Haunted Chocolatier release date prediction, gameplay, story, and more

Looking for news on the Haunted Chocolatier release date? It’s set to be the next game from Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe). With how incredibly successful that game was, and with many fans looking forward to what comes next, it’s no surprise that they’re watching out for news of Haunted Chocolatier’s release.

It’s not the only big game in development, so check out what we know about the Fallout 5 release date, as well as The Elder Scrolls 6 release date, too. Right now, though, let’s take a look at our prediction for the Haunted Chocolatier release date, as well as gameplay, story, and more.

When will Haunted Chocolatier release?

Unfortunately, there is no release date for Haunted Chocolatier, but we can’t see it releasing any earlier than at least 2025. The title first began development back in 2020, and was first announced to the public in October 2021, though Barone was quick to temper expectations, noting that it was still ‘relatively early in development.’

It’s also important to note that, just as with Stardew Valley, Barone is creating Haunted Chocolatier as a solo project, so it can only come around as fast as he can work. Additionally, he’s also continuing to update Stardew Valley, with an announcement on Twitter in April 2023 stating that he would be taking a break from Haunted Chocolatier’s development to focus on the upcoming Stardew Valley 1.6 update.

We don’t have much to go on when it comes to predicting a release date, but we can guess based on Stardew Valley, which took Barone around four years to complete. Considering development for Haunted Chocolatier began in 2020, once we factor in his continued work on Stardew Valley, we don’t think it’s unfeasible for a 2025 release, though it could take as long as 2026 depending on how Barone splits his time between his two games.

Haunted Chocolatier gameplay and story

The gameplay of Haunted Chocolatier features a lot of similarities to Stardew Valley, such as the art-style, but ‘the core gameplay and theming are quite a bit different,’ says Barone, adding that ‘If Stardew Valley channeled the energy of the sun, Haunted Chocolatier channels the energy of the moon. Both are vital.’ As far as similarities go, you move to a new town and develop relationships with the townspeople, but instead of your farm, you’ve got a chocolate shop.

However, rather than the Stardew Valley gameplay loop of farming, exploration, and solving small tasks, Haunted Chocolatier will be an action RPG placing a greater focus on combat. With a combat system developed from scratch, the game makes it a much more important part of the game. A feature of this is the use of off-hand items like shields, letting players block damage and stun opponents – something which was not present in Stardew Valley.

The game’s story is focused on your life as a chocolatier living in a haunted castle, creating chocolate for your shop using the ingredients that you find by exploring the game’s map. Barone made it clear that despite the ghosts haunting the mansion, it’s not ‘an evil or negative game,’ but rather ‘positive, uplifting and life-affirming.’

Haunted Chocolatier trailers

The only footage we have of Haunted Chocolatier so far comes from an early gameplay video released in October 2021. In the trailer, we see a bit of the game’s core gameplay loop, from combat and finding ingredients, to making chocolate. We also see a few of the game’s areas, as well as the characters that live in the town.

Haunted Chocolatier multiplayer

With a co-op mode coming to Stardew Valley after its launch, fans have been wondering whether or not the same will be available in Haunted Chocolatier. Unfortunately, for the moment, it looks like Haunted Chocolatier will be a solo affair. On the FAQ section of the game’s official website, it’s confirmed that the game is set to be a single-player game, with no plans of making it multiplayer.

Haunted Chocolatier platforms

As of right now, the only platform that we know Haunted Chocolatier is coming to for sure is PC. On the FAQ section of the game’s website, Barone has stated that, like Stardew Valley, the game is primarily being designed for PC, however he expects that it will eventually makes its way to other major platforms.

Stardew Valley was initially a PC title, but quickly made its way onto major consoles following its surge in popularity, so we would expect to see Haunted Chocolatier do the same, even if not at launch.

That’s everything we know about the Haunted Chocolatier estimated release date so far. As time goes on and we know a bit more, we’ll be sure to update this guide, so check back. In the meantime, if you’re wondering about the Starfield release date, we’ve got a guide for that. And if you’ve been playing Dave the Diver, our best Dave the Diver staff guide is something you’ll want to check out.