Stardew Valley developer Eric 'Concerned Ape' Barone has celebrated reaching one million followers on social media website X by releasing four new screens for his upcoming game the Haunted Chocolatier.
The new stills show off Barone’s distinctive pixel art style while highlighting a series of in-game environments, including a wooded area in which a familiar red-coated character can be seen firing an arrow at a monster, and a quirky saloon/homely interior.
We also got a look at a library hosting a spooky skeleton and four books that positively reek of mystery, as well as a closer view of the town square glimpsed in the October 2021 reveal trailer, which features an ornate mermaid fountain.
“Loving the style,” wrote Redditer darkest4 on a post showcasing the new images. “Quite curious about the skill bar only having four slots it looks like. Quite different from Stardew." _Bowtye_ said: “Hurry, let’s get to 2M followers on twitter to get 4 more screenshots!”
Barone first discussed the project that would become The Haunted Chocolatier all the way back in 2017, less than two years after the release of Stardew Valley. "With my next game I want to go all out with my ideas, take things to the extreme, create an even richer and more detailed game world... And delight players with continuous hand-crafted experiences," said the Stardew creator at the time.
The title was officially revealed back in 2021, when Barone explained that “if Stardew Valley mostly channelled the energy of the sun, Haunted Chocolatier channels the energy of the moon. Both are vital. More important than all that, I just want to make a fun game".
Thanks for 1 million followers ?here's a few Haunted Chocolatier images pic.twitter.com/3PW2jMIF3R
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) October 4, 2023
Almost everything to do with the Haunted Chocolatier remains shrouded in mystery. However, Barone did share a screen last month showing a familiar looking elderly man waking up in a bed, which led many fans to theorize that Stardew Valley’s Grandpa could be involved somehow in the plot of the upcoming game.
Concerned Ape paused work on the Haunted Chocolatier to develop the highly anticipated 1.6 update for Stardew valley, which is set to bring a slew of new features and items to the game, such as eight-player multiplayer on PC, and hats for cats (and dogs). It has yet to receive a release date.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
