Publisher Aniplex and developer ACQUIRE have revealed exciting news by announcing the visual novel “Hookah Haze“, which will be available for Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam). The digital launch is scheduled for 2024, with support for English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.
In “Hookah Haze,” set in the year 2xxx, inexperienced Toru Sumiki gets a job as manager of the new shisha lounge on the outskirts of Akihabara, where he meets three eccentric girls. The plot unfolds as the girls gradually open up to him, connecting through his affection for shisha.
The game is set on the outskirts of Akihabara, where a new shisha lounge, “Hookah Haze”, opens its doors to customers. Toru Sumiki, the rookie manager, soon realizes that socializing with the salon’s quirky clientele has begun to change him. Recommendations of tobacco flavors on social media affect who visits the salon, weaving twists in the story influenced by the choices the protagonist makes during relaxed late-night conversations with his clients.
“Hookah Haze” presents a unique story when Toru Sumiki, diagnosed with a terminal illness, loses the will to live. His doctor insists that he must make the most of the little time he has left, and he joins as a temporary manager of a shisha lounge. Through his new job, Toru meets three unusual girls who, despite their cheerful appearance, struggle with work problems or past traumas, searching for a place to belong. As Toru bonds with them over shisha, what will he discover once the girls fully open up to him?
The arrival of “Hookah Haze” promises to offer players a unique and emotional experience, fusing shisha lounge management with an immersive narrative and relationships with captivating characters.
Fountain: Gematsu
