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Stardew Valley Developer Announces ConcernedApe's Haunted Chocolatier

Stardew Valley Developer Announces ConcernedApe's Haunted Chocolatier - News

by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 November 2021 / 1,844 Views

ConcernedApe, the creator of Stardew Valley, has announced ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier. PC is the only confirmed platform for the game. 

The core of the gameplay loop involves gathering ingredients, making chocolate, and running a chocolate shop. There will be more to do in the game, however, ConcernedApe did not want to go into detail during this early stage. 

"In Stardew Valley, the focus was more humble: living off the land, growing food, and connecting to the people and nature around you," said ConcernedApe in a blog post. "However, with my next game, I wanted to explore more fantastical possibilities… experiences that take you beyond the ordinary. That’s where magical haunted ghost chocolate comes in.

"Chocolate represents that which is delightful. 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. 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.

"More important than all that, I just want to make a fun game."

View an early gameplay video of ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier below:

Check out an FAQ of ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier below:

What is “ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier?”

ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier is an RPG/simulation game, currently in development.

In this game, you will play as a chocolatier living in a haunted castle. In order to thrive in your new role, you will have to gather rare ingredients, make delicious chocolates, and sell them in a chocolate shop.

There’s a lot more to the game than that, but it’s still early in development so I don’t want to go too deep into it right now.

Who’s making this game?

Haunted Chocolatier is being developed by Eric Barone (aka ConcernedApe), the creator of Stardew Valley.
(So far, I have been working alone on this game, and I have no plans to get anyone else involved at this time. However, when it’s close to being done I will most likely get help for console ports and localizations. I will also be self-publishing this game.)

When does it come out?

I can’t commit to a release date yet. It’s still relatively early in development and I want to be able to work in peace without the pressure of a release date, or even an estimated release date.

Does it take place in the world of Stardew Valley?

I’m not ready to reveal anything like that just yet.

Is the gameplay similar to Stardew Valley?

In some ways, yes, but in many ways, no.

Like Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier is another “town game”, where you move to a new town and try your hand at a new way of living. You’ll get to know the townspeople, achieve your goals and make progress in many ways. All of that is similar to Stardew Valley. However, the core gameplay and theming are quite a bit different. Haunted Chocolatier is more of an action-RPG compared to Stardew Valley. And instead of a farm being the focal point of your endeavors, it’s a chocolate shop.

How long has it been in development?

I started working on this game a little over 1 year ago, in 2020. Since then, I’ve been working on it mostly in evenings and on the weekends, because I’m still actively working on Stardew Valley related things.

It’s actually not the first or only “new project” I’ve been working on, but it’s the one that I believe I will finish first.

Is it Multiplayer?

No, it’s currently just single-player. I have no current plans to make it multiplayer.

What platforms will it come out on?

The only platform I am 100% certain about is PC. However, I have every intention of bringing it to the other major platforms as well.

What languages will it have?

The only language I know for sure at this point, is English. That being said, I intend to localize to other languages. But I’m not even close to doing that yet, and I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, so to speak.

Is it the same engine as Stardew Valley?

No, it’s a new engine written in C#/Monogame… however there are some areas where I can reuse code from Stardew Valley, so that is nice.


A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.


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3 Comments
Chazore (on 22 October 2021)

A game where we run a chocolate factory, but with the look of Stardew and the feel of Moonlighter, but with ghosts?

Sign me the fuck up.

  • +3
Wman1996 Chazore (on 22 October 2021)

Stardew Valley is a masterpiece, so a game that's similar but different is right up my alley.

  • +1
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