High Life

Explore the hilarious space adventure game from Rick and Morty’s creator

High on Life stands out as a refreshingly comedic take on the first-person shooter genre, blending action-adventure and metroidvania elements into one hilarious space adventure. Created by Justin Roiland, the co-creator of Rick and Morty, and developed by Squanch Games, this game delivers adult humor and witty dialogue alongside engaging gameplay. Set in a science fiction universe where an alien cartel threatens humanity, you’ll navigate the galaxy as a bounty hunter armed with talking weapons. Whether you’re a fan of irreverent comedy, sci-fi storytelling, or innovative shooter mechanics, High on Life offers a unique gaming experience that prioritizes entertainment and creativity.

What Is High on Life? Understanding the Game’s Core Concept

Ever booted up a shooter expecting gritty realism and military jargon, only to have your own gun start roasting your life choices? 😂 Welcome to High on Life, the game that throws the standard FPS playbook out the nearest airlock. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the chaotic energy of Rick and Morty was poured into a first-person shooter and left to ferment, this is your answer. It’s a comedic action-adventure game that’s less about tactical reloads and more about negotiating with your sarcastic, sentient arsenal.

At its heart, Squanch Games High on Life is a wild, interstellar joyride from the mind of Justin Roiland. It’s the kind of project that makes you think, “Of course, why hasn’t anyone done this before?” while simultaneously being utterly, gloriously bonkers. Let’s strap in and break down exactly what this universe is all about.

The Premise: Humanity Under Threat from the G3 Cartel

Picture this: You’re a recent high school grad with exactly zero plans for the future, slumped on your couch. Suddenly, your mundane existence is shattered when an alien cartel—the sinister G3 cartel—invades Earth. Their goal isn’t conquest or subjugation in the traditional sense. No, that would be too pedestrian. Led by the flamboyant and terrifying drug lord, Garmentius, the G3’s business plan is diabolically creative: they’re capturing humanity to process us into a new, highly addictive intergalactic narcotic. 👽⚗️

So, in the blink of an eye, you go from couch potato to the last (seemingly) free human. Your mission? Become a bounty hunter, traverse the cosmos, and take down the G3 cartel alien game of galactic drug trafficking to save what’s left of your species. It’s a setup that’s equal parts dire and ridiculous, perfectly setting the stage for the absurdity to come. You’re not a hardened soldier; you’re an unprepared kid thrust into a cosmic conflict, and the game never lets you forget it. The sheer scale of the threat—turning people into drugs—is so over-the-top evil that it loops back to being hilarious, a tone that the entire High on Life game masterfully maintains.

To get a quick snapshot of what you’re diving into, here are the core specs:

Game Genre and Gameplay Mechanics

Trying to pin down the High on Life game into one neat genre is like trying to herd cats wearing jetpacks. 🚀🐱 It’s a glorious hybrid. At its core, it’s a first-person shooter, but that’s just the foundation. The moment you fire your first weapon, you realize this is no ordinary shooter. This is, without question, the definitive talking guns video game.

Your primary tools—and constant companions—are a series of living, talking, morally ambiguous weapons called “Gatlianians.” Each one has a distinct personality, from the eager-to-please Kenny to the foul-mouthed and bloodthirsty Creature. They don’t just shoot; they comment on your aim, bicker with each other, make pop culture references, and offer (often terrible) advice. I remember wandering a level, and my gun suddenly launched into a monologue about its existential dread. You don’t just use these weapons; you develop a relationship with them, for better or worse. It transforms combat from a routine activity into a dynamic, unpredictable comedy show.

But the innovation doesn’t stop at chatter. This is also a metroidvania first-person shooter. The game world is structured around interconnected alien planets and biomes. You’ll often hit a barrier—a strange goo wall, a unreachable ledge, a color-coded door—that requires a specific ability or weapon to pass. Maybe you need a gun that can create globshots to form platforms, or another that fires a disc you can ride like a hoverboard. You acquire these tools by defeating major cartel bounty targets, which then unlocks new paths in areas you’ve already visited. It encourages exploration and revisits old locations with fresh eyes (and new gun pals), adding a fantastic layer of progression and world-building beyond the main story.

The “action-adventure” part of its comedic action-adventure game description is crucial. Between the shooting, you’ll be platforming across alien jungles and floating islands, solving environmental puzzles, and engaging with a truly bizarre cast of NPCs. You can take on side quests, like helping a lonely alien find love or participating in an intergalactic game show called “TV.” The pace is beautifully varied, ensuring the humor and discovery are just as important as the trigger-pulling.

Pro Tip: Talk to everyone and everything. Some of the game’s funniest moments come from optional conversations with random alien bystanders, sentient doors, or even vending machines. The world is packed with jokes waiting to be found.

Creative Vision Behind the Project

The soul of High on Life is undeniably the brainchild of Justin Roiland. If you’ve experienced the rapid-fire, improvisational, and deeply irreverent humor of Rick and Morty, you’ll feel right at home here. This Justin Roiland sci-fi shooter carries his unmistakable fingerprint: a blend of high-concept sci-fi, crass humor, and sudden moments of unexpected heart.

Roiland’s background in animation and voice acting is the game’s secret weapon. He didn’t just lend his name; he voiced multiple characters, including the first Gatlian, Kenny, and infused the project with a spirit of chaotic creativity. The humor isn’t just in the scripted lines; it’s in the delivery, the timing, and the willingness to go to absurdly dark or silly places. One minute you’re in a tense firefight, the next your gun is having a heated argument with a mailbox about its purpose in life. This tonal volatility is classic Roiland and what makes the experience so unique.

The development studio, Squanch Games, was founded by Roiland with the explicit goal of creating “games that make you feel like a kid playing with toys on your bedroom floor.” With Squanch Games High on Life, they’ve nailed that feeling. It’s a game that feels playfully handmade, bursting with ideas and gags that clearly came from a place of “wouldn’t it be cool if…?” There’s a tangible love for the medium here, but also a desire to subvert its tired tropes with a well-timed fart joke or a fourth-wall-breaking rant.

This is a game for mature audiences, and it wears its M-rating like a badge of honor. The adult language flies fast and frequent, and the sexual references are… inventive, to say the least. It’s not just edgy for edginess’ sake, though; it’s part of the world’s fabric. The alien cultures you encounter are bizarre and unfiltered, making the universe feel genuinely alien and lived-in. You’re not in a sanitized, safe sci-fi future; you’re in a grungy, weird, and often uncomfortably funny galaxy.

So, what makes this Justin Roiland sci-fi shooter stand out in a sea of traditional military shooters and gritty space operas? Everything. It replaces stoic silence with relentless, hilarious commentary. It trades linear corridors for explorable, metroidvania first-person shooter worlds begging to be unraveled. It swaps generic alien foes for a villainous cartel with a memorably ridiculous motive. In the High on Life game, the weapon in your hand is your guide, your critic, and your comic relief, making every encounter a memorable story in itself. It’s a bold, laugh-out-loud experiment that proves shooters can be side-splittingly funny without sacrificing solid, exploratory gameplay.

High on Life represents a bold creative venture that successfully merges comedy, science fiction, and engaging gameplay into a memorable experience. From its unique talking gun mechanics to its irreverent humor inspired by Rick and Morty, the game offers something genuinely different in a crowded gaming market. Whether you’re drawn to the witty dialogue, the innovative combat system, or the metroidvania exploration elements, High on Life delivers entertainment that prioritizes fun and creativity. The game proves that shooters don’t need to take themselves seriously to be compelling, and that mature humor can coexist with engaging gameplay. If you’re seeking a gaming experience that makes you laugh while keeping you challenged, High on Life deserves a spot in your collection. Dive into this intergalactic adventure and discover why players are embracing this fresh take on the action-adventure genre.