the Game World and Release Plans from ConcernedApe

Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, recently shared an intriguing detail about his upcoming project, Haunted Chocolatier. In a June 11 post on X (formerly Twitter), he revealed that the game's world will be larger than that of Stardew Valley.

While Barone hasn't yet specified the exact scale of this difference, full-scale development appears to be underway. In April 2025, during the Game Developers Conference, he spoke with PC Gamer about the challenge of balancing work on both of his major projects.

He confessed that it's difficult for him to step away from Stardew Valley, which has impacted progress on the new game. "I do love Stardew Valley and I care about the fans. Ensuring players have a great experience is a priority, so I'm constantly drawn back to supporting and improving Stardew Valley, which pulls my focus from dedicating all my time to Haunted Chocolatier," Barone explained.

Much of 2024 was devoted to the substantial Stardew Valley 1.6 update. Now that this patch is live on PC and consoles, Barone is determined to fully concentrate on Haunted Chocolatier's development.

The developer elaborated, "The 1.6 update is pretty settled at this point, with just minor fixes. My commitment now is to not work on Stardew Valley until Haunted Chocolatier is complete. I'm proud of where Stardew Valley stands—it's in a great place, and I believe new players in 2025 will thoroughly enjoy it."

While he is now fully focused on Haunted Chocolatier, Barone previously told Nintendo Life in January that he could work on Stardew Valley for the rest of his life. Future updates for Stardew may still arrive after the new game's completion, but for now, finishing the chocolatier simulation is his top priority.

ConcernedApe Aims for a Release Within Five Years

Haunted Chocolatier was first announced in October 2021 with a gameplay trailer and a promotional website. Since that initial reveal, Barone has expressed his hope to release the game within the next five years.

During a May 19 appearance on comedian and longtime fan Bobby Lee's Tiger Belly podcast, Lee asked if the game would be out within that timeframe. Barone responded with a casual "I hope so," a statement that drew a humorous reaction of dismay from the host.

Their conversation touched on how polished the game appears in trailers and snippets. Barone noted that this "Hollywood Magic" can create the illusion that the game is ready for launch, even as development continues.

His recent tweet has given fans even more reason to be excited for his latest project. Haunted Chocolatier is currently in development for PC, with plans to eventually bring it to other platforms. For the most current news and information on the game, explore our related article below.