Yeah Eric has always been very dedicated to his games to the point of working for over 6 hours every day for 4 years to the point were he was losing a bit of financial security. Of all people he deserves a break for a little while and yet he’s back at it because it’s what he loves to do and now he doesn’t have to worry about becoming homeless because of his passion
@sassygrilledcheese, @rose_flame4404 is r correct about Eric overworking & under charging for his project to the point of detriment for his and the gaming world. Honestly, I hope he prices his next game high enough that it results in him having the financial security he deserves. He could easily double the price of his next game, all while still offering an amazing product & coming in at a price point under that of triple A game studios (although Id be completely fine pay triple A $ for his game). I mean, look at Animal Crossing's price point for example. Not to mention that Animal Crossing also charges for DLC more often than not & Eric doesn't. If he isn't able to gain financial security from the games he produces, it will result in him not being able to continue developing amazing games and I for one don't want that.
i feel like the chocolate shop aspect of the game is gonna have its own little impact and will reinvent the tycoon genre. we already have discounty on the way so i think both major aspects of the game are going to influence the masses
I think Haunted Chocolatier will boost Stardew Valley sales as people who wouldn’t try it previously decide they love CA’s style and want to see what else he’s done
I love a spooky game, so I'm so so so excited for Haunted Chocolatier. But totally agree, I want Ape to take as much time as he needs to be happy with it. I'll be here waiting
He also deserves financial stability and needs to do more than just break even with his games. Each game he makes needs to be enough for him to more than just live while he works on his next game. He has talked about how he works 6 or 7 days a week while just barely making it despite the success of his game. He must charge more (although I worry he is the kind if person who won't) so that he can continue to create these amazing games.
I love it because ConcernedApe is probably pretty wealthy now. He has earned his money and if he doesn't live a lavish lifestyle, he doesn't need to rush his projects. He can afford to make free DLCs and updates for stardew because he wants to. Not all indie devs have that freedom, but I'm glad he does.
The haunted / cosy dichotomy is soooo lucrative in pop culture atm. Just think about the entire concept of like uncanny but comforting things like liminal spaces and the backrooms. 'Cozy' to a lot of people is even more effected when it is blended with elements of horror or the paranormal.
A young 21 year old dude I met at the liquor store one day recommended it to me. Couple weeks later I saw him again, we were gushing about it and exchanged PSN - I don’t see him there anymore but we still chat about how excited we are about haunted chocolatier. 😂
I never heard someone say that it was a "game for girls", but I slightly thought about it like that because majority of players are female. I can say after over 200h in 2 weeks that it is not that and is very addictive 😅.
Yes, as a lover of Stardew Valley and cozy games, I find myself trying to find a game that will give me the same drive I had with Stardew. It's a long and painful road. There is no such game. I'm so ready for his new game and giving us something new to enjoy!
Minecraft and Stardew Valley are the only cozy games that changed my life forever. There's like one in a decade. Thankfully I never get tired of these, so I don't even have to wait for the next one.
you say Stardew is weird in its portrayal of country side farming, but as someone who had a bit of a city-to-homesteading arc recently there is actually a healthy amount of astral projecting with my crystal mommy neighbour, tripping on mysterious substances provided by the local wizard, and talking to animals in my garden. Very much farmer things.
I stayed away from Stardew Valley for quite some time thinking that I won't enjoy it since I only play JRPG, Souls like, and MMORPG. Boy was I wrong. The moment I started playing Stardew, I put down all my other games and focused in SDV so much.
I would argue that cozy games can most certainly have some combat but combat/violence is never the primary gameplay focus. An example of this is that I would personally argue that No Man's Sky could, theoretically be a cozy game even though it is not directly categorized as one because the focus is on chill exploration and base building in a near infinite universe where there really is no end goal other than to do whatever you want.
You can't deny the similarities between Chef RPG and Haunted Chocolatier, but you CAN deny any intentionality behind those similarities. Chef RPG has public devlogs here on youtube dating back to August 2020...a full year before Haunted Chocolatier's announcement. Many of the things on display in the trailer were also shown in devlogs before HC's announcement so any similarities are purely coincidental. HC isn't THAT influential yet 😅
You mentioned Chef RPG after you said "we're already seeing Haunted Chocolatier-esque games on the rise" and that makes it seem like Chef RPG is a copy of HC, which I don't think is fair. Correct me if I'm wrong but the developer of Chef RPG started working on the game in 2020, and HC wasn't announced until 2021 from what I can see.
Stardew Valley is relative stressful for me or at least compared to any other other genre game because of its day and night cycle. I’m always trying to get as much as done as possible before time runs out and running back to my farm before I pass out. Amazing game, I just haven’t gotten to the relaxing part, except for I think maybe when I first started. Now I’m on a heavy grind to get my farm automated 😂.
I agree. I really enjoy the game except for the day / night cycle. I’m always rushing and watching the time instead of enjoying the gameplay. It probably wouldn’t be to bad if the time didn’t move so fast.
@@bookgeek7907 So don’t try to do so much. I see this complaint over and over and it’s a self imposed problem. If you are having trouble doing everything, then it stands to reason you should cut back and don’t cram so much into the day. It’s not a race, there is no rush. The game is intentionally designed so that you can play at your own pace. So slow down and take your time and you won’t have to rush so much meanwhile all the different aspects of the game will still be there when you get around to them later on.
I use the community center as my guide for what to do…as long as i get the seasonal stuff done there’s really nothing to rush about. Even if the days feel short you have 28 per season to get things done. I do understand feeling the clock regardless of how much time but i truly wouldn’t worry so much it’s absolutely meant to be relaxing
@@TamsinGrlNxtDr oh god no, I could never. I’m very picky when it comes to a good art style. I’m competitive by nature and will always will try to be as efficient as possible with my time at first, I’ll get the pacing down eventually when everything’s relatively automated.
I personally can't wait for this game. I'm excited to see Concerned Ape's creativity expanded and I really like the feel so far for this game. First time viewer of your channel with this video! Loved it! Keep up the awesome job.
The shopkeeper concept of Haunted Chocolatier isn't all that original and already exists in cozy games such as Recettear, Moonlighter, Dave the Diver, and Potion Permit, most of which have dungeon diving and combat as their primary mechanic outside of the shopkeeping. So it's certainly not going to redefine the genre by any means. That said, there is certainly room for all those games to be improved upon and done right the way the farming sim games of the past were by Stardew Valley. I'm definitely looking forward to it and think it will be successful, but I don't think it's going to be as genre-defining as Stardew Valley. Stardew Valley took the incredibly niche genre of Harvest Moon to the masses. Haunted Chocolatier has lots of popular predecessors already.
Just realized while watching this that this channel is a cozy youtube nook, a place to curl up, take a breath, and just bask in the comfort. Thanks for providing that energy along with all the good information and food for thought you provide! Peace from Iceland :)
Stardew a girl's game? I'm a dude and im literally obsessed with it rn. I'm very new to the genre too and only just about to start my first winter! Also great vid! You have a very soothing voice
The ice level mine ghosts are my favourite character designs in the game, ik they're annoying, but they're so cute and it's sad when they moan but i love the sound design for them. I wish there was sdv ghost plushies but i can't find any made. 👻 Anyway back to the subject... lol (sorry my autistic traits are really popping here). I'm excited for Haunted chocolatier, we all know it'll be a masterpiece if it's designed by THE Concerned Ape! 🤩
im pretty sure i bought Stardew day 1 and I'm probably going to buy Haunted Chocolatier day 1 as well. i would definitely like to see an update to the games development, a statement, a new trailer, or even something simple as a screenshot. Until the day something new on it comes out I will wait patiently for any update and to play the game someday. I am ready to sink hour and hours in to the game.
Funny back then I used to prefer more of sports and fantasy action genre rather than cozy games but when I tried SDV years ago (I still do play it occasionally to this day) that is when I've fallen in love with the cozy gaming genre and bought a couple of cozy games like Coral Island, My Time at Portia and Spiritfarer, I never went back lol. Hopefully we will get the same SDV magic from ConcernedApe again!
I am making a cozy "stardew valley similar game" but am struggling to make it wholly different and want to focus on something other than farming so this video really helped understand the genre from a different perspective thank you!
I'm streaming Stardew Valley at the moment to distract from the long and uncertain wait for Haunted Chocolatier, and playing through a ConcernedApe title again is just making me unbelievably excited for it to come out! Eeeeeee 😁
The first resource gathering / shop management game I tried was called ‘Moonlighter’, which I’m sure many of you have either heard of or played it already. But if not- it’s a MUST PLAY! The art style is beautiful, and the gameplay loop is SO addictive. Chances are if you enjoy it, this upcoming game will be perfect for you! :)
Sun Haven is surprisingly it's own very interesting cozy farm game that mixes in more magical and fantasy themes. So if anyone is looking for something before Haunted Chocolatier comes out I'd recommend Sun Haven
Perfect video! I have recently started playing Fields of Mistria, and it is a nice game, but it is so similiar to stardew valley, without concerned ape core, that It just makes me miss Stardew and understand how deep the imersion and the characters lore were.
I remember that Eric Barone said in an interview that Stardew has sold more than 20 million copies... that was years ago. As far as I know it´s now about 30 million and I am not sure if it is so easy to repeat that. But I am sure that his new game will be great and a lot of fun :) Great video by the way :)
I have Stardew Valley on 3 platforms my phone, switch and Mac. I think it’s one of the greatest video games of all time. You can really tell that it’s made with a dream in mind because it (for a lack of a better word) has a soul to it. I hope he continues to make Haunted Chocolatier as I can imagine it being hard to put down the development of your first baby (Stardew). I got my wife into gaming with Stardew Valley and that ended up with her purchasing animal crossing. We now play Terraria together and honestly I think Stardew Valley is the reason she plays video games.
That mindset of never charging for extra content is quite honorable, especially in a job as hard, and long lasting as developing is. Btw this game looks awesome and your video is great🔥✨✨
Only thing aabout Chef RPG, since i've been following it since the creator started posting his progress on RU-vid, is that it predates Haunted Chocolatier by a year or 2. It's more so that Chef RPG might have inspired ConcernedApe to reasses Stardew Valley
There are only 2 games that have really hooked my attention and gotten me to play through the night without even realizing it and they are Stardew Valley and Skyrim. I enjoy a lot of video game, I play a wide variety of them, but usually I'll play for a few hours then take breaks. Those are the only two that have made me completely forget the real world existed lol
Love your channel and I love your TikTok’s and I love Stardew Valley. I just started playing again and oh my gosh is it addictive? I really enjoy it. Can’t wait for haunted chocolater
It might require a childhood love and interest in the spooky but Graveyard Keeper is a very cozy game to me. I I look forward to this Haunted Chocolatier.
This checks out, I have been seeing cozy games that has a service goal, as in you serve clients, you run a service of some kind, next step from farming I guess
im insanely hyped for HC, my mom and i played undertale and animal crossing together and had a great time with it so im excited to see if it feels like a comfortable blend!!
If you're looking for another cozy game to try while we wait for Haunted Chocolatier to drop: Traveller's Rest. It's still in early access, but it's not very buggy and is fairly fleshed-out. While there are a lot of similar aspects that can be found in Stardew, but the core of the game is for you to run and expand your own bar/ inn. There's less focus on farming crops (though you keep a small garden patch) and more focus on creating different meals/ drinks and providing good service. Only $13.50
I think the reason people like to call it a game for girls is the dating Sim aspect of it button Realty is just a relaxing game that you can play just about anytime you want to you have a hour or two to play play through a week or a month in game just have a few minutes to play play through a single day did The Coop just makes it so much better can't wait for a haunted chocolatier
I'm glad that the next game isn't trying to be like stardew valley, and I think that's also attributable to the single developer thing. Very often, the best stuff is made by someone who looks around, doesn't see what they want, and goes "dang it I'm going to have to make it myself aren't I?" So there's no point in doing something everyone's already doing and theres no point in re-doing ahay you've already done. It doesn't scratch that particular creative itch
that's called being in development.... games don't take 2 weeks to make, especially quality ones. some take YEARS. concernedape tends to work quietly as mentioned in the video but he loves sharing tiny bits n pieces along the way. there's nothing sus about it?
I hope there's automation and factory building in the chocolate factory. I have a feeling the ghosts are going to perform tasks you give them. Sort of like robots in factorio.
I'm really excited about Haunted Chocolatier, but I’m a bit concerned about the combat mechanics. I never really enjoyed the combat in the Stardew Valley mines, and it seems like this game might have a similar gameplay style. On the bright side, I’m also looking forward to Trade Tales, it’s packed with innovative ideas that could really elevate the cozy game genre.
This game looks good and I'll definitely play it, but if I'm being honest with myself I might have liked and possibly even preferred a sort of 'stardew valley 2' with a slightly larger town and more in-depth social mechanics (maybe you can share hobbies and spend more quality time with NPCs, more dialogue choices/consequences).
He did say there might be farming, but not like Stardew Valley it’s a possibility also there might be animals too like Stardew Valley. It’s a possibility didn’t say it’s going to happen but it could.
I likely wont play it because I dont like pixel art games, despite how that seems to irk you. However, I will probably take glimpses of it through gameplay videos.
I don't think it will outshine Stardew Valley, but its initial sales will be much higher out the gate due to the known quality of development by the developer. It looks like it will take a farming simulator to a factory plant level. Maybe a hybrid between Moonlighter and Stardew Valley? It sounds very interesting and I will definitely be following this game with great interest.
I absolutely love Stardew Valley. But I think you went overboard by calling out people who don't like Pixel Art Games. Hating something and having personal preference are two different things. It puts you in the same category as people who do unnecessary slandering to others for not having the same preferences.
I would love to find it cozy. But I’m one of the dummy’s who cannot master fishing. Which makes me really sad since it was my favourite part of Animal Crossing. I’ve even bought SDV on two different consoles trying and trying lol. But I will definitely give Haunted Chocolatier a try when it’s released. I enjoy graveyard keeper so it’s not a matter of disliking the genre. I’ll keep battling my incompetence lol.
Agreed. After sinking almost 1000 hours (and counting!) into Stardew over the years, Coral Island is the only similar game that has appealed to me nearly as much.
I am so excited for this game. It has taken years to make. Considering how careful Concerned Ape was with SDV it gives me great hope that Haunted Chocolatier will become my new obsession.
