Stardew Valley is an absolutely massive video game. You start out as a plucky everyman, burnt out by life, who inherits a plot of land in the titular community. From there, you’re free to do pretty much whatever brings you the most joy – whether that’s growing crops, completing jobs around the farm or simply interacting with the colourful cast of townsfolk. There are endless opportunities – and creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone keeps on adding more.
Not content with selling 41million units since the game came out in 2016, last year, Barone released a sixth major update for the game. It added another bumper crop of exciting new features – and inspired legions of new players to dive into the easy-going everyday of Stardew Valley.
“I could keep updating forever,” he tells NME shortly before a well-earned Christmas break, still tweaking those newly added features. “Unless every single player is having a good experience, I’m stressing out.” Playing through the game to test out various patches means he’s already thinking about cool new features to add later. “It’s hard to give up on a game that is still popular and is so meaningful to people. Realistically, I can see myself still doing this when I’m 80 years old.”
So far, each and every update has been completely free. “Before I made Stardew Valley, I was just some random dude working on a game in my bedroom. The game turned me from a nobody into a somebody,” says Barone. “I feel like it’s my duty to give back by constantly making it better. Charging fans for those updates feels wrong. Love and respect is a more valuable currency than cash anyway.”
It’s something he saw first-hand during last year’s ‘Festival Of Seasons’ world tour, which turned Barone’s own “rinky dink” soundtrack into an orchestral odyssey. Finding himself in rooms with thousands of cosplaying fans who’d come together to celebrate the DIY game means the developer has “finally started to accept” the popularity of his creation. He felt a bit like a rock star at every show. “The fact people keep showing up for my silly little game still blows my mind.”
Indeed, Barone enjoyed the experience so much that his plans for the upcoming ‘Symphony Of Seasons’ tour are “even bigger”. There’ll be more musicians, a “video presentation” to go alongside the music and larger venues too. “Hearing the Stardew Valley soundtrack played live just has a different quality to it,” he gushes. “When you’re playing the game, you’re usually alone but at these concerts, you’re surrounded by other people and watching musicians recreate the music. It’s a real human experience and those are special.”
Eric Barone knows the legacy of Stardew Valley is a lot to live up to. There have been a few attempts at a follow-up in the years since the game was first released, but almost all of them have been abandoned, never to see the light of day. Haunted Chocolatier is the first thing that’s stuck. The game has been in the works since 2020 and Barone tells NME he isn’t going to return to Stardew Valley until it’s finished. “There is a lot of pressure,” he admits.
The core gameplay will see players collecting ingredients to make chocolates and sweets to sell in their shop, which is set in a bustling town. Based on the art and the brief description, some fans are already tying Barone’s two games together. There are theories that Haunted Chocolatier continues the story of some of Stardew Valley’s characters, while others think the whole experience could be set in a neighbouring town. “It’s a totally new thing,” Barone explains. “It’s going to be a very different experience.”
“The themes are different and I want to do a lot more with the creative, wacky stuff. I’m not tied down to 12 years of prior development like I am with Stardew. I can literally do anything.“
As with Stardew Valley, Barone is taking what he describes as a “music-first” approach to development. He’ll make a collection of songs and then use those to inspire features of the game. “If you’re creating music from the heart, you’re basically tapping into this supernatural power,” he says. “Haunted Chocolatier is a moodier game so the music is darker.” Half has been written on piano, the rest has been created using synthesisers. “The game takes place in a wintry town. It’s cold, dark and snowy. Electronic music has always felt very cold to me, so I’m leaning into that.”
Haunted Chocolatier will also feature more fighting than Stardew Valley, which is one of its forerunner’s weakest aspects. “It works, but it does kinda suck,” Barone admits. “I’m trying to atone for my past sins with Haunted Chocolatier. Focusing on some of the worst aspects of what I’ve done before is me wanting to grow and challenge myself as a developer. I thrive in situations where people expect the worst. It inspires me to blow them out of the water.”
Still, he’s hoping to manage expectations as best he can. Writing on his website at the end of last year, Barone explained that there’d be no Early Access period for Haunted Chocolatier and he wouldn’t be launching pre-orders until it’s done. The only progress report he gives NME is that he’s already built a skeletal version and everything else is in his head, waiting to be coded. “The ideal scenario would be creating a game in total secrecy and only announcing it when it’s released.”
“I have something to prove with Haunted Chocolatier,” Barone continues. “I might make a Stardew Valley 2 someday but this just felt like a completely separate game… I guess part of it is me wanting to escape Stardew. I want to prove to people that I can do other things,” he says. “I don’t want to only be seen as the Stardew Valley guy.”
‘Stardew Valley: Symphony Of Seasons’ kicks off in August. Head here for dates and tickets.