Haunted Chocolatier, the new game from Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has a trailer revealing its spooky premise to eager fans.
The game features familiar pixel art looks and a 2D top-down camera, but Barone says it should not be confused for a direct sequel or similar game to his multi-million selling indie farming hit.
"In Stardew Valley, the focus was more humble: living off the land, growing food, and connecting to the people and nature around you," Barone writes in the game's announcement post. "However, with my next game, I wanted to explore more fantastical possibilities… experiences that take you beyond the ordinary. That’s where magical haunted ghost chocolate comes in.
"Chocolate represents that which is delightful. The haunted castle represents the allure of the unknown. The ghosts represent the imprint of the past. All of these things are important. However, don’t think for a moment that, because this game features ghosts in a haunted castle, it is an evil or negative game. On the contrary, I intend for this game to be positive, uplifting and life-affirming. However, if Stardew Valley mostly channeled the energy of the sun, Haunted Chocolatier channels the energy of the moon. Both are vital."
Barone says this isn't the first potential game project he has been working on since shipping Stardew Valley, but it is the one he feels is ready for revealing, despite only beginning work on it last year.
"While the video I put together may look like the game is at an advanced stage of development, there is still a ton of stuff to do," he says. "And the way I work, things often don’t come together until the final moments. I tend to work with a “vertical slice” approach, and so it’s easy to put together some video that looks like a finished game. But there is a ton of content I still need to make. So, please understand that it will be a while before this game is done. I’m going to be working on it as much as I can, though."
We look forward to creating delicious chocolate and making friends with ghosts in a haunted castle at some point in the far off future when Haunted Chocolatier releases.
