Stardew Valley creator updates fans on Haunted Chocolatier's progress

Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone says he may have announced his next game too early. Revealed in 2021, with development starting a year prior, Haunted Chocolatier remains in development five years later. "I know it’s taking a long time," Barone wrote in a new blog post.

"Feels kinda dumb posting this same thing over and over, but that’s the reality." Barone attributes the lengthy process to constant iteration on the game's systems. "The things in the game which the player will be interacting with or using very often need to be 'perfect,'" he said.

"They need to be seamless, clear, intuitive, satisfying, aesthetic." He highlighted the recipe book for making chocolates as a key UI that must be both appealing and functionally intuitive. "This is a UI you will be using fairly often, so it has to be perfect," Barone wrote, noting tweaks such as how many clicks it takes and what information is displayed.

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