Eric Barone, the mind behind the beloved Stardew Valley, previously expressed a desire for isolated focus on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier. This sentiment rings truer now, as Barone navigates multiple commitments. These include a newly revealed Stardew Valley 1.7 update and a surprising voice cameo in the much-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong.
PC Gamer identified Barone`s involvement through the Silksong credits, where his name appeared alongside Team Cherry members and even the family of lead designer William Pellen. Considering the parallel successes of Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight, both indie sensations launched approximately a year apart, it`s hardly astonishing that their creators share ties within the indie development scene.
Barone`s contribution to Silksong involved crafting non-verbal character sounds—reminiscent of classic Nintendo-style chirps and mumbles—for one of the game`s new non-playable characters. Although Barone hasn`t yet disclosed the specific character he voiced, The Verge has verified his involvement. This leaves fans excitedly speculating which insectoid resident of Pharloom`s kingdom will bear his unique auditory signature.
Despite this secondary contribution, Barone maintains a steadfast focus on Haunted Chocolatier. He assures that any minor delay caused by the Stardew Valley 1.7 update will have a negligible impact. Furthermore, his voice work for Silksong was a brief, probably already finished endeavor, serving more as a pleasant interlude than a genuine distraction from his main projects.