The creator of Stardew Valley, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has stated that he’s open to making a sequel to the legendary cozy farming game. Still, it probably won’t happen for a long time. While many fans might be disappointed to learn ConcernedApe won’t be revisiting Pelican Town for at least a few years, I’m very happy that the solo indie dev is turning his attention to different projects.

Speaking on the TigerBelly podcast with comedian Bobby Lee, Barone spoke openly about how long development takes, his concerns about living up to Stardew Valley with his next project, and how money isn’t a concern for him. Barone is currently working on Haunted Chocolatier, which doesn’t have a release date yet but already looks like another classic in the making. This is precisely why another Stardew Valley isn't necessary right now.

ConcernedApe Hasn’t Ruled Out Stardew Valley 2

A Sequel Could Happen, But Not For A Long Time

In a recent episode of TigerBelly, comedian Bobby Lee’s podcast, the creator of Stardew Valley said that a sequel to the smash-hit indie game is a real possibility, but not for at least a couple of years. During their discussion of the game and its future, Barone said “I might eventually make a Stardew Valley 2, to be honest.” While this statement is certainly not an announcement, it does mean that ConcernedApe sees a future with the game beyond just updating it, though he did clarify that updating the existing game is far easier than creating something from the ground up.

“It’s just so much easier to just add more stuff to Stardew Valley than to make a whole new game from scratch. The major systems are already all done, that’s the stuff that’s not fun to do.” Updating the game, however, allows Barone to simply add to what already exists, as he said “it’s like, oh, throw in this, throw in that. Let’s add green rain!” Adding free updates to the game is fantastic, but it’s even better to see Barone expand past Stardew Valley, especially as he stated, “I don’t want to be just the Stardew Valley guy.”

Anyone who has ever been tangentially interested in cozy gaming has heard of Stardew Valley. The farming simulator game came out in 2016 and has been insanely popular (and profitable) ever since, keeping a steady fanbase of diehard, cozy gaming fans entertained for almost a decade. ConcernedApe and his team recently released Update 1.6, a massive free update that added new festivals, farm types, dialogue, crops, and so much more. With all this attention and content, ConcernedApe’s time has been wrapped up in adding to and improving Stardew Valley, but I’m so excited for him to set it aside for now.

ConcernedApe Is Right To Focus On Haunted Chocolatier

A New Game Is More Exciting Than More Updates

In his episode on TigerBelly, ConcernedApe reaffirmed that his entire focus is now on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, even after Stardew Valley updates snippets of gameplay have been revealed.

Players will run their own candy store, all while collecting their ingredients and building relationships with residents. These barebone details aren’t much to go off of, but since ConcernedApe has already proven himself, Haunted Chocolatier will likely be hundreds of thousands of fans' favorite game.

After years of playing Stardew Valley, I couldn’t be more excited to see something else from ConcernedApe. As a developer, he has always let his ion for his creations be a driving force, and while he is still very ionate about the world he built in Stardew Valley, seeing something new and different is far more exciting than receiving more updates on a preexisting game. Exploring a new town full of different personalities is far more exciting than revisiting the same characters to tweak dialogue year after year.

ConcernedApe is also likely in the best possible position for any indie dev, as after the success of Stardew Valley, he doesn’t have to worry about money, and can pursue any project he wants. During the podcast, he plainly stated, “I just don’t care about money that much, to be honest.” This quote was in response to why the updates to SDV have been free, since money is no longer a priority, but it speaks to the general freedom he and his team have going forward.

There’s Still More To Do In Stardew Before A Sequel

A Thriving Community Proves The Game's Staying Power

A sequel to Stardew Valley would be incredibly exciting, but the original game still has plenty more to give. It’s clear that ConcernedApe is still full of ideas, as update 1.6 added so much content that players didn’t even know they wanted. Barone stated in the podcast, “I’ll play Stardew Valley myself, and when I’m playing, I’m like, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be cool if there was this or that?’ And then I can just do it, and there’s a new update. It’s really just fun and creative and spontaneous to do it that way.”

While some parts of the base game were improved, like with the new mastery system for skills, the additions that make updates fun are all the weird details, like green rain and drinking mayo. If, after almost ten years, ConcernedApe is still playing his own game, expanding on it, and adding strange things for players to discover, then it’s clear that a sequel might not be necessary for a very long time.

Even beyond official content by ConcernedApe and his team, Stardew Valley has an incredible modding community that allows players to do practically anything they want in-game, even Baldur’s Gate 3. Even after almost a decade of play, Stardew Valley is still in the top 20 of the most played games on Steam. The laidback speed of the game allows players to take any route they want to find whatever success they deem to be important, whether that be millions in the bank, befriending every NPC to the max, or reaching perfection.

Sources: Steamcharts, TigerBelly