Eric Barone Declares: Stardew Valley 2 is Next After the Haunted Chocolatier
Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, has hinted that a sequel might be on the horizon—eventually.In a recent interview on the TigerBelly podcast, Barone acknowledged, “I might eventually make a Stardew Valley 2, to be honest.” but first, there will be Haunted Chocolatier on the line.
Barone also points out the stark difference between expanding an existing game and building something entirely new. “It’s so much easier to just add more stuff to Stardew Valley than to make a whole new game from scratch,” he said. “All the major systems are already done. That’s the stuff that’s not fun to do. When I make an update now, it’s like—oh, throw in this, throw in that. Let’s add green rain—these random, whimsical ideas.”
While continued updates to Stardew Valley remain on the table, during an interview on May with Barone he says that his primary focus right now is on his next big project: Haunted Chocolatier. Unlike his farming sim, this upcoming title invites players into a ghostly, magical world where they’ll run a chocolate shop, explore mysterious realms, and engage in action-packed combat—all wrapped in the same cozy, pixel-art aesthetic fans adore.
While taking his time with no rush on development of Stardust Valley, Barone admits there’s “still a lot to be done,” and he’s holding it to an even higher standard than his breakout hit. “It’s got to be better than Stardew Valley,” he explained—one of the reasons he isn’t ready to commit to a release date just yet.
Even as he continues to update Stardew Valley, it’s clear that Barone is striving to grow beyond it. “I didn’t want to just be the Stardew Valley guy,” he said—making Haunted Chocolatier not just his next game, but a statement of creative evolution.
