Stardew Valley's Successor Likely Won't Be the Full Package at Launch, and That's Okay

Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, is working on a brand-new game called Haunted Chocolatier. Although it may look a lot like ConcernedApe's previous title on the surface, Haunted Chocolatier differs from it considerably in some ways. Unlike Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier is not a farming sim, at least not in the traditional sense. In this title, players are granted the keys to a confectionery store that's located within a haunted castle. Not only do they have to maintain the store, they also need to collect ingredients to make chocolates and forge relationships with the local NPCs. Despite its low-stakes premise, Haunted Chocolatier will have a greater emphasis on combat compared to Stardew Valley, as well.