Haunted Chocolatier's development has been 'very productive' in recent months, Eric Barone says: 'Working on Haunted Chocolatier is what I’m most eager and driven to do'

We find ourselves at the end of another month, and as ever, the passing phases of the moon leave us asking the same question: What's going on with Haunted Chocolatier?

Knowing all too well how the hungry masses clamor for details about his next game, Stardew Valley developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has posted another of his intermittent check-in blogs to confirm that, yes, he's still hard at work on Haunted Chocolatier. And while he's still not sharing many specifics, Barone sounds like he's satisfied with his recent progress.

"I'm still here, still making progress. Thanks for waiting and sorry it’s taking so long," Barone wrote. "I’ve been very productive on this project lately even though I am busy with many things. Working on Haunted Chocolatier is what I’m most eager and driven to do, out of everything."

While he acknowledged the years that have already gone into Haunted Chocolatier's development—he first announced the game in 2021—Barone said he doesn't "stress too much about how long it’s taking." The ongoing success of Stardew Valley affords him the ability to prioritize his own criteria for quality over meeting any arbitrary deadline. As he's said in previous development check-ins, he's unwilling to release anything he's not entirely satisfied with.

"I won’t compromise on the quality of the game by rushing it or releasing it too early," he said. "Then all my time would be wasted, anyway."

That said, all that effort is apparently paying off: Barone said he's pleased with how the game is coming together. Considering he's on record as being his own harshest critic who inflicts "torture" on himself "over every last detail," that's not likely something he'd say lightly.

"I am certain, at this point, that I will enjoy the game when it is finished. In fact, I already enjoy playing it in its unfinished state, especially after some recent additions I made," Barone wrote. "I hope others will like it too when it’s ready."

Before you get your hopes up: No, we still don't have an idea of "when it's ready" will be. But the developer said he's grateful for our continued patience.

"I feel a little embarrassed writing any of this because you guys probably just want the game at this point, not to hear me yapping about it. I get that," he said. "It can be hard to 'keep the faith' when you are waiting a long time. I really cherish those who do keep the faith, though, and I wish you, your family, and your pets, peace and prosperity through all seasons."

In May, Barone said Haunted Chocolatier is "way bigger than Stardew Valley," as "the amount of maps, the amount of monsters, the depth to the whole item system, and all the equipment slots" have all been "cranked up." Based on that description, we'd better settle in: We've probably got a lot more time politely twiddling our thumbs ahead of us.