This month, we’re celebrating Stardew Valley’s tenth anniversary, and as a part of that, we have a ton of Stardew stuff in retailer. However after we spoke with creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) forward of the gala, we could not resist asking about his different mysterious recreation, Haunted Chocolatier, which continues to be in improvement.
Barone has brazenly spoken previously about his wrestle to stability work on each Stardew Valley’s ongoing updates (patch 1.7 is presently underway) and Haunted Chocolatier. We first requested if that stability had modified lately, and whether or not there was extra time for chocolatier in his schedule. The reply from Barone is, “Sure, one thing like that.”
βEffectively, one of many causes we expanded the crew somewhat bit is in order that we will hopefully spend extra time creating Haunted Chocolatier,β he says. “And I feel it is labored out fairly properly thus far. With 1.7, the method we’re taking is involving myself, you would possibly say the artistic director, and me and being like, ‘Okay, let’s do that, listed here are some concepts.’ Then I had my crew work on it. And within the meantime, I am engaged on “The Ghost Chocolatier.”
“Sooner or later within the 1.7 cycle, I will be very concerned, as a result of I really feel like I would like to the touch each a part of the sport, each facet of the replace. I must vet it and tweak it or a minimum of approve every little thing. So it will take a number of time both approach, however I feel the stability has modified somewhat bit. Because of this, I am spending extra time engaged on Haunted. We are able to now concentrate on Chocolatier, and I feel it is working fairly properly. That is an enormous change from earlier variations, just like the 1.3 replace and 1.1, the place we did not have time to work on a totally new recreation.
“I feel it is troublesome as a result of it is arduous to change gears. If you’re excited about ‘The Haunted Chocolatier,’ it is arduous to suppose, ‘Okay, I will work on ‘Stardew Valley’ one or two days per week.” My mind does not work that approach. I am onto one thing. So I have been attempting to work on that. I really feel prefer it takes a number of self-discipline, so I am at all times attempting to enhance. β
I perceive. A number of different components of the complete Q&A present extra particulars in regards to the work he did to stability Haunted Chocolatier and Stardew Valley. However we could not abandon the subject with out asking him frankly about the way forward for Haunted Chocolatier. Sadly, there are not any concrete updates right this moment. However Barone replies, “It is going properly.” But it surely appears to be like prefer it’ll be well worth the wait.
“Progress is not as quick as I might prefer it to be. Nothing is as quick as I might prefer it to be. A very powerful factor about Haunted Chocolatier is that we do not launch something we’re not pleased with. If we do not suppose it is a terrific recreation, we’re not going to launch it. So even when it takes years, that is nice. That is what I wish to do. Fortunately, I do not really feel any actual stress. We’re not being funded by anybody, and we’re not crowdfunding.
“I do not actually owe anybody something for the sport. It is like I get hit after I wish to launch it after I wish to. I imply, it is true that I put out a recreation and I do not wish to disappoint the followers by taking too lengthy, in order that places a number of stress on me, however there is not any actual bodily obligation to it. You would possibly say it is only a psychological assemble.”
Barone has beforehand mentioned that the world of Haunted Chocolatier is “larger” than Stardew Valley, so it is no surprise Haunted Chocolatier is taking so lengthy. He additionally took a brief hiatus from creating the sport in 2024 as he had hassle getting the console port of Stardew Valley 1.6 to work. However a bigger crew seems to be serving to alleviate a few of these challenges going ahead. We’ll simply should be affected person (and proceed to get pleasure from Stardew) for Barone’s subsequent installment, each time it comes.
This month we’re celebrating Stardew’s tenth anniversary with a wealthy story. We sat down with ConcernedApe to debate subjects such because the addition of two new marriage candidates in 1.7, the secrets and techniques gamers have not found but, and why there is not a Stardew Valley TV present but. We additionally spoke with the Stardew Valley neighborhood about what the sport has meant to them over time.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter at videogameaddicted. Do you’ve any story ideas? Ship it to rvalentine@videogameaddicted.com.