Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, the creator of the massively popular farming life simulation game Stardew Valley, has announced that he’s “taking a break” from working on his long-awaited follow-up game, Haunted Chocolatier. Instead, Barone will focus on Stardew Valley once again, confirming the upcoming release of update 1.6.
Over two years have passed since the release of Stardew Valley’s 1.5 update, which brought a wealth of new content to the game, including new locations, dialogue, events, minigames, puzzles, and a quest line involving multiple NPCs. The update also introduced split-screen local co-op, further enhancing the game’s appeal.
In a recent announcement, Barone confirmed that update 1.6 will introduce changes to allow for easier and more powerful modding. Although the update will feature new game content, it will be less extensive than the previous update. The exact content of the upcoming 1.6 update remains to be seen.
There is going to be a Stardew 1.6 update. It's mostly changes for modders (which will make it easier & more powerful to mod). But there is also new game content, albeit much less than 1.5. I'm taking a break from Haunted Chocolatier to work on this at the moment. Then back to HC
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) April 16, 2023
Barone has been working on Haunted Chocolatier, a darker, combat-focused game initially announced in late 2021. Haunted Chocolatier promises to be a chocolate-making, monster-stabbing, small-town-living role-playing game, with a visual and musical style similar to that of Stardew Valley. However, no release date is set for Haunted Chocolatier, and Barone has not specified how long its development will be paused.
