Haunted Chocolatierhas been one of the most hush, hush indie projects at the moment. As the follow-up to the belovedStardew Valley, solo-developer Eric Barone has high expectations to meet. The anticipation forHaunted Chocolatieris palpable, but it’s currently unclear when the candy-making cozy life sim will be ready for audiences to get a taste of.
Announced back in 2021,Haunted Chocolatierpromises the same aesthetic and charm as its hit predecessor with a chocolate-focused twist instead of a farm simulation. Barone’s commitment toStardew Valleyhas madedevelopment onHaunted Chocolatierslower than hoped for, but he’s confirmed to have made a significant amount of progress since announcing the project. While many of the game’s finer details are mysterious,Haunted Chocolatierwill find itself in a very different landscape within the industry compared toStardew Valley’s trailblazing launch.
Stardew Valley Kickstarted a Cozy Sim Renaissance, Putting Haunted Chocolatier in a Fascinating Position
Life Sims Have Embraced Niche Stories Outside of Farming
Since the game’s launch back in 2016,Stardew Valleyhas made way for the cozy life sim genreto become a great avenue for fun, relaxing storytelling. The success ofStardew Valleyput a larger spotlight on indie game development, which has continued to inspire cozy-focused games. This putsHaunted Chocolatierin an interesting position, because the life-sim genre has already explored many different non-farming avenues at this point.
This isn’t to say thatHaunted Chocolatierisn’t unique, though. Taking on the role of a candy maker who also happens to live in a haunted ghost-infested castle is definitely its own special premise, but Eric Barone now has years ofotherStardew Valley-inspired projectsto inform his work, turning the tables. This time around, instead of being the trailblazer,Haunted Chocolatierwill be launched among a sea of other strong non-farming offerings.
By the end of 2024,Stardew Valleyhad officially sold an estimated 41 million copies around the world.
Haunted Chocolatieris unlikely to be foundational, but this is actually more exciting than it sounds. It will be interesting to see if any other major life-sim hits have influenced Barone over the years, which could actuallyhelpHaunted Chocolatierstand on its own. Because ofStardew Valley’s massive success, stepping out of its shadow is no easy task, butHaunted Chocolatierpotentially having more influence behind its development could be incredibly beneficial.
Haunted Chocolatierpromises the same aesthetic and charm as its hit predecessor with a chocolate-focused twist instead of farm simulation.
Haunted Chocolatier Continues to Hide in the Shadows
Thankfully, Barone has stated in the past that he had a solid skeleton built for the game, but it’s still unknown just how far along he is in craftingHaunted Chocolatier. With the1.6 update forStardew Valleylaunching last year, he likely has greater freedom to continue work on the project. Because of the game’s secretive nature,Haunted Chocolatiercould drop in a few months or even years from now. Only time will tell, but the promise of a Barone-made title after nearly a decade ofStardew Valley’s influence on the life sim genre is thrilling.
While a spiritual successor, it’s unclear if the worlds ofHaunted ChocolatierandStardew Valleywill be connected in any deeper way.
As the year continues, more details will hopefully come to light on how far alongHaunted Chocolatieris, but until then, the project is fertile soil for speculation. It will be exciting to seehowHaunted Chocolatierdiffers fromStardew Valley, and it will be even more intriguing to see if Barone is the one being inspired by other titles this time around.
