Stardew Valley creator’s new game, Haunted Chocolatier, is “more of an action RPG” than farming sim
Eric Barone says his forthcoming game, Haunted Chocolatier, will focus more on action and role-playing than Stardew Valley’s farming. The shift suggests a larger emphasis on exploration and combat, while retaining the town-based setting familiar to players.
Barone described adventuring, collecting equipment and becoming more powerful as central activities, with monsters and boss fights. He said the game is aimed at Stardew Valley players who enjoy its mines, and called the new experience more “metaphysical”. It remains in development, with no release date; Barone says it will be released when it is finished.
- Haunted Chocolatier is more action RPG than farming sim.
- It features exploration, equipment, monsters and boss fights.
- Barone has not announced a release date.
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Eric Barone is the developer behind Stardew Valley, a farming simulation game released in 2016 that became a major indie success. The game focuses primarily on building and managing a farm, but also includes fishing, foraging, relationship-building with townspeople, and exploration of mines where players fight enemies. It has attracted millions of players across multiple platforms.
His new game, Haunted Chocolatier, will focus on adventure and combat rather than farming. The game involves fighting monsters and other enemies, collecting equipment, and becoming progressively more powerful. Although set in a town like Stardew Valley, the new game represents a significant shift in gameplay direction.
The change reflects Barone's intent to create something for players who enjoyed the adventure and combat aspects of Stardew Valley rather than its farming mechanics. As the creator of one of gaming's most successful recent indie titles, Barone's next major project is closely anticipated, with many interested in seeing whether the new direction will prove as successful as his previous work.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Game developers should have creative freedom to evolve beyond their initial success. Barone spent years perfecting Stardew Valley; continuing to iterate on that design would be creatively limiting. Many Stardew players specifically enjoyed the mining and combat elements, so deepening action-RPG gameplay caters to a genuine audience segment. Haunted Chocolatier retains the charming town-based setting whilst offering something fresh. Artistic growth requires exploring new directions, and this shift represents natural creative evolution rather than abandonment of core values.
The case against
Stardew Valley's appeal lay in offering peaceful, meditative gameplay as a counterpoint to action-heavy gaming culture. Its low-pressure farming mechanic resonated precisely because it rejected the combat and boss-fight structure common in mainstream games. By shifting toward action-RPG elements, Barone moves away from the design philosophy that made his work distinctive and beloved by players seeking refuge from high-intensity gaming. This represents a departure from the values that built his devoted fanbase, potentially leaving those players without the alternative gaming experience Stardew Valley provided.
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