High Times Turns Donuts and Dating Into a High-Stakes Visual Novel
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Yangyang Mobile's upcoming visual novel High Times combines donut baking with romance and emotion-altering ingredients, offering a stylish spin on the vendor-simulation genre.
Developer Yangyang Mobile is shaking up the visual novel and dating sim space with High Times, an upcoming game that blends customer service, romance, and controlled-substance confectionery. As reported by Polygon in their recent PAX East preview, players step into the shoes of a Mood Confectioner working at The Hotbox, a shop licensed to sell pastries infused with emotion-altering chemical compounds. Serving an eclectic cast of colorful characters who wander in to chat, flirt, and seek emotional guidance, players manage a boutique bakery where every sprinkle and glaze carries psychological weight.
The gameplay loop combines relaxing baking mechanics with narrative-driven relationship building. Players roll out dough, fry up treats, and apply custom frostings, with specific ingredients producing distinct emotional states in customers, such as sincerity or heightened focus. That mechanic ties directly into the dating and social side of the game, where players can reconnect and flirt with a memorable roster of fully voiced exes and rivals. The demo balances lighthearted banter with deeper personal problems, positioning the player as both a local barista figure and an amateur therapist.
While the baking mechanics start out simple, managing the shop introduces a clever economic twist where over-decorating donuts drains your bank account, forcing players to balance quality against overhead costs. With its vibrant Scott Pilgrim inspired aesthetic, full voice acting, and a fresh take on the vendor-simulation genre popularized by games like VA-11 Hall-A, High Times is shaping up to be an engaging title for players looking for a stylish narrative experience. The demo is currently available on Steam ahead of the game's full launch this May.
Tags: High Times, Yangyang Mobile, Visual Novel, Dating Sim, Polygon
Original article: Polygon