ConcernedApe Won’t Resume Work On Haunted Chocolatier Until Stardew Version 1.6 Is “Settled”

Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has revealed that work on his upcoming game, Haunted Chocolatier, will remain paused until Stardew Valley’s recent Update 1.6 is out and “settled” on all platforms.

The major Stardew Valley update was first announced last April, when Barone said that he would be pausing work on Haunted Chocolatier until that was done. The update arrived on PC last week, but still has yet to release on consoles. Barone is also busy working on bug fixes for the massive update, already having released patch 1.6.1 and 1.6.2 in the last week, with 1.6.3 also on the way.

In a reply to his post on X, Barone gave a brief update on Haunted Chocolatier, saying: “I am eager to get back to work on it. But I have to see Stardew 1.6 settled, bug-free and out to all platforms first.”

Barone developed Stardew Valley alone, and despite the game’s massive popularity, has continued to operate as a solo developer. The same is true of his work on Haunted Chocolatier, meaning it could be some time before the game is ready to release.

The last update on Haunted Chocolatier on the game’s website was posted in December 2021, and despite showing off a few assets and screenshots, Barone said he wouldn’t be sharing much of the new game’s content as it’s developed. “I don’t really feel like sharing much, because I’d rather let the game be a surprise than reveal everything,” he explained. “I just like working in secret.”