Running a donut shop is challenging enough without having to fix everyone’s emotional baggage. That’s the wonderfully unusual premise behind High Times – Dating/Cooking Sim, which launches today on Xbox Series X|S, PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Available for ÂŁ16.74, Yangyang Mobile’s latest blends visual novel storytelling, relationship building and cafĂ© management into an experience where every recipe has the power to change someone’s mood – and potentially the direction of their life. Coffee Talk has got A LOT to answer for…
At A Glance
- Game: High Times – Dating/Cooking Sim
- Developer: Yangyang Mobile
- Publisher: Yangyang Mobile
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC, Play Anywhere, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Price: ÂŁ16.74
- Genre: Dating Sim / Cooking Sim / Visual Novel
The Donut Shop Where Feelings Are On The Menu
Forget serving coffee and pastries. At The Hotbox, every donut comes with an emotional twist.
Each treat is infused with mood-altering ingredients capable of boosting confidence, lifting spirits or helping customers confront problems they’ve been avoiding. The challenge isn’t simply preparing the order – it’s deciding which emotion each visitor truly needs.
As regulars begin opening up about broken relationships, personal struggles and everyday frustrations, your choices gradually shape how their stories unfold.
More Than A Café Management Game
Cooking is a major part of the experience, with players unlocking new recipes, upgrading equipment and decorating the shop using the tips they earn during service. But High Times quickly grows beyond a traditional management sim.
More than 30 unique customers pass through the café, each bringing their own personalities, histories and dilemmas. Six of them can even become romantic partners, with branching storylines and multiple endings ensuring that no two playthroughs need unfold in quite the same way.
The decisions you make – both in conversation and in the kitchen – influence relationships throughout the game, meaning a perfectly chosen donut can sometimes be just as important as saying the right thing.
Fully Voiced And Packed With Personality
Yangyang Mobile has clearly placed plenty of emphasis on presentation.
The story is brought to life through hand-drawn comic book-inspired artwork, animated scenes and a full English voice cast featuring performers including LilyPichu, Johnny Yong Bosch and Nola Klop. Combined with an original soundtrack blending rock, city pop and lo-fi influences, the result is a colourful world filled with quirky characters and heartfelt moments.
Players can also customise their own protagonist before stepping behind the counter, adding another personal touch to the adventure.
Ready To Dish Out A Little Emotional Support?
Dating sims and visual novels often explore relationships through conversation alone, but High Times adds a memorable culinary twist by making food itself part of the storytelling. Mixing cooking mechanics with branching narratives and café management creates something that feels refreshingly different from the norm.
Whether you’re hoping to help customers find closure, build your dream donut shop or discover where your own romantic journey leads, there’s plenty waiting behind the counter.
High Times – Dating/Cooking Sim is available today on Xbox Series X|S, PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support, via the Xbox Store. It’s not on Game Pass, but you’re also sorted if you’re a PlayStation and Nintendo Switch player. Whatever, expect to pay around ÂŁ16.74.
