Haunted Chocolatier is the next game from Stardew Valley developer Eric âConcernedApeâ Barone, which means that itâs going to be an instant hit the moment itâs out. Unfortunately for us, itâs also a fairly enigmatic project at the moment. Since announcing Haunted Chocolatier in 2021, Barone has revealed fairly few details about it, and we still have no idea when it might grace our Steam libraries. Fortunately, Iâve dedicated an alarming amount of my free time to parsing Baroneâs Haunted Chocolatier blog, and Iâm here to report back with the facts (and some theories) to munch on in the meantime.
What the heck is Haunted Chocolatier? Is it a sequel to Stardew Valley?
Haunted Chocolatier
Stardew Valley
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming simulation RPG developed by Barone, and it puts players in charge of running a chocolate shop in a haunted castle. Itâs not quite a direct sequel to Stardew Valley, but it seems to have the same general structure: move to a new town, revitalize a business, befriend (and romance) the townspeople, fight some foes, get really rich. Basically, itâs Stardew Valleyâs mysterious cousin.Â
So is it set in the world of Stardew Valley?
Stardew Valley
We donât know yet! While we havenât seen anything major like returning townspeople or recognizable locations, I definitely wouldnât put it past Barone to subtly link the lore of the games together. In the gameâs official FAQ, when asked (presumably by himself) if the worlds are connected, Barone ominously stated: âIâm not ready to reveal anything like that just yet.â That sounds a little suspicious to me.Â
What makes the gameplay different?
?
Outside of that central gathering, crafting, and selling loop that youâre likely already well-acquainted with, Haunted Chocolatier is set to feature a greater focus on combat. There are now shields, which can be used to stun enemies, alongside more unrevealed off-hand weapons. There will also be bosses, which is pretty exciting. Check out this cool bee boss with its own buzzy tune:
How much content will it have?
A LOT! Earlier this year, Barone revealed that itâs âway bigger than Stardew Valley, at least in terms of the amount of maps, the amount of monsters, the depth to the whole item system, and all the equipment slots and all the stuff like this.â I have no idea how thatâs possible!
Okay, but is it multiplayer?
Apparently not, which is a bit surprising. Co-op was a pillar of Stardewâs success, but since Haunted Chocolatier is going down more of an RPG route, thatâs apparently not in the cards here. Barone doesnât currently plan on adding multiplayer options in the future, either.
Hauntedâ¦Is it scary?
Haunted
Barone has said that Haunted Chocolatier will be a bit creepy, and itâll have a darker and more mysterious atmosphere than Stardew. Donât expect, like, Silent Hill or anything, thoughâthe haunting that happens in this particular chocolatier seems pretty friendly. The trailer shows the ghosts in question seemingly helping to run the playerâs chocolate store, and a screenshot in the FAQ reveals that they might even aid the player with some chocolate research, too. Ultimately, itâll be âpositive, uplifting and life-affirming,â according to another Barone blog post.
Whatâs the coolest part of Haunted Chocolatier?
Haunted Chocolatier
The way the lighting in this bar changes as some sort of vehicle drives past. Look at it!
When is the game coming out?
Probably not for a while! ConcernedApe admitted that he âshouldnât have announced the game so early.â Heâs been working on both Haunted Chocolatier and new updates for Stardew simultaneously, which have led to development taking longer than expected. In an interview back in 2025, he said he hopes that the game will be out within the next five years.
We do know, however, that heâs been dedicating more of his time to Haunted Chocolatier after he added more people to the Stardew team. He recently told Game Informer that he spends five days a week on Haunted Chocolatier and two on Stardew updates, although heâs currently the only developer working on Haunted Chocolatier. So while a release date is likely still far out, itâs also not about to be cancelled or anything.
What platforms is it headed to?
Right now, PC is the only confirmed platform weâll be able to creepily craft chocolates on, but Barone has stated that heâs planning on bringing it to other major platforms as well. I seriously cannot foresee this game launching without at least also being on Switch, but time will tell.
Where can I stay updated on Haunted Chocolatier news?
Haunted Chocolatier
ConcernedApeâs Haunted Chocolatier blog! That being said, heâs fairly elusive regarding these devlogs, so donât expect frequent updates or groundbreaking reveals about late-game content. Thereâs also that one gaming news site that tends to post stuff about Haunted Chocolatier. I think itâs called Kotaku?