Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has been hard at work on his next project, the indie title Haunted Chocolatier, for a long while now. The game was announced years ago, and thanks to continuing to expand and evolve Stardew Valley and keeping up regular appearances elsewhere, new glimpses at Haunted Chocolatier have been few and far between, with updates often shared in the form of loose comments and blog posts by ConcernedApe.
We've now received another of the latter again, in a blog post titled "Still here, still grinding..." The premise of the blog is to simply inform fans that work on the game is still underway, all while dishing out the details and exploring why production is taking such a long time.
ConcernedApe begins by stating "I know it's taking a long time." He continues further by noting this is the case because he's very focused on making sure each and every system and feature is of the highest-possible quality and is implemented correctly. He explains that often he has to "iterate on something several times before I'm satisfied with it."
Still, you might wonder why ConcernedApe doesn't share more glimpses at the game. The answer is simple; he'd rather present a finished product rather than something that's half-baked.
"I don't like to share too many screenshots, or even talk about the systems in too much detail, while the game is in development. Partly, it feels like I'm serving a half-baked bread. I would rather serve a fully baked bread. Also, I know that many parts of the game will likely evolve and change before release, so if I reveal them early, I risk disappointing players if the final product does not match their expectation."
To conclude, ConcernedApe signs off by thanking fans for their patience. There is still no word on when Haunted Chocolatier may launch, but it has now been in more significant production for over a year, so perhaps it won't be long until something of greater substance is shared.
