Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has been diligently working on his next project, the indie game Haunted Chocolatier, for a considerable period. Although the game was announced years ago, Barone has continued to develop and evolve Stardew Valley while occasionally providing updates on Haunted Chocolatier through sporadic comments and blog posts.
A recent blog post, titled “Still Here, Still Working…”, offers insight into the game’s development. The primary purpose of this post is to assure fans that progress is ongoing and to explain the reasons behind the prolonged production schedule.
ConcernedApe begins by stating, “I know it’s taking a long time.” He elaborates that this is due to his dedication to ensuring every system and feature is of the highest possible quality and implemented correctly. He often finds himself having to “rework a feature multiple times before I’m satisfied with it.”
You might be wondering why ConcernedApe doesn’t share more early glimpses of the game. The answer is straightforward: he prefers to present a finished product rather than something incomplete.
“I don’t like to share too many screenshots, or even talk about systems in detail, while the game is still in development. For one thing, I feel like I’m serving a half-baked cake. I’d rather serve a well-baked cake. For another, I know that many aspects of the game are likely to evolve and change before release; so if I reveal them too early, I risk disappointing players if the final product doesn’t align with their expectations.”
In conclusion, ConcernedApe expresses his gratitude to fans for their patience. While there is still no official release date for Haunted Chocolatier, the game has been in active production for over a year, suggesting that more concrete information may be forthcoming.