Eric Barone

For the French cyclist, see Éric Barone.

Eric Barone
Barone in 2019
Born
Eric Lorenz Barone

(1987-12-03) December 3, 1987
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesConcernedApe
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Washington Tacoma
Occupations
Years active2008–present
Known forStardew Valley
SpouseAmber Hageman
WebsiteOfficial website

Eric Lorenz Barone[1] (/bəˈroʊni/ bə-ROH-nee,[2] born December 3, 1987), known professionally as ConcernedApe, is an American video game developer and musician. He is best known for solo developing the 2016 video game Stardew Valley.

A self-taught developer with a degree in computer science, Barone handled every aspect of the game, from coding to composing its soundtrack. He continues to support Stardew Valley while working on his next project, Haunted Chocolatier.

Early life and education

Barone was born on December 3, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, and spent his childhood in Auburn, Washington, a suburb in the Seattle metropolitan area.[3][4] He cited the Harvest Moon series as his childhood favorite that stayed with him into adulthood.[4] While not musically trained,[5] Barone played music growing up, and was a member of several bands, including a nu metal band and an experimental pop band. For the latter's album, he created his first ever video game, a LucasArts-inspired point-and-click game.[6]

He attended the University of Washington Tacoma and graduated in 2011 with a degree in computer science.[4] Barone had practiced basic programming but did not originally consider making video games as a career. Unable to find employment after graduating from college, he initially began developing Stardew Valley in order to practice programming in C#, and planned to put the game on his resume for potential employers.[7]

Career

Stardew Valley

Further information: Stardew Valley § Development

Barone began working on Stardew Valley in 2012 and released it in 2016. He was praised for creating the game independently,[8] as its sole designer, programmer, animator, artist, composer, and writer. To complete the game, Barone worked on average 10 hours a day seven days a week[9] for four and a half years. For part of that time, he lived with his parents to save money before moving out with his girlfriend to Capitol Hill, Seattle.[10] During this time, his girlfriend Amber Hageman worked two jobs to support the both of them while Barone worked a part-time job as an evening usher at the Paramount Theatre.[4][10][11]

Barone initially released Stardew Valley on the PC before later developing it for other consoles, and as of February 2026 has sold over 50 million copies.[12][13]

Other media

Further information: Stardew Valley § Other media

In 2016, Barone released Stardew Valley: Original Soundtrack, which contains the game's official soundtrack.[14]

In 2017, he was named by Forbes magazine in their list "30 Under 30: Games" for his work on Stardew Valley.[15] Since 2019, Barone has been assisted on Stardew Valley by another designer and developer team.[16]

On August 15, 2020, the orchestral album Symphonic Tale: The Place I Truly Belong (Music from Stardew Valley) directed by Kentaro Sato and performed by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra was released.[17] The album includes 15 tracks from the game's original soundtrack.

In February 2021, Barone and board game designer Cole Medeiros released Stardew Valley: The Board Game, a cooperative board game adaptation of Stardew Valley.[18] After the first printing of the game went on sale, it quickly sold out. Sales were later reopened with several changes.[19]

Barone collaborated with Norihiko Hibino on an album series Prescription for Sleep. The series remixes video game soundtracks with piano and saxophone. The Stardew Valley album was released in May 2021. It includes 10 tracks from the game's original soundtrack and one new track called "Beauty in the Seasons".[20]

In October 2023, Barone announced the first Stardew Valley concert tour, Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons, featuring a selection of music from the game performed live by a chamber orchestra.[21]

Barone was the co-author of The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook, which was released on May 14, 2024. The book includes more than 50 recipes adapted from the in-game recipes featured in Stardew Valley.[22]

In November 2024, Barone announced Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons, the second Stardew Valley concert tour, featuring new arrangements of the game's music performed by a 35-piece orchestra.[23]

Barone's musical compositions from Stardew Valley are regularly featured on Northwest Public Broadcasting's video game music radio program, Press A To Play. Music from Stardew Valley was first featured on Press A To Play's second episode Pacific Northwest Independent Games. It was also featured in Indie Darlings and Games We Played in 2020.[24]

Other projects

In 2008, Barone released his first game, known as 17CF Quest, which was also a promotion for the music group 17 Colorful Feathers.[25] The game's main character is found as a piece of furniture in Stardew Valley.

In 2011, Barone created a comic book series called Wumbus World.[26]

In 2014, Barone took a month long break during the development of Stardew Valley. During this break, Barone used his time to piece together a small mobile game to release on Android. The game was titled Air Pear and was released on March 6, 2014. In the game, players would need to guide a purple pear on a hoverboard between obstacles and compete for a high score.

In May 2021, Eric Barone funded key upgrades (including watering systems and a greenhouse) for the Giving Garden at UW Tacoma's campus (21st & Fawcett). His donations also established a paid student coordinator role, helping the garden donate 200+ lbs of food annually.[27]

In October 2021, Barone announced that a new game, Haunted Chocolatier, was under development.[28] In the game, the player will run a chocolate shop. It will have a greater focus on combat than in Stardew Valley. Barone stated that "almost everything in Haunted Chocolatier, including the combat, is completely coded (and drawn) from scratch."[29]

In 2022, Barone collaborated on an animated music video with indie pop band Alvvays for the band's song "Many Mirrors". Barone is responsible for the video's animation and it was his first time working with 3D animation.[30]

In July 2024, Eric Barone have become Corporate Champion, Eric Barone donated $25.000+ to The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is a 501(3)c non profit organization, The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust works to steward the 1.5-million-acre landscape that stretches from Seattle to Ellensburg along I-90.[31][32]

In 2024, Barone announced that he played in a Seattle-based steelpan band.[33]

Barone voiced one of the characters in the video game Hollow Knight: Silksong, which was released in 2025.[34]

In December 2025, MonoGame announced that Barone had supported the project with an initial donation of $125,000 and commitment to make $1,250 regular monthly donation.[35][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Auburn-area students to graduate from UW on Saturday". Auburn Reporter. June 6, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  2. ^ Summers, Juana (December 19, 2024). "The creator of video game 'Stardew Valley' talks its legacy and future". NPR. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  3. ^ D'Amato, Lee (December 3, 2024). "Stardew Valley Fans Wish ConcernedApe A Heartfelt 'Happy Birthday' While Still Cracking Jokes About The Best Gifts For The Developer". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 7, 2026. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d White, Sam (March 20, 2018). "Valley Forged: How One Man Made the Indie Video Game Sensation Stardew Valley". GQ. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  5. ^ Peppiatt, Dom (December 16, 2022). "Music to harvest and relax to: how the Stardew Valley soundtrack caught the rhythms of the seasons". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  6. ^ Brown, Andy (November 29, 2023). "'Stardew Valley' creator Eric Barone discusses his life in music, concert tour, and 'Haunted Chocolatier'". NME. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  7. ^ Grodt, Jill (January 17, 2022). "Aftermath Of Success: Stardew Valley, Darkest Dungeon, And Valheim". GameInformer. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  8. ^ Baker, Chris (March 9, 2016). "The 4 years of self-imposed crunch that went into Stardew Valley". www.gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Baker, Chris (March 9, 2016). "The 4 years of self-imposed crunch that went into Stardew Valley". Game Developer. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Schreier, Jason (2017). Blood, sweat, and pixels : the triumphant, turbulent stories behind how video games are made. New York : HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 81–85. ISBN 978-0-06-265123-5 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  11. ^ Meny, Ellen (April 15, 2020). "Auburn native develops beloved, bestselling video game". KING 5 News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  12. ^ Aydın, Eda (December 29, 2024). "Stardew Valley'nin Hapishane Temalı Yeni Modu Law and Order Yayınlandı". kayiprihtim (in Turkish). Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  13. ^ "Stardew Valley - Press". Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  14. ^ "Stardew Valley (Original Game Soundtrack) by ConcernedApe on Apple Music". September 19, 2016. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2024 – via music.apple.com.
  15. ^ "30 Under 30 2017: Games". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  16. ^ Olson, Mathew (October 8, 2019). "Stardew Valley's Creator on Self-Publishing, the "Everything" Update, and His Future as a Solo Developer". USgamer. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  17. ^ "Symphonic Tale: The Place I Truly Belong (Music from Stardew Valley) VGM Classics "Orchestra for Video Game Music!" Your classical record label for admired Video Game Music! www.VGM-Classics.org". vgm-classics.org. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Campbell, Ian Carlos (February 23, 2021). "Stardew Valley is now a cooperative board game". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  19. ^ Sheridan, Connor (November 3, 2021). "Stardew Valley board game back on sale with revised cards and rules". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  20. ^ Makuch, Eddie (April 29, 2021). "Stardew Valley's Music Gets Lovely Lullaby Remix In Prescription For Sleep Album". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 1, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  21. ^ Doolan, Liam (October 11, 2023). "Stardew Valley "Festival Of Seasons" Concert Tour Announced". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 1, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  22. ^ Lada, Jenni (May 1, 2024). "Official Stardew Valley Cookbook Makes It Easy to Cook Homey Meals". Siliconera. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  23. ^ "Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons 2025/'26 Tour Dates Announcement - IGN". November 20, 2024. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024 – via www.ign.com.
  24. ^ "Press A to Play". Northwest Public Broadcasting. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  25. ^ Johnson, Sarah (March 22, 2018). "Stardew Valley Creator Eric Barone Shares First Game He Ever Made". games.mxdwn. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  26. ^ "WumbusWorld -- Intergalactic Comic Strip". April 19, 2020. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  27. ^ "Boundless Impact Campaign Philanthropy Report" (PDF). May 1, 2021 – via Website.
  28. ^ Machkovech, Sam (October 21, 2021). "Stardew Valley's creator announces pixel-art followup Haunted Chocolatier". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  29. ^ Bolding, Jonathan (October 31, 2021). "Here's a bit about Haunted Chocolatier's combat". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  30. ^ McClure, Deven (December 15, 2022). "ConcernedApe Interview: Eric Barone Talks Alvvays, Haunted Chocolatier". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  31. ^ "ConcernedApe Corporate Champion". July 12, 2024 – via Facebook.
  32. ^ "Mountains to Sound Greenway Corporate Support". July 12, 2024 – via Website.
  33. ^ "A Chat With the Creator of Stardew Valley (ConcernedApe)". November 8, 2024 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ Peters, Jay (September 4, 2025). "Stardew Valley's creator is in Silksong". The Verge. Archived from the original on November 22, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  35. ^ Wagner, Justin (December 30, 2025). "Eric Barone makes $125,000 donation to the C# framework Stardew Valley uses, as well as 'an ongoing monthly commitment' in what the team behind it calls an 'extraordinary show of support'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on December 30, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  36. ^ "ConcernedApe MonoGame Donation". January 1, 2026 – via YouTube.
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