Updated

Updated · Game Informer · Jun 26

Eric Barone Defends 5-Year Haunted Chocolatier Wait as 2021 Reveal Stays Largely Hidden

Updated

Updated · Game Informer · Jun 26

Eric Barone Defends 5-Year Haunted Chocolatier Wait as 2021 Reveal Stays Largely Hidden

Q: Is the new Stardew Valley update quietly delaying the release of Haunted Chocolatier?

No. There is no clear evidence that Stardew Valley’s new update is quietly delaying Haunted Chocolatier in any major way. Eric Barone’s own explanation points elsewhere: the main reason Haunted Chocolatier is taking so long is his development style and the game’s scope. He says he obsesses over small details, avoids showing unfinished features, and wants to release the game only when it is fully polished. He has also described Haunted Chocolatier as larger and more ambitious than Stardew Valley, with more systems, maps, monsters, and equipment. The additional reporting suggests Barone is splitting his time, but not in a way that makes Stardew Valley the main obstacle. He has said he spends about five days a week on Haunted Chocolatier and two days on Stardew Valley 1.7, meaning the new game remains the priority. He has also indicated that the 1.7 update should not delay Haunted Chocolatier much, and may even arrive before it. What is slowing Haunted Chocolatier more plausibly is the combination of solo development, perfectionism, and outside demands on Barone’s time, including business matters and fan correspondence. He has also acknowledged that announcing the game early may have created expectations long before it was close to release. So while work on Stardew Valley 1.7 likely takes some time and attention, the available evidence suggests it is not the hidden reason for Haunted Chocolatier’s long wait. The bigger factor is Barone’s deliberate, quality-first approach.

3 articles · Updated · Game Informer · Jun 26

Six months after his last update, Eric Barone told fans Haunted Chocolatier is still in development and said he has shown little because key systems are still being refined.
Barone said he repeatedly reworks details such as the chocolate recipe-book interface, arguing a frequently used core mechanic has to feel "perfect" before he is comfortable presenting it.
Few screenshots or gameplay clips have appeared since the game's 2021 announcement because Barone does not want to "serve a half-baked bread" or lock players into expectations for features that may still change.
Haunted Chocolatier still has no release window; although Barone said in 2025 he hoped to ship within five years, he later stressed the game will arrive only when it is done.