Beloved indie developer Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone may be introducing a pinch of darkness in Stardew Valley. As the developer works on both Stardew’s 1.7 update and his new game Haunted Chocolatier, the beloved farming title might introduce some unexpected morality mechanics in the future.
Speaking to Game Informer in a paywalled interview, Barone explained that he might actually add in the ability for players to cheat on their virtual spouses. In the current game, players can already emotionally cheat on their virtual lovers, but there are no consequences outside of some annoyed dialogue.
In the interview, Barone explained that he’s still weighing up the mechanic’s addition as it fits the genre of Stardew Valley. “In a sandbox game, you should be able to do wicked things and then face the consequences,” he said. While many see the farming game as a cozy getaway, it’s good to offer additional depth to a sandbox wherever possible.
Barone adds that he’s “against that [cheating] on a moral level”, but giving players the ability to play a homewrecker isn’t an endorsement of that behaviour. In fact, he would make it so that cheating in the game has negative effects and consequences.
“I wouldn’t just make everyone be totally chill about it,” he said. “Everyone would hate you. It would cause a lot of chaos and disaster and suffering, and people would be angry, and you would ruin the family.”
This isn’t the first time Barone has discussed adding more depth to relationships within the game. In a podcast released in 2025, the Stardew developer explained that there were ideas for a divorce update. However, as he also explains in this recent interview, these mechanics may add too much realism for some players.
Barone explains that this update isn’t currently in development, but they’re “open to doing something like that”. With that said, the developer explained that the feature cannot be implemented without serious repercussions for the player if they go down that route.
“I wouldn’t baby people about it,” the Stardew creator said. “There would be very serious consequences.” On the other hand, “part of me is like, ‘well, maybe this is just too real,’” he adds. “Maybe Stardew Valley is supposed to be, to some degree, an escape from those kinds of things. It’s too realistic, you know?”
As of right now, Stardew Valley’s 1.7 update is currently in development with a new team behind it overseen by Barone. The new update will add “lots more” content to the game, including a new farm type for players to use.
