The solo dev of Stardew Valley also committed to have an "ongoing monthly support".
Eric Barone, also known as “ConcernedApe” the developer behind Stardew Valley, has donated US$125,000 to MonoGame, the open source C# framework used by the game, alongside what the team has described as an ongoing monthly commitment.
MonoGame shared the news in a post on X, confirming both the size of the initial donation and the long-term support. The team said Barone’s contribution joins existing backing from studios and individual developers who already support the project.
Barone has mostly stayed focused on Haunted Chocolatier since announcing the game in 2021, with limited public updates. On top of that, Stardew Valley has recently launched its Nintendo Switch 2 version last Friday (26 December) with additional next-gen features for players on Switch 2.
Eric Barone has committed to both an initial donation and ongoing monthly support
Stardew Valley was not originally built on MonoGame. The game launched using Microsoft’s XNA framework before moving to MonoGame in 2021, following XNA’s discontinuation. Since that transition, MonoGame has continued to be used as the backbone for Stardew Valley across platforms.
The framework itself is widely used across the indie scene. Games developed with MonoGame include Celeste, Carrion, and Tooth and Tail, spanning genres from platformers to strategy titles. MonoGame is open source, with development handled by contributors alongside financial support from partners and donors.
In its announcement, MonoGame referred to Barone’s donation as an “extraordinary show of support”, noting that it contributes to the project’s continued operation. The team did not outline any immediate changes or updates tied directly to the funding.
The donation arrives at a time when conversations around game engines and development frameworks remain active across the industry. MonoGame confirmed that Barone’s support sits alongside ongoing contributions, with the project continuing under its existing structure.
