However, we should probably start tempering our expectations: in an interview with VGC, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka suggested that there are no plans for a standalone Chao game because it's a "piece" of other games.
"It's not a standalone game," Iizuka-san tells VGC (via an interpreter) "it's integrated into the whole Adventure series gameplay, so we can't just break it off and make it a thing. And so it's like, alright, well, if you're asking for Chao Garden and Adventure 3, then that's pretty much asking for Adventure 3."
Part of the fun of Chao Gardens in Sonic Adventure and its sequel was finding the little creatures out in the wild and bringing them back to the garden. To Sonic Team, that's integral to the experience, so it would be pretty difficult to just remove all of that.
As VGC notes, there was a rumour earlier this year that a mobile game focusing on Chao raising was in development (via Game Rant). That rumour, however, was from now-disgraced Sega leaker Midori.
In the meantime, there's always Loddlenaut, an indie game inspired by the Chao Garden that focuses on cleaning the oceans. it's not exactly the same, but there aren't many titles inspired by this fun little side activity from the Sonic series. And it looks lovely.
Do you think we'll get a Chao Garden game at some point? Let us know down below.