It has now been more than eight years since Stardew Valley was released on PC. Since then, the game has released on nearly every conceivable platform, sold over 30 million copies, and received a plethora of patches and massive updates— all for free.
The fact that the updates are free is something that the game’s creator, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has sworn will never change. In a response to a fan on Twitter, he says: “I swear on the honor of my family name, I will never charge money for a DLC or update for as long as I live. Screencap this and shame me if I ever violate this oath.”
Barone’s next game will be Haunted Chocolatier, a game that, in style and gameplay, is very similar to Stardew Valley, but where farms and crops have been replaced with a haunted candy factory and ghosts. There is still no release window for Haunted Chocolatier, but with as much time as Barone apparently continues to invest in Stardew Valley, it may be quite a while before it arrives.