Barone Confirms Haunted Chocolatier Still in Dev

Eric Barone published a development update for Haunted Chocolatier on June 25, 2026, confirming the game is still in active development and explaining that repeated iteration on frequently used systems is a big part of why production is taking as long as it is.

The Stardew Valley creator, who works under the name ConcernedApe, said progress is slowed by returning to systems players will use fairly often and refining them until every interaction feels clear, efficient, and satisfying. His current example is the in-game chocolate recipe book, an interface players will open regularly to make chocolates. He has iterated on it many times, working to reduce the number of clicks required, calibrate how much information appears on screen at once, and improve the grouping and readability of that information. Function alone is not the target. Barone said he wants the interface to delight the player, not merely work.

June 25: What Barone Said

Barone acknowledged directly that the development period has been long. He described his approach to frequently used systems, refining them until every interaction feels right, as a big part of the reason for it.

He also addressed why he has not been showing more of the game publicly. His update compared premature sharing to serving bread before it has finished baking. He added that he is in a position where he does not need to aggressively market the game before it is ready.

No release date, release window, price, or preorder details were announced. According to the official FAQ, Barone does not want to commit to a release estimate and has not done so.

What Haunted Chocolatier Is

For anyone new to the project: Haunted Chocolatier is an RPG and simulation game in which the player lives in a haunted castle, gathers rare ingredients, and makes and sells chocolates through a shop. The official FAQ describes it as a town-based game, with townspeople and multiple forms of progression, similar in structure to Stardew Valley but with a greater emphasis on action-RPG gameplay and combat.

Barone publicly announced the game in October 2021. According to the October 2021 combat post, he had worked on it privately for over a year before that reveal. By the time of the June 2026 update, development had been underway for more than five years. PC is the only platform confirmed with certainty. The game is planned as a single-player experience. No early access, crowdfunding arrangements, or preorders are planned, as Barone confirmed in his December 2024 update.

The game is built in C#/MonoGame, a new engine, not the one used for Stardew Valley, and Barone is developing it alone.

Two Updates in 2026

The June post is the second development update Barone has published in 2026. In January, he addressed persistent speculation that the game had been quietly cancelled, calling the development period long but productive. He repeated that the game would be released when it was finished and rejected claims that a 2030 release date had been set. No such date exists. According to the January update, he had announced the game earlier than he should have, which he acknowledged contributed to a long and visible wait.

Barone has previously stated a general preference for not showing unfinished work that could mislead players about what the finished product will look like.

Where Stardew Valley Fits In

Stardew Valley reached its 10th anniversary on February 26, 2026. The official anniversary post confirmed 50 million copies sold. A major content update, version 1.7, is also in development. Sandy and Clint were revealed as two new marriage candidates in the official anniversary video. Version 1.7 has no announced release date.

Barone is not leading the day-to-day production of the 1.7 update. He explained in a September 2025 post that a small team is handling the bulk of the work, with him acting as creative director. He said the arrangement is expected to slow Haunted Chocolatier only slightly and that he intends to review and personally handle significant portions of the 1.7 content. The team structure is what allows him to keep most of his focus on the new game.

The Recipe Book Detail

The chocolate recipe book is the most concrete piece of current production information Barone shared in the June update. He described it as an interface players will use fairly often and said it has been iterated on many times, covering interaction efficiency, information density, visual organization, and readability. He is working to get each of those elements right before moving on.

Barone has called this kind of meticulous iteration a big part of why development is taking as long as it is. Other official posts have separately identified Stardew Valley 1.6 work, the scope of building a new game alone, and the ongoing Stardew Valley 1.7 commitment as additional factors in the timeline. No estimate of how many systems remain under active refinement has been disclosed, and the official FAQ makes clear that no release date or window will be committed to until the game is finished.

The next update from Barone will come when he decides to publish one. No schedule for future posts has been announced.