Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone has released an update on his upcoming chocolatier simulation game Haunted Chocolatier as we approach the fifth anniversary of its announcement.
Now that Hollow Knight: Silksong and Mewgenics are out, the gaming community needs a new indie game that’s taking ages to come out to rally around. While for me that’s Little Devil Inside (which was originally announced for the Wii U, to tell you how long that’s been), I imagine there’s a whole lot of people who have been desperately waiting for the next game from Stardew Valley developer ConcernedApe, Haunted Chocolatier, which was announced all the way back in 2021.
To his credit, Barone has been way more open about the development of Haunted Chocolatier than the Silksong or Little Devil Inside devs – him being well aware that Haunted Chocolatier is “taking a long time” – with the last update for the game coming in June. He’s now released a new update on the development of the game on the Haunted Chocolatier website.
“I’m still here, still making progress” Barone says, thanking the fanbase for waiting patiently, and apologising for how long development is taking, he adds, “I’ve been very productive on this project lately even though I am busy with many things. Working on Haunted Chocolatier is what I’m most eager and driven to do, out of everything.”
However, despite his apologies about the development time, Barone isn’t stressed about it as “that’s just how it is” He explains, “I won’t compromise on the quality of the game by rushing it or releasing it too early. Then all my time would be wasted, anyway.” Barone then notes that the community is supportive, adding that “I do appreciate how understanding you guys are.”
“My goal is to make a game that I am proud of and personally enjoy. And I am certain, at this point, that I will enjoy the game when it is finished.” Barone adds, saying “I already enjoy playing it in its unfinished state, especially after some recent additions i made… I hope others will like it too when it’s ready.” Given that Stardew Valley has become one of the most beloved games of all-time, and has been consistently been updated alongside the development of Haunted Chocolatier, I reckon we let him cook, because he’s right, it’d be a waste to rush it.