Earlier this week, Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone said on Twitter that he's working on two new projects, a non-farming game set in the Stardew Valley game world, and another that's even less well-defined at this point. The comments got a lot of attention, despite their very casual, offhand nature: An awful lot of people really like Stardew Valley, and the promise of more—even if only tangentially connected—is exciting.
There was so much uproar, in fact, that the next day Barone politely asked everyone to dial it back a bit.
I'm not setting out to make the next indie smash hit, I just want to make another game that I enjoy and am happy with. And to share some of my art & ideas with the world. If it becomes popular, I will be happy, but it's not my focusFebruary 11, 2020
It's understandable that he'd want to manage expectations, especially at this very early stage of the process. Stardew Valley is a legitimate indie phenomenon, and the expectations for the followup will inevitably be very high. Why let the hype machine, and the attendant pressure, spin up now, when the release of these games is years—possibly a lot of years—away?
So for now, go tend to your farms—a bunch of new content was added in December, so there should still be lots to do—or if you're looking for a change of pace, maybe try your hand at Temtem or Hokko Life. Let the man work in peace.
