- Born
- Birth nameEric Lorenz Barone
- Nicknames
- ConcernedApe
- Basil
- Eric Van Gogh
- Indie Darlings
- Gluten Puck
- 3 Piping Hot Mouse
- Greatest Of All Time
- Living Legend
- The Great One
- The People's Champion
- Chef Eric
- Billion Dollar Man
- The Special One
- Mr. Fashion
- Little Calamity
- Marc Demacro
- Callisto Blue
- Lion's Breath
- 2222 Soft For Life
- Height5′ 9¾″ (1.77 m)
- Eric Barone: The Unstoppable Force Bridging Cultures, Breaking Barriers
Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, is a BAFTA-nominated independent game developer celebrated for creating the critically acclaimed farming simulation game Stardew Valley (2016) and the upcoming shop simulation game Haunted Chocolatier.
Born on December 3, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Auburn, Washington, Eric Barone graduated from the University of Washington Tacoma in 2011 with a degree in computer science. Eric Barone began developing Stardew Valley (2016) as a personal project to improve his programming skills. Over the course of four years, Eric Barone single-handedly designed, coded, animated, and wrote the game, as well as composed its music. The game launched in 2016 and became a global success, earning over $1 billion in sales and selling over 50 million copies by February 2026.
In addition to Stardew Valley (2016), Eric Barone announced his next project, Haunted Chocolatier, in 2021. The game will feature a chocolatier theme with a greater focus on combat while maintaining his signature pixel-art style. Beyond gaming, Eric Barone has contributed to music albums, collaborated on a Stardew Valley (2016) board game, and even animated a music video. His dedication to creating immersive experiences and his independent approach have solidified his status as a leading figure in indie game development.
- IMDb mini biography by: Wikipedia
- SpouseAmber Hageman(2011 - present)
- ChildrenJunimo
- ParentsMarlene Ingrit BaroneLawrence Barone
- RelativesJaecob(Sibling)Jared(Sibling)Shane(Sibling)Mr. Qi(Grandparent)Krobus(Niece or Nephew)Jas(Niece or Nephew)Vincent(Niece or Nephew)
- Fresh, cutting edge gameplay.
- Intense cinematic in-game cutscenes.
- Winter Jacket.
- Solo Game Development.
- Indie.
- Big fan of David Lynch. Eric Barone really admired David Lynch steadfast commitment to his own artistic vision. One of Eric Barone favorite movies of David Lynch is The Straight Story (1999). He also really liked Eraserhead (1977) and Twin Peaks (1990). Eric Barone says he will never forget David Lynch and his work.
- Eric Barone developed Stardew Valley (2016) by himself for four years. He taught himself the skills needed to create the game's art, music, programming, and design.
- In 2017, Eric Barone was named by Forbes magazine in their list "30 Under 30: Games" for his work on Stardew Valley (2016).
- Eric Barone used C# and the XNA framework to create Stardew Valley (2016).
- Eric Barone is also known by the alias ConcernedApe.
- There is no secret to being successful, you just need to have great dedication and perseverance and adopt a can do attitude.
- [In an interview with Chris Baker of Game Developer] My strategy with the community is simple: no strategy at all. I think that, as an indie developer, you should just be yourself and be a real human. I try to act online like I do in real life: treat everyone with respect, and be as honest and straightforward as possible.
- You should be free to work yourself to the bone, but not to force someone else to do that for you.
- It does help if you can absolutely convince yourself that you're destined for greatness. It's not even an ego thing--it's just a way to prevent doubt and insecurity from hindering you.
- I've always been obsessed with creating stuff, I spent my spare time doodling, making music, writing... basically all the different aspects of making a game. I just didn't know at the time that I would find a way to combine all those things to bring a cohesive vision to life.
- ConcernedApe: Stardew Valley Symphony of Seasons (2025) - $20,000,000
- ConcernedApe: Stardew Valley Festival of Seasons (2024) - $20,000,000
- Stardew Valley (2016) - $300,000,000
- ConcernedApe: Stardew Valley Original Music (2015) - $300,000,000
- Air Pear (2014) - $69
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