Last updated: September 6, 2024

Explore a world full of boo-tiful confections and sweet treats in Haunted Chocolatier, by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley! This upcoming life-simulator RPG takes players on a wholesome adventure in a new town with a supernatural twist, as this game features a magical haunted ghost chocolate theme. What more could you want? 

However, ConcernedApe prefers to work in secret, meaning updates on the Haunted Chocolatier release date and development progress are few and far between. Fans eagerly await any crumbs of information they can get.

In this article, we’ll dive into all the information available about Haunted Chocolatier, including its release date, gameplay, what platforms it’ll be released on, and more.

What is Haunted Chocolatier?

Based on the small screenshot snippets and gameplay trailer revealed by the creator ConcernedApe, the Haunted Chocolatier story sees players gathering ingredients, befriending residents, and making chocolate, all while running a chocolate shop. But not everything is as it seems, as the game features ghosts behind the scenes helping the shop run smoothly.

While Stardew Valley focuses on humble agriculture and living off the land, Haunted Chocolatier focuses on darker and supernatural, with ConcernedApe stating that while Stardew Valley has the essence of the sun, Haunted Chocolatier “channels the energy of the moon,” showing that the two RPG games are two sides of the same coin.

In a blog post discussing Haunted Chocolatier, ConcernedApe writes, "Chocolate represents that which is delightful. The haunted castle represents the allure of the unknown. The ghosts represent the imprint of the past.” While all these elements seem dark and twisted, Barone wants to clarify that Haunted Chocolatier is not an evil or negative game but a “positively uplifting and life-affirming one."

Haunted Chocolatier Release Date Speculation

Unfortunately for fans, there’s no set release date for ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier, with the game's development taking longer than initially planned as he splits his time between creating Haunted Chocolatier and Stardew Valley updates.

In August 2024 on X (formerly Twitter), ConcernedApe has updated fans, confirming he has been unable to touch Haunted Chocolatier for a long time, due to being "committed to finalizing Stardew Valley 1.6 on all consoles first." The console and mobile ports for Stardew Valley 1.6 are taking longer than expected, so Haunted Chocolatier is temporarily being put on pause.

Stardew Valley 1.6 came out in March 2024, bringing new festivals, skill masteries, NPC dialogue, quests, and more fresh content to the beloved farming simulator.

Due to this delay, this puts a Haunted Chocolatier release date sometime in the 2025-2026 release window or even after, based on the rough time scale provided by ConcernedApe.

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The most recent update on Haunted Chocolatier’s progress came in 2022 with Barone’s interview with ScreenRant. When questioned about the game’s development status, he said: “It’s going well, but it’s a big game... It’s daunting, the amount of work that it’s going to be. But Stardew Valley took four-and-a-half years; I’ve been working on Haunted Chocolatier for about a year-and-a-half or maybe two years now. I announced it a little bit over a year ago, but it’s still gonna be a while.”

If Haunted Chocolatier takes as long to reach completion as Stardew Valley did, we’re still looking at an extra two to three years in development, meaning 2025 is likely the earliest the game will be released.

If you want more Haunted Chocolatier news, follow ConcernedApe on social media platforms like Twitter to stay up-to-date with all updates on the upcoming game. You can also head over to the official Haunted Chocolatier website for more information.

Haunted Chocolatier Gameplay

At its core, Haunted Chocolatier will have a similar gameplay loop to Stardew Valley. It’ll likely still be a town game, focusing on establishing relationships with the residents and getting involved in improving the town.

While ConcernedApe keeps his cards close to his chest, the trailer revealed that the gameplay will feature several different play styles, including a more advanced focus on combat as an action RPG. It’ll reportedly feature a reworked combat system, stun mechanics, off-hand items like shields, and more. We can assume players will have to defeat enemies to get chocolate ingredients, like killing bees for nectar, etc. 

New to Haunted Chocolatier is also shields, available as an off-hand item. Shields can block many attacks, which, in turn, stuns the enemy. This rewards more patient players who can wait for a window of opportunity to strike down their target. This fun combat system is innovative and exciting to ConcernedApe fans, as it seems more fluid compared to Stardew Valley's combat system. 

Haunted Chocolatier Trailer

ConcernedApe released the first and only Haunted Chocolatier early gameplay trailer in October 2021, almost three years ago! It introduces players to a rural town with dark forests, snow-capped mountains, and the star of the video: a mysterious haunted-castle-turned-chocolate-shop. There’s more to it than meets the eye, as ConcernedApe opens the doors to even more fantastical possibilities than Stardew Valley, taking players “beyond the ordinary.”

As ConcernedApe keeps his cards close to his chest, players can also expect plenty of hidden Easter Eggs and secrets, just like Stardew Valley, some of which are still being discovered almost eight years after its release!

Haunted Chocolatier Platforms

Like its predecessor, Stardew Valley, ConcernedApe has confirmed that Haunted Chocolatier will be available on PC through Steam. He intends to bring the game to other major platforms, including Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Players can also expect a Nintendo Switch version eventually.

It’s currently unknown if Haunted Chocolatier will be cross-platform, with cross-play available between different consoles. Especially as Eric Barone envisions Haunted Chocolatier as a single-player experience, it’s unlikely that multiplayer will be available.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, patient players will likely have to wait much longer to get their hands on Haunted Chocolatier, but it looks like a sweet treat worth the wait! Please remember that the gameplay trailer and in-game screenshots are works in progress and will likely change throughout the game's development. If there's any more news regarding Haunted Chocolatier's release date, we'll update this article accordingly, so watch this space!

Want more gaming news? Check out our blog page! We’ve got guides on the best LEGO Fortnite world seeds, Stardew Valley gift guides, Terraria cross-platform, unlocking all heroes in Overwatch 2, changes coming to LoL Season 14, and more! 

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