Eric Barone: Haunted Chocolatier 'very productive' but no release date

Eric Barone says in his latest Haunted Chocolatier update that he's "been very productive lately" on the game, but he declined to give a release date. When asked in 2025 if it would come out within the next five years, he said, "I hope so."

Barone wrote, "The bottom line is, I don’t want to give a release date. The game will come out when it’s done." He has long been upfront about taking his time on Haunted Chocolatier while remaining involved with Stardew Valley.

In the post he also admitted, "I know, I know, I shouldn’t have announced the game so early. But I had my reasons." He did not explain what those reasons were in the update.

The update notes the broader context: Stardew Valley, Barone’s previous farm-life sim, is still drawing huge player numbers a decade after release, and Barone continues to balance that ongoing success with work on the new project.

What remains unclear is an actual release window and the reasons he cited for announcing the game early; Barone emphasized that "the only thing that really matters is that I keep making progress on the game."

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