Stardew Valley developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone talked about the farming simulator game's future as he is shifting his focus away to work on his other projects.
Barone's comments come after the release of the hotly anticipated 1.6 update of the game that brought in a ton of new content and made sweeping changes. Since the launch of the latest update a few months ago, players are starting to get used to what has been added.
The Future of Stardew Valley
(Photo : Eric Barone, ConcernedApe / Screenshot taken from officail website)
So far, ConcernedApe said that nothing is planned yet but added that he is not going to say that "the book is closed." The developer also clarified that he does not usually "make big plans" for any updates to Stardew Valley and prefers to just "see what happens."
He also said that he has had many previous ideas that he was not able to patch through to the farming simulator game in the end. Barone added that he still thinks that "every aspect of the game could be enriched" in some way, according to GamesRadar.
ConcernedApe also admitted that he could continue to work on Stardew Valley forever but said that he first wants to focus his attention on his other game, Haunted Chocolatier. After the developer finalizes his work on the farming simulator's 1.6 update, he will take a break.
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He will use this spare time to tackle the upcoming whimsical shop sim and explained that he has now spent more than a decade on Stardew Valley. He noted that it was now time to "focus on something new" after so long.
ConcernedApe's comments line up with what he previously said when he told a fan in March 2024 that he was "eager" to get back to working on Haunted Chocolatier. At the time, he said that he wanted to make sure that content added in Stardew Valley's 1.6 update was "bug-free and out to all platforms."
Shifting Focus to Haunted Chocolatier
Barone first announced Haunted Chocolatier in 2021 as his second game and he has not been able to show much even after two years. While there have been some screenshots shown every now and then, he has instead focused on Stardew Valley, said VG247.
Last week, the developer also talked about Haunted Chocolatier and how fan expectations put pressure on him that led to delays in the game. He said that when it is ready, it will be released, saying that he is not too concerned about pressure.
He also said that he does not feel like he owes anyone anything when it comes to Haunted Chocolatier, saying that it is a game that he decided to make and was not forced to make. Barone noted that he did not plan to pause work on the game in favor of Stardew Valley.
Talking about his work process, particularly for Stardew Valley, Barone said, "I have this problem where once I start, I can't stop. I'm thinking, 'Oh, this isn't enough. It'd be really cool to add this. I would love to add this,'" according to PCGamer.
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