Overview
- On Friday, June 26, 2026, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone posted an update saying he is actively working on Haunted Chocolatier and that progress is deliberate rather than fast.
- Barone says the long timeline reflects a perfectionist approach where frequently used features must be seamless, intuitive, satisfying, and aesthetic.
- He highlighted repeated redesigns of the chocolate recipe-book UI as an example of systems being iterated many times to reduce clicks and present the right amount of information.
- Barone will not share many screenshots or set a release window because he prefers showing finished systems rather than ‘half-baked’ work.
- He splits his week between the new game and Stardew Valley, spends roughly five days on Haunted Chocolatier and two on Stardew, and says his independence lets him pace development and delay marketing.