As Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone’s next new game, anticipation has been building year-on-year forHaunted Chocolatiersince it was announced in 2021, meaning expectations could get even higher in 2025. With Barone’s first game,Stardew Valley, joining the ranks of legendary indie hits likeHollow KnightandUndertale, it was no surprise that the developer’s next game getting announced would capture the gaming community’s attention. Yet with only one trailer and a handful of official details revealed via Barone’s blog or social media, fans are left waiting to learn something more substantial aboutHaunted Chocolatier.
Fans would be wise to manage their expectations regarding news aboutHaunted Chocolatier,given thatConcernedApe continues to work onStardew Valley, as indicated by its large-scale 1.6 update. Given that Barone is still currently a solo developer, this could mean the future ofHaunted Chocolatierwill remain just as unclear in 2025 as it was in 2024 if it has to compete withStardew Valley. With this in mind, the best hope players might have for 2025 is for Barone to confirm newHaunted Chocolatierdetails, if only to reassure players who have been left waiting.
Players Should Expect Something Different From ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier
Based oneverything revealed aboutHaunted Chocolatierso far, either by a trailer or by Barone himself, while the game may share the same visual design and in-game universe, the upcoming game could be a significant departure fromStardew Valley. For instance, in addition to an all-new setting and a range of new characters,Haunted Chocolatierseems more supernaturally inspired thanStardew Valley, such as focusing on the game’s ghosts as part of the player’s chocolate-making business. In line with this, althoughHaunted Chocolatierwill remain within the sim genre, it will depart from the niche ofStardew Valley’s farm sim.
Another fundamental change fromStardew Valleywill beHaunted Chocolatier’s emphasis on combatand a darker atmosphere, with the game’s trailer revealing examples of the upcoming game’s enemies and bosses. From the revealed gameplay,Haunted Chocolatierappears to be a single-player game with a stronger focus on the mystery surrounding its setting and characters. Since it’s not clear if the two games share a world, it’s hard to say if fans can expect returningStardew Valleycharacters like Grampa. Though details may be subject to change over the next year,Haunted Chocolatieris at least promising a different and even more mature experience to the likes ofStardew Valley.
What Haunted Chocolatier’s News Could Look Like in 2025
However, given that comparisons between Barone’s first and next game are highly likely,Haunted Chocolatierhas only been able to give players a small insight into the upcoming game, such as revealing new gameplay mechanics, locations, or characters. to put distance between it andStardew Valley,Haunted Chocolatier’s release strategycould try and be more proactive during 2025, both to reassure players awaiting its release and to reaffirm its own identity. Though an official release date is unlikely to be confirmed in 2025, Barone could switch things up from 2024 and reveal Chocolatierinstead of focusing onStardew Valleyas hinted at on social media.
For instance, whileHaunted Chocolatieris ideally still in development, despite Barone’s comments about the game “getting dusty on the shelf” in a recent blog post, this shouldn’t stop the developer from sharing existing gameplay, concepts, and more. This could include information about previously seen characters fromHaunted Chocolatier’s trailer, such as Burk, Maddie, and Jett, or Barone could reveal other bosses aside from the boss fight from the same trailer. Ultimately, however, withBarone continuing to updateStardew Valley, expectations for news aboutHaunted Chocolatiershould be managed during 2025.
Haunted Chocolatier
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Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.
