Haunted Chocolatier, the upcoming second game from Stardew Valley developer ConcernedApe, has been something of a white whale for fans for a long time. Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) has maintained that he’s been working on the game ever since he first announced it, but details have been scarce and he has divided his attention between that game and further updates to Stardew Valley.
Now, for those who have yet to see what all the fuss is about, it’s the prime time to get in line for Haunted Chocolatier, as Stardew Valley joins the September monthly games lineup for PlayStation Plus.
The September lineup
Despite the game having received numerous updates since it first launched, all of those have been free – meaning that for players picking up the game for the first time through this service, you’ll be getting the complete version of the game (with the developer refusing to charge fans for collaborations). What’s more, it’s a game that you can play couch co-op, which might make it easier to jump into casually with a friend or partner.
Other games headed to the platform on September 2nd are Double Fine’s long-awaited sequel Psychonauts 2, as well as camera-based puzzle game Viewfinder from Sad Owl Studios.
Updates on Haunted Chocolatier
The most recent update on the game is that it’ll see the return of one of Stardew Valley’s (and many other games) mini-games – fishing. The fishing mini-game in Stardew Valley can often be notoriously tricky, perhaps leading some players to hope that it’ll see some refinement in this next title.
Other than that, updates have been steadily posted on the game’s website blog, with only tidbits here and there outside of the general premise of the game and the greater focus on action role-playing than Stardew Valley.
Stardew-likes
That being said, with Stardew Valley proving as enormously successful as it was, it has inspired a legion of similar games in its aftermath much like Dark Souls and Disco Elysium before it. While not all of these will be available on PlayStation, perusing the similar games found on Steam might help to draw your attention to smaller developers that have tried their own hand at the genre with their own spin, leading to titles like Moonstone Island (card battler) and Sun Haven (RPG).
Supporting smaller developers can also feel right here given how Stardew Valley started out as a small indie game without major recognition behind it – something that’s difficult to imagine with so much anticipation for Barone’s next game.
