Stardew Valley continues to dominate the cosy gaming space.
In fact, I’d argue that its dominance is stronger than ever with fans going wild over this year’s hefty Update 1.6, both on PC and consoles, which introduced a bunch of new features, items, and even a farm type.
It’s wild to think that this is all the work of solo developer Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone, who’s passion project turned into a worldwide phenomenon.
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Luckily for us, Barone plans on supporting Stardew Valley for many years to come and is very open on what he’s planning next for the game.
But it’s not his only project.
You may remember that the developer announced a spiritual successor to Stardew Valley back in 2021, Haunted Chocolatier.
This is a riff on the Stardew Valley cosy formula, although it’ll see you take on the role of a chocolatier living in a haunted castle.
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Instead of farming, you’ll be gathering rare ingredients for your sweet creations but otherwise, the game appears set to feature the usual gameplay loop of decorating, socialising, and romancing - albeit with a spooky twist.
Unfortunately though, little has been said about the game since its initial reveal, although Barone has just surfaced with a fresh update.
Tales of the Shire is set to launch in early 2025 and should scratch that cosy gaming itch.
“As you may already know, I haven’t been able to work on Haunted Chocolatier in a while. This is because I started working on new stuff for the Stardew Valley 1.6 update,” Barone shared in a blog post.
“It’s been a little sad to see Haunted Chocolatier getting dusty on the shelf… but this is the reality of my situation. Stardew Valley is a big and popular game, and I have a lot of attachment to it.”
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He continued, “However, I also have a strong desire to make more games. [...] And even though Haunted Chocolatier has only been revealed publicly to a tiny degree, in my own private world it’s a special place, and I’m very attached to the characters, themes, and ideas. Also, I’ve already done a ton of work on the game.”
In fact, Barone revealed that before he began work on Stardew’s Update 1.6, he had created a vertical slice of Haunted Chocolatier, “essentially a skeleton of the game with most (not all) of its bones in place”.
That being said, there’s still plenty of work to do.
“As development continues, I may want to post about it and share things with you. But if I don’t post for a while, it doesn’t mean I have abandoned the game. Sometimes I feel like sharing things, and sometimes I don’t,” Barone explained.
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Typically, a ‘delay’ or lengthy development period has fans of a franchise climbing the walls, but Barone has been met with nothing but support.
“You've got all the time in the world, chill and take it easy. Masterpieces need time and love,” read one comment.
“Please don't feel rushed! This is your art and we want you to be happy with it. Please take the time to create what you're proud of and we'll be here when you're ready to show it off,” read another.
Well said.
Topics: Stardew Valley, Indie Games