In case you hadn’t heard, it’s really hard to make a video game. And even harder to make one that’s good! So as fans grow impatient for the release of Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe)’s next game, Haunted Chocolatier, his latest update is a reminder that if you want Haunted Chocolatier to be good, it’s probably best to cool your heels a bit.
In a blog post, Barone acknowledges that his latest update really just amounts to him “still working” on Haunted Chocolatier, and he has nothing big or concrete to share at this time. He knows it’s taking a long time, he says, but it’s because he feels he needs most everything the player will interact with in the game to be “perfect,” to be “seamless, clear, intuitive, satisfying, aesthetic.”
As an example, he explains the process of making an in-game recipe book for chocolate making, something we’ll probably end up using a lot in a game that’s literally about making chocolate. Here’s how Barone explains the process of making it perfect:
As with many things in the game, I’ve iterated on this many times, each time bringing it closer to its final form. To me, it’s not a simple task, as I torture myself over every last detail. This is a UI you will be using fairly often, so it has to be perfect. You need to be able to accomplish your goal with the minimal number of clicks. There needs to be just the right amount of data presented to the player: not so much as to be overwhelming, but not so little as to be trivial or mundane. And the way that this data is laid out on the page is crucial… If the data is all clustered together, it will be disgusting to look at. The data needs to be grouped into compelling, intuitive and easy to read/understand groupings. It needs to look appealing and intriguing. And this is just the bare minimum, that players will likely take for granted. If all of that is accomplished then the player is now comfortable while perusing the recipe book. But I want more than just comfort. I want to delight the player. All of this typically requires me to iterate on something several times before I’m satisfied with it.
Barone continues by reminding us that Haunted Chocolatier is a “big game,” so there are lots of things in it just like this that require exceptional levels of particular adjustment and detail. “This is what it will take to make a game I’m satisfied with.” And while he’s working on it, Barone adds that he’s reluctant to even share screenshots or talk about the game in much detail, so as not to disappoint players if the final product has changed from earlier in development and does not match expectations. “Partly, it feels like I’m serving a half-baked bread,” he says. “I would rather serve a fully baked bread.”
While Barone has accepted help to work on and maintain Stardew Valley post-launch, Haunted Chocolatier appears to be a solo effort (or close to it) in a similar fashion to how Stardew Valley was before it released. Stardew took him four-and-a-half years to create. Haunted Chocolatier was started six years ago, but not only is it a bigger game than Stardew Valley, Barone has also had to balance work on it with maintaining Stardew. He told me earlier this year that he’s gotten better at managing his time between the two projects and leaning on his team more for Stardew Valley, but even so, Barone is asking for all of us to be patient.