Haunted Chocolatier Is Still "a City Game," but Mostly an Action RPG: "This Is for the People of Stardew Valley Who Go to the Mines"

Agricultural Dungeons, Not Pumpkins.

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"[Haunted Chocolatier] is still what I would call an urban game. But it's more of an action RPG—the main focus is more on adventuring, finding gear, and getting stronger. There are monsters, there are boss fights. It's for people in Stardew Valley who go mining. That's what I do, frankly, Magazine."

And just like that, I'm excited for Haunted Chocolatier - I'm a bit of an action RPG guy, and while I love city management games, I don't think I really have the long-term gaming DNA for them. Every single game of Stardew Valley has become an attempt to minimize my community-centric contributions, turning them into a stressful battle against my own passion for efficiency.

So, a city-based game like Stardew Valley focuses more on the combat aspect? Great, sign up Give me something to optimize that doesn't require managing a spreadsheet or calendar and I'll be a happy camper.

What's interesting about Baron's admission here is that it's not exactly something he's done before - there are differences in the design philosophies of making a solid action RPG versus those that make a nice, cozy farming sim. He seems a bit worked up about making sure it lands too.

In the GQ interview quoted above, Barron says, "I've been struggling with it [the Stardew Valley sequel] because I really want to recapture the feeling I had when I made Stardew Valley. Back then, there was no audience, no history. Everyone's watching me, and if I don't do millions of people, I might let things down somehow."

In other words, the pressure is high. Although in my opinion, being aware that you might slip up – and being careful not to – is more than half the battle. However, the torture itself may be far-fetched.

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Harvey's gaming history began when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription at the age of 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a strong interest in G'raha Tia. He started his career as a freelancer and wrote for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine and of course PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that sounds interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, spirits, rogues, deck builders, MMOs, and the odd indie title. He also plays a TTRPG rack in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favorite system is, he has too many.

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Eric Barron says that the development of Haunted Chocolatier has been "very productive" in recent months: "Working on Haunted Chocolatier is what I'm most excited and passionate about."

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