High Times

High Times intrigued me the minute I read about a shop that literally sells feelings. The premise — mood-infused donuts that nudge customers toward courage, closure or chaos — is absurd and brilliant in equal measure. If you like VA-11 Hall-A’s cozy conversations or Papa’s Donuteria’s hands-on cooking loop, Yangyang Mobile’s latest is an oddball mash-up that actually works. It’s playful, shamelessly queer, and somehow manages to make trauma-talk and witty banter both feel natural.

Rolling Donuts, Rolling Emotions

The core loop is disarmingly simple: customers sit, they tell you a story or drop hints, and you decide which donut — shape, glaze, and toppings — will steer their mood. Serving is tactile enough to feel satisfying: mix recipes, use molds, and watch toppings change outcomes. Early on I misread a customer’s cues and accidentally sent someone into a karaoke-fueled breakdown (10/10 would accidentally cause dramatic scene again). The cooking mechanics are approachable but layered: there’s timing, upgrades, and a steady stream of new molds and ingredients that keep the day-to-day from going stale. Between shifts you spend tips on shop decorations, quality-of-life tools, and unlockables that subtly alter how you strategize each service.

Donut Therapy & Theatrics That Actually Matter

What sets High Times apart is how baked-in the narrative consequences are. Your choices — the moods you push and the advice you hand out like a hot glaze — affect relationship charts, unlock scenes, and lead to one of many endings. The game leans into awkward, adult humor and occasionally raw emotional beats; it’s not afraid to have messy conversations about grief, sex, or closure while still cracking a filthy joke. The full English voice cast elevates nearly every beat: hearing lines delivered with perfect comic timing or fragile honesty made several scenes land way harder than text alone would. Replayability is insane thanks to multiple endings per romanceable character and a cast of 30+ customers whose small arcs ripple across playthroughs.

Neon Panels, Comic Frames & Sweet Lo-Fi Sound

Presentation is a huge part of the charm. The comic-book-styled visuals are bright, animated, and intentionally over-the-top — think neon panels, expressive portraits, and little visual gags that reward attention. The soundtrack blends city pop, rock and chill lo-fi; it hums in the background perfectly during tense or cozy service runs. Performance on PC (Windows/Linux/Mac) is solid; I didn’t hit major slowdowns on launch, and Steam Deck verification was in progress at release. Accessibility is decent: character customization, readable fonts, and clear UI help, but a manual save option would’ve been nice for perfectionists. Overall, it’s a polished indie package that pairs an addicting sim loop with bold, sometimes messy storytelling.

High Times is a delightful, messy little experiment that mostly pays off: an amusing cooking sim married to a bold, emotional visual novel. It's ideal for players who love character-focused stories, replayability, and a loud, queer-friendly soundtrack. Buy it if you crave heartfelt chaos with extra glaze; skip it if you hate repetition or prefer minimalist narratives.