If you have finished Stardew Valley — or done everything you can do in it across three playthrough cycles — you are probably wondering what comes next. The answer from ConcernedApe himself is Haunted Chocolatier, a new game announced in October 2021 that has been in solo development ever since. As of June 2026, it has no release date, but it is confirmed to be in active development and ConcernedApe says it is bigger than Stardew Valley in almost every measurable way.
This guide covers everything confirmed about Haunted Chocolatier, what ConcernedApe has said about its development in 2025 and 2026, the question of multiplayer, what engine it uses, and the best Stardew-like alternatives available right now while you wait.
Is There a Stardew Valley Sequel?
There is no direct Stardew Valley sequel — meaning a game called Stardew Valley 2 does not exist and ConcernedApe has not announced one. What does exist is Haunted Chocolatier, which ConcernedApe describes as a separate game with a different theme rather than a follow-up to the Stardew Valley story. Think of it less as a sequel and more as a spiritual successor: made by the same developer, sharing a pixel art aesthetic and cozy life-sim DNA, but set in a different world with different mechanics.
ConcernedApe has been clear that Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier are entirely separate games. In a 2026 update on the official Haunted Chocolatier website, he explicitly addressed a persistent fan theory: ‘Haunted Chocolatier will be abandoned and the content will be added to Stardew Valley instead. No. First, I am not going to abandon Haunted Chocolatier. But even if I did, I am not going to add it to Stardew Valley. Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier are separate games. It doesn’t even make sense from a technical perspective, as Haunted Chocolatier is written from scratch, it’s not the same engine as Stardew Valley.’
What Is Haunted Chocolatier?
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming simulation and action RPG game by ConcernedApe (Eric Barone), the solo developer behind Stardew Valley. The core premise: your character runs a chocolate shop inside a haunted castle. The castle’s ghost residents serve as your employees. To make chocolate, you venture into the surrounding world to gather ingredients — fighting monsters, exploring environments, and collecting materials to bring back to your shop.
| Haunted Chocolatier — Key Facts | |
| Developer | ConcernedApe (Eric Barone) — solo development |
| Announced | October 2021 (gameplay trailer) |
| Release date | None announced as of June 2026 |
| Platforms confirmed | PC; other platforms planned (same as Stardew Valley rollout) |
| Engine | Written from scratch — NOT the same as Stardew Valley |
| Genre | Simulation + action RPG (more combat-focused than Stardew) |
| Multiplayer | No multiplayer confirmed — currently planned as single player |
| Setting | Haunted castle chocolate shop; player ventures out for ingredients |
| Size vs Stardew | ConcernedApe confirmed it is ‘way bigger’ than Stardew Valley |
| Characters | Burk the blacksmith, Maddie (named NPCs shown); ghosts as employees |
| Development started | 2020 |
Haunted Chocolatier Release Date: What We Know in 2026
As of June 26, 2026, Haunted Chocolatier has no confirmed release date. ConcernedApe has explicitly said he does not intend to give one until he is confident the game is ready to ship. His most recent public statements on the timeline:
- January 2026 blog post: ‘I’ve been very productive lately on Haunted Chocolatier. Yep, it’s taking a while to finish the game. That’s okay.’ He acknowledged he probably announced the game too early but confirmed he is actively working on it.
- June 26, 2026 Game Informer interview: ConcernedApe explained why he has shown so little of the game — ‘I would rather serve a fully baked bread.’ He is revisiting the recipe book mechanic and confirmed the game is still in active development.
- 2025 interview: when asked if Haunted Chocolatier would release in the next five years, he said ‘I hope so.’ He has since clarified this was not a commitment to releasing before 2030.
- September 2025 blog post: confirmed his priority is Haunted Chocolatier and that he has a separate team handling Stardew Valley updates. He noted Haunted Chocolatier could even release before Stardew Valley 1.7 — but made no guarantees.
PCGamesN and other outlets estimate a 2027 release based on ConcernedApe’s development pace with Stardew Valley (which took approximately 4.5 years) and the delays caused by Stardew Valley updates. This is an estimate, not a confirmed date. Wikipedia notes that as of June 2026, no release date has been publicly announced.
Haunted Chocolatier Gameplay: What Has Been Revealed
The chocolate-making loop
The central activity is making and selling chocolate. ConcernedApe has described two approaches to the chocolate-making system: a systems-based approach and a more ‘intuitive’ approach — meaning players with different playstyles can engage with chocolate crafting in different ways. You gather ingredients from the world (berries, nectar, milk, and other materials seen in screenshots) and craft them into chocolate confections to stock your shop.
Combat
Haunted Chocolatier features significantly more combat than Stardew Valley. ConcernedApe has published a dedicated blog post about the combat system, highlighting a shield mechanic: blocking attacks with your shield stuns enemies, allowing you to attack faster. This rewards a defensive playstyle. Players can also use different off-hand items for variety. Screenshots have shown the player using a bow and arrow against monster-type enemies, confirming ranged combat options.
The shop and the castle
Your chocolate shop can be customized with different flooring, furniture, and decorations. You can put chocolate creations on display. The shop is staffed by ghost employees. The screenshots released show both the interior of the castle/shop and exterior environments including a town area with street lamps, a library, a water fountain, and outdoor wilderness areas.
NPCs and romance
Like Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier features a cast of town NPCs to befriend. ConcernedApe has confirmed that romantic relationships with NPCs will be possible. Named characters shown include Burk (a blacksmith) and a woman named Maddie.
Is Haunted Chocolatier Bigger Than Stardew Valley?
Yes — ConcernedApe confirmed this directly in a May 2026 Game Informer interview, describing the game as ‘way bigger than Stardew Valley, at least in terms of the amount of maps, the amount of monsters, the depth to the whole item system, and all the equipment slots and all the stuff like this. Everything is cranked up.’
He is working on the game seven days a week as of mid-2026, spending five days on Haunted Chocolatier and two days on the Stardew Valley 1.7 update. The scale increase is one reason the game is taking longer than fans initially expected after the 2021 announcement.
Will Haunted Chocolatier Have Multiplayer?
No multiplayer has been confirmed for Haunted Chocolatier. GameWatcher’s coverage notes that ‘currently, there are no plans to include a multiplayer component.’ This is consistent with how Stardew Valley launched — it was single player at release in 2016, with multiplayer (co-op for up to 4 players) added later in 2018 via a free update.
It is possible ConcernedApe could follow a similar path with Haunted Chocolatier — releasing it as single player first and adding co-op in a later update. He has not confirmed or denied this. For now, the game should be assumed to be single player.
What Engine Is Stardew Valley Made In?
Stardew Valley is built in C# using the MonoGame framework. It is not made in Unity, Unreal Engine, GameMaker, or RPG Maker — a common misconception. MonoGame is an open-source implementation of Microsoft’s XNA framework that allows cross-platform game development in C#. ConcernedApe wrote every line of code himself.
Haunted Chocolatier is NOT built on the Stardew Valley codebase or engine. ConcernedApe has explicitly said it is ‘written from scratch’ — meaning it shares no code with Stardew Valley. He started fresh with the new game’s architecture. This is both why the two games cannot share content and part of why development is taking a long time.
| Game | Engine / Framework |
| Stardew Valley | C# with MonoGame framework |
| Haunted Chocolatier | Written from scratch — new codebase, NOT the Stardew engine |
| Common misconception | Neither game uses Unity or Unreal |
The Secret Chocolatier: Is It Related to Haunted Chocolatier?
No. The Secret Chocolatier is a completely separate game by a different developer. It is an independent cozy-style game with a chocolatier theme that has no connection to ConcernedApe or Stardew Valley. The similar name and theme have caused confusion in gaming communities, but the two games share no developer, no publisher, and no relationship.
If you found The Secret Chocolatier while searching for ConcernedApe’s upcoming game, be aware you are looking at a different product from a different studio. Both games exist and both are legitimate releases — they just happen to share a thematic setting.
Other Indie Games Like Stardew Valley to Play While You Wait
The wait for Haunted Chocolatier has been long, and the cozy farming sim genre has grown dramatically since Stardew Valley’s 2016 release. The best Stardew-like games available now:
Fields of Mistria (2024, Early Access)
Fields of Mistria is frequently cited as the closest spiritual successor to Stardew Valley in terms of tone and mechanics. Made by NPC Studio, it features farming, mining, fishing, and a large cast of romanceable NPCs in a fantasy setting. The pixel art style is lush and the game received strong early access reception. Available on PC via Steam.
Coral Island (2023)
Coral Island by Stairway Games is a Stardew-style farming RPG set on a tropical island with an emphasis on environmental restoration. It features a large cast of over 60 NPCs, a coral reef restoration subplot, and a familiar gameplay loop. Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Roots of Pacha (2023)
Roots of Pacha by Soda Den sets the farming sim genre in the Stone Age — growing crops in prehistoric times, domesticating animals, and building community with a tribe. The prehistoric setting makes it distinctive from other Stardew-likes while retaining the core farming and relationship mechanics.
Echoes of the Plum Grove (2024)
Echoes of the Plum Grove by Unwound Games brings a darker, more narrative-focused tone to the farming sim genre, set in a colonial-era village where players manage a family across multiple generations. Highly regarded for its writing and atmosphere.
iOS Games Like Stardew Valley
On iOS, the best Stardew-like options include: Stardew Valley itself ($4.99 — the mobile port is excellent and fully featured), Hamberger (a free-to-play farming sim), and Little Alchemy 2 for the crafting element. For a full Stardew-like experience on iOS, the official port remains the gold standard.
Spooky Surprise Studios and Other Indie Developers to Watch
Beyond the immediate Haunted Chocolatier anticipation, the cozy indie gaming space has a number of smaller studios developing Stardew-influenced games worth tracking. Spooky Surprise Studios is one such developer working in the cozy/horror-adjacent genre that overlaps with the Haunted Chocolatier aesthetic.
Ghost Spiel is another indie game in this space — a cozy life sim with ghost-themed mechanics that attracted attention from Stardew Valley fans specifically because of the thematic overlap with Haunted Chocolatier’s ghost-staffed-shop concept. The indie games space moves quickly, and new Stardew successors continue to emerge annually as the genre grows.
For a complete guide to Stardew Valley gameplay questions — bachelorettes, name changes, grapes, endings, and more — see our guide to Stardew Valley bachelorettes and gameplay questions answered.
For platform information including Switch, PS4, PS3 availability, and version 1.6 update details, see our guide to Stardew Valley on Switch, PS4, mobile, and all platforms.
For the latest Haunted Chocolatier updates directly from ConcernedApe, see the official site at hauntedchocolatier.net.
GameSpot maintains a comprehensive Haunted Chocolatier tracker at gamespot.com — Haunted Chocolatier release date and news.
Bottom Line
| Is there a Stardew Valley sequel? | No — Haunted Chocolatier is a separate spiritual successor, not a sequel |
| Haunted Chocolatier release date | Not announced as of June 2026; estimate ~2027 from analysts |
| Is it bigger than Stardew? | Yes — ConcernedApe confirmed ‘way bigger’: more maps, monsters, depth |
| Multiplayer? | Not confirmed; currently planned as single player |
| Engine | Written from scratch — not the Stardew Valley codebase |
| The Secret Chocolatier | Unrelated game by different developer |
| Best alternatives now | Fields of Mistria, Coral Island, Roots of Pacha, Echoes of the Plum Grove |
| Latest update | June 26 2026 — ConcernedApe working on recipe book; ‘fully baked bread’ philosophy |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Stardew Valley successor game?
The Stardew Valley successor game is Haunted Chocolatier, developed by the same creator — ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). It is a chocolate shop simulation and action RPG set in a haunted castle. Announced in October 2021, it has no confirmed release date as of June 2026. It is not a sequel to Stardew Valley but shares the same pixel art aesthetic and life-sim DNA.
Is there a Stardew Valley sequel?
No direct sequel exists. Haunted Chocolatier is the next game from ConcernedApe, but it is an entirely new game rather than a Stardew Valley sequel. ConcernedApe has confirmed the two games are separate, written on different codebases, with different themes and settings.
When will Haunted Chocolatier come out?
No release date has been announced. ConcernedApe confirmed in January 2026 that the game is still in development and ‘taking a while.’ When asked in 2025 if it would release within five years, he said ‘I hope so.’ Analysts estimate a potential 2027 window. The game will release when it is ready — ConcernedApe has explicitly declined to give a date.
Will Haunted Chocolatier have multiplayer?
No multiplayer has been confirmed. Current plans indicate Haunted Chocolatier will be single player. This mirrors how Stardew Valley launched in 2016 — single player first, with co-op added in a later free update. ConcernedApe has neither confirmed nor denied adding multiplayer in future updates.
What engine is Stardew Valley made in?
Stardew Valley is built in C# using the MonoGame framework. It is not made in Unity or Unreal Engine. Haunted Chocolatier is written entirely from scratch and does not use the Stardew Valley codebase or engine.
