Eric Barone Backs MonoGame In A Big Way
Eric Barone, better known as ConcernedApe and the creator of Stardew Valley, is doing more than just building his next game Haunted Chocolatier. He is also putting serious money behind the tools that help many indie developers build games.
MonoGame, an open source C sharp framework used for making games, has announced that Barone has donated 125,000 dollars as an initial gift and has committed to ongoing monthly support. For a lot of small teams and solo devs, this kind of backing is a big deal because it helps keep the tech they rely on stable and evolving.
MonoGame shared the news in a post on X, saying that Barone's contribution, along with support from other studios and individuals, will help ensure MonoGame continues to be a dependable open source framework for game developers of all sizes.
Even though Stardew Valley did not start life on MonoGame, it migrated from Microsoft’s XNA framework to MonoGame in 2021. That move helped future proof Stardew Valley, especially for 64 bit systems and ongoing mod support, and it also highlighted MonoGame as a serious option for other developers.
What Is MonoGame And Why It Matters
MonoGame is an open source implementation inspired by Microsoft XNA. In simple terms, it is a free and community driven framework that lets developers build cross platform games in C sharp. Instead of paying for a big commercial engine, you can use MonoGame to handle graphics, input, audio, and more, while still writing your own code and systems on top.
Plenty of well known indie titles have been built with MonoGame. On its official showcase you will find games like:
Carrion, a reverse horror game where you play as the monster
Celeste, a critically acclaimed precision platformer
Tooth and Tail, a cute but competitive real time strategy game
These games run on regular PCs and gaming rigs and demonstrate how a relatively lightweight framework can still deliver polished, performant 2D and simple 3D experiences. For players, it means more great games that can run well even on modest hardware. For developers, it means having control and flexibility without being locked into a corporate ecosystem.
Because MonoGame is open source, its code is publicly available and can be modified, fixed, and improved by the community. Donations like Barone’s help pay for maintenance, documentation, and continued development so it stays compatible with modern operating systems, graphics APIs, and hardware.
Open Source Tools And The Future Of PC Games
Barone’s support for MonoGame fits into a growing trend where successful developers are backing open source game tech instead of relying only on big commercial engines.
Not long ago, the developer of Terraria made headlines by donating 200,000 dollars to open source engines Godot and FNA, partly as a pointed response to Unity and concerns around its business decisions. Even though Terraria does not itself use Unity, the donation was a signal that many studios want trustworthy, community driven options.
In the same way, Barone supporting MonoGame sends a message that open frameworks are worth investing in. It is not just about one game engine. It is about making sure there are solid, independent tools for building PC games that are not at the mercy of sudden pricing changes or corporate pivots.
For aspiring developers, this is good news. Having healthy open source frameworks means:
Lower costs when starting a game project since the tech is free to use
More learning resources from communities around engines like MonoGame, Godot, and others
Better long term stability since the code base can be maintained by many contributors
The ability to tune performance and behavior for specific PC hardware without waiting on a vendor
From the player side, you might never see the word MonoGame on a store page, but you will feel the results. When frameworks like this are well maintained, it is easier for devs to ship games that run smoothly across different PCs, from entry level systems to high end gaming rigs.
Barone is currently fully focused on Haunted Chocolatier, his upcoming game that mixes cozy vibes with a more combat focused twist. Even while deep in development, he has still found time and budget to give back to the tools ecosystem that helps make modern indie games possible.
You can browse MonoGame’s showcase of PC games on its official site to see just how many titles already rely on it. With new funding and long term support from creators like Barone, it is likely that even more indie hits will be powered by MonoGame and other open source tech in the years ahead.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/eric-barone-makes-usd125-000-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/
