Over 3 million views: Stardew Valley developer confirms controversial mechanic and shares screenshot of new project
After months of silence, Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, shared a new screenshot from his upcoming game on August 27, 2025. His post on X (formerly Twitter) quickly went viral, racking up nearly 3 million views. The highlight: along with the image, Barone confirmed the return of a divisive feature – fishing.
The screenshot shows a forest scene: on the left, a massive tree rises like a walkable structure, while the character stands by a riverbank and dense woodland extends to the right. Haunted Chocolatier is shaping up to be an action RPG where players run a chocolate shop inside a haunted castle, craft sweets, recruit ghostly helpers and gather ingredients by battling monsters. The image highlights the game’s fairytale charm mixed with a touch of darkness.
Under the post, a fan asked whether Haunted Chocolatier would include fishing like Stardew Valley. Barone’s brief reply: “there is fishing.” This confirms the return of the fishing mini-game – a feature that stirred plenty of debate in Stardew Valley. While some players considered it too challenging and anything but relaxing, others welcomed the added difficulty.
In Stardew Valley, fishing involves hooking a fish with a rod and keeping a green marker aligned with the moving fish inside a small bar. If players manage to hold it steady until the progress bar fills, the catch is successful. Whether Barone has adjusted this system or made it more accessible in Haunted Chocolatier remains unclear. The game’s release date has also yet to be announced.
Source(s)
ConcernedApe via X (formerly Twitter)
Image source: HauntedChocolatier.net
