ConcernedApe Says Haunted Chocolatier Will Offer More Action-RPG Gameplay: "This Is for the People in Stardew Valley Who Go to the Mines"

Still, It Will Remain What He Calls a "City Game"

However, it will still be what he calls an "urban game."

Action-RPG Haunted Chocolatier Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley mines have always been very polarizing. Some players like to shred them for endless challenge runs and minmaxing, while die-hard gamers have sworn off them entirely, vowing to stick to farming and fishing and avoiding combat as much as possible. Thanks to a new interview, it now looks like the former camp will be in luck whenever Haunted Chocolatier, the upcoming game from Stardew developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, launches.

In an interview with British GQ, Baron revealed that Haunted Chocolatier is "more of an action RPG – the main focus is more on adventuring, finding equipment and getting stronger. There are monsters, there are boss fights. It's for people in Stardew Valley who go mining."

Baron clarified that the game is still what he refers to as an "urban game," but presumably that means it still revolves around the experience of settling in a new city and getting to know your neighbors as you build your business.

We already knew that Haunted Chocolatier was going to have deep combat — early looks at the game showed off bosses, stunning enemy shields, and other elusive weapons. The game is also supposed to have slightly darker themes, and now that Baron cites David Stlinch as an inspiration, I'm counting on things being a little surreal.

While speaking with GQ , Baron also briefly touched on the pressures he faced developing Haunted Chocolatier, which has now been in the works for over four years (roughly the same amount of time Stardew was in development before its release). Baron has yet to announce a release window, presumably because the game is set to be "much bigger" than its predecessor...

"Everybody's watching me and if I don't do things a certain way, they could let millions of people down," he said.

I'm certainly willing to wait as long as Haunted Chocolatier might take, especially now that I know there's a lot of struggle to sink my sweet tooth into. Mines are probably my favorite part of Stardew (although they were definitely an acquired taste). They get pretty repetitive after a while though, so I'm excited to see what else Baron does to keep the action fresh in Haunted Chocolatier. Let's hope those hideous spiral floors don't return.

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