Games to Play While Waiting for Haunted Chocolatier
Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone's upcoming game Haunted Chocolatier, a follow-up to Stardew Valley, has no release date yet, but a June 2026 update confirmed ongoing development. The game will feature a haunted castle, ingredient hunting, chocolate making, shop management, and more combat than expected. To fill the wait, the Displate Blog recommends several games that capture different aspects of the Haunted Chocolatier fantasy. Moonlighter offers a dungeon-to-shop loop, Potion Craft focuses on alchemy crafting, Travellers Rest lets players build and manage a tavern, Graveyard Keeper provides a darker take on management, Cozy Grove features ghostly bears, Fields of Mistria is a farming sim leaving early access on August 5, and Roots of Pacha is a prehistoric cozy game. Each game delivers a piece of the experience, from combat and crafting to shopkeeping and ghostly encounters.
Key facts
- Haunted Chocolatier is the upcoming game by Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone, creator of Stardew Valley.
- No official release date has been announced for Haunted Chocolatier.
- A June 2026 update confirmed development is continuing, with core systems like the chocolate recipe book being refined.
- Haunted Chocolatier will feature a haunted castle, ingredient hunting, chocolate making, and shop management.
- The game will have more combat than expected from a chocolate-making game.
- Moonlighter is recommended as the closest overall match, featuring a dungeon-to-shop loop.
- Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator offers a crafting fix with alchemy and recipe experimentation.
- Travellers Rest allows players to build and manage a tavern, focusing on hospitality.
- Graveyard Keeper is a darker management game with a macabre sense of humor.
- Cozy Grove involves helping ghostly bears on a haunted island.
- Fields of Mistria is a farming sim leaving Steam early access on August 5.
- Roots of Pacha is a prehistoric cozy game where players help a Stone Age clan discover farming.
Entities
Artists
- Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone
Institutions
- Displate Blog
- Steam