Stardew Valley 2 Was Once in Development, But the Creator Feared Fan Expectations
Stardew Valley is a deeply loved game, and farming and life sim fans have been enjoying Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone’s work for nearly ten years. While regular updates keep the experience fresh, many players have long hoped for a true sequel.
In an interview with IGN USA, the creator revealed that a project resembling “Stardew Valley 2” was actually in development at one point. However, Barone later decided to move on and focus instead on Haunted Chocolatier.
Eric Barone Explains Why Stardew Valley 2 Was Put Aside
Barone explained that: “There was a time where I was starting to work on a Stardew Valley 2, but, I don’t know. For various reasons, I moved over to Haunted Chocolatier instead. Haunted Chocolatier you could say is like the Stardew Valley 2, but it’s a bit different of a game, so we’ll see.”
By this, Barone means that Haunted Chocolatier is a spiritual successor, not a direct sequel or a hidden Stardew Valley 2. The main reason he chose to create a new IP instead of continuing his most successful game is tied to player expectations.
Barone also explained his concerns very clearly: “I want to just make the game I want to make, but I also don’t want a bunch of people to not like the game because they were expecting a certain thing.”
In simple terms, every fan imagines Stardew Valley 2 in a different way, and meeting all those expectations would be extremely difficult. A direct sequel could easily disappoint part of the audience. By creating a new game focused on a different theme, Barone feels he has more creative freedom and a better chance of pleasing players overall.
That said, Haunted Chocolatier still does not have a release window. Barone is known for taking all the time he needs, so the game may still be years away.
In other news, Eric Barone has confirmed that he does not receive any money from collaborations or crossovers with other games.
