The dialogue in this game is the only way to save time and if you are aiming for a good time, this is very important. Honestly, mashing is the least enjoyable part of running this game. Before I start, I just want to say that if your wrist/arm starts hurting, you should probably take a break.

I want to start with the menu before the game actually starts up. A perk that this game has is that you can use WASD or the arrow keys to play the game. This just means that you can either mash with your left or right hand depending on which is faster for you. Although, you may have to learn the precise movements on both hands because of this.

Now on to the mashing itself. It was mentioned in the basic tutorial that you use either your mouse or the keyboard. I recommend using the keyboard, but you can use the mouse if you have a fast clicking speed.

There is a rhythm to the mashing. It follows the tick sound that the dialogue has. However, this method is very precise and you will need to remember the rhythm of the ticks. Aside from that, if you lose rhythm, the dialogue will go a bit slower. This is not the best method for mashing because it's hard to maintain rhythm and losing it means losing time.

Weirdly enough, there is also a penalty for mashing too quickly. This is can be achieved by setting the controls to two adjacent keys and mashing them in alternate order. Mashing too quickly will result in an even slower dialogue than the last method. This is one of the reasons it is hard to mash.

The most effective and popular way is to just mash the enter key (set by default) as fast as you can. It is good to watch your mashing instead of looking at the dialogue, so you can see your inconsistencies when you mash. It may be easy to mash quickly, but once you get tired it starts to become a chore and because of this here are some tips for mashing optimally.

Your mashing leverage can come from two places and it is a good idea to switch between them when you get tired. It can come from your wrist as the pivot for mashing or your elbow/arm. If the enter key does not feel comfortable, you can always try experimenting with other keys.