Stretch - English Version

Devlog

• From Sauce Factory to Stretch Club
  July 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#behindthescenes, #gamedev, #funfact

  Before “Stretch” was born, we considered a game set in a sauce factory. Yes, really. It would’ve followed the life stories of various sauce ingredients and their suppliers. But ultimately, we pi... Continue reading

  
• Stretch, But Make It Radio
  July 17, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#spinoffideas, #gamedevthoughts, #stretchfm

  We sometimes imagine a spinoff: “Stretch FM” — a chill, late-night radio show where the characters answer questions and reflect on their lives. No plot. Just vibes. Maybe one day?... Continue reading

  
• AI Tools We Used (and How We Broke Them)
  July 15, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#ai, #funnyfail, #tooltips

  We used multiple AI tools to generate images, voice samples, and more. At some point, we asked the model to create “a schoolgirl doing yoga on the rooftop.” It gave us six pairs of legs and a hors... Continue reading

  
• Stretching as a Metaphor for Growing Up
  July 14, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#theme, #comingofage, #indiegames

  At its core, “Stretch” is about awkwardness, self-awareness, and adjusting to a weird world. Stretching—physically—is just the surface. Emotionally, these characters are doing the same thing... Continue reading

  
• Favorite Line: “Don’t Mind Me, Just Stretching”
  July 13, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#writing, #gamequotes, #character

  There’s a line where one character, completely unprovoked, says: “Don’t mind me. Just stretching. Emotionally.” It wasn’t in the script at first. It came out during testing, and we liked it... Continue reading

  
• Making an Icon That Stands Out
  July 12, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#assetdesign, #iconmaking, #indiedev

  App icons need to work at 512x512 and 48x48. What looks cool in Photoshop can become an unreadable blob on your phone. We ended up making two versions—and a whole new appreciation for pixel precisio... Continue reading

  
• Our Google Play Testing Gauntlet
  July 11, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#androiddev, #testing, #googleplay

  Did you know you need at least 12 testers for 14 days to proceed with a closed Android test? We do. Very well. We set up a Discord group, invited testers one by one, and watched the counter rise slowl... Continue reading

  
• What Makes a Stretch Scene Work?
  July 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#gameplaydesign, #visualnovel, #comedy

  The stretching scenes are meant to be funny, light, and just a little absurd. But we also paid attention to pacing, rhythm, and visual timing. Stretching is serious business… kind of... Continue reading

  
• The Luxembourg Surprise
  July 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#firstreview, #indiegamedev, #unexpectedjoy

  Our first English review came from a user in Luxembourg. We didn’t expect that at all. It was the moment we realized: this story—however quirky—could travel far beyond our home country. Thank yo... Continue reading

  
• Who Are These Stretch Club Members Anyway?
  July 07, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#characterdesign, #aiart, #visualnovel

  Each character in “Stretch” was generated using AI tools—but not randomly. We tweaked parameters, rerolled faces, and matched visuals with personality traits. Sometimes a hairstyle inspired a wh... Continue reading

  
• How We Built the Stretch Club
  July 07, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#school club, #character-driven, #quirky, #visual novel, #youth

  The heart of Stretch is the Stretch Club—a group of awkward misfits who turn basic stretches into life-or-death debates. We didn’t want sports stars or elite athletes. We wanted people who take so... Continue reading

  
• What’s Next for the Stretch Club?
  July 06, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#dev update, #future plans, #sequel ideas, #community, #indie development

  Stretch is a complete story. But that doesn’t mean we’re done with this world. We’ve started thinking about future projects—maybe more club-based comedies, or maybe a surreal sequel. Who knows... Continue reading

  
• Sound Design and Music
  July 05, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#indie soundtrack, #minimalist music, #ambient audio, #sound design, #visual novel

  There’s no orchestral theme or dramatic leitmotif in Stretch. Just light piano, subtle percussion, and the occasional offbeat jingle. We wanted the sound to feel like ambient life—something that f... Continue reading

  
• Creating the Game’s Visual Style
  July 04, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual style, #indie aesthetic, #soft colors, #anime-inspired, #slice of life

  We didn’t want Stretch to look like a sports anime. Or a high-end art piece. We wanted something warm, slightly goofy, and grounded—like a memory from a summer school club that never really existe... Continue reading

  
• English Localization Notes
  July 03, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#localization, #translation, #Japanese to English, #indie devlog, #game writing

  Stretch was originally written in Japanese—and translating it wasn’t just about language. It was about tone. Humor. Rhythm. Stretching jokes don’t always bend the same way across cultures. Rathe... Continue reading

  
• Stretching as a Metaphor (Sort of)
  July 03, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#metaphorical, #slow growth, #introspective, #light humor, #visual novel

  We’re not here to preach about fitness. But there’s something funny—and weirdly deep—about stretching. You’re pushing yourself just a little past your limits. You’re not trying to win anyt... Continue reading

  
• The True Meaning of "Club Activities"
  July 02, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#club life, #school setting, #comedy drama, #existential, #Japanese culture

  In a lot of Japanese school stories, “clubs” are just a setting. In Stretch, the club is the whole story. We wanted to really dig into the awkward, often directionless energy that comes from small... Continue reading

  
• A Visual Novel With Zero Romance?
  July 01, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#non-romantic, #friendship, #visual novel, #character study, #school life

  That’s right. Stretch has no romance routes. No dating sim mechanics. No flirty confession scenes under cherry trees. It’s not because we’re anti-romance—it just didn’t feel right for this s... Continue reading

  
• “Is This a Sports Game?” and Other Questions
  June 30, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#not a sports game, #comedy visual novel, #motivational parody, #slow burn, #wholesome

  We’ve been asked this a few times already: “So, is Stretch a sports game?” And the answer is… kind of? It’s not about points or performance. There are no quick-time events. But the character... Continue reading

  
• Why Make a Game About Stretching, Anyway?
  June 30, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #comedy, #high school, #slice of life, #indie game

  When we started working on Stretch, we didn’t set out to revolutionize fitness games—or parody them. It just happened. A visual novel where characters argue about hamstring tension and form a high... Continue reading

  
• Android Version in Progress!
  June 28, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#android, #mobile, #in development, #google play, #visual novel

  Yes, you heard right—we’re working on the Android version of Stretch! The goal is to make it playable on mobile devices without cutting content or quality. We’re currently preparing the build an... Continue reading

  
• Quiet Drama, Loud Laughter
  June 27, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#drama, #comedy, #teen, #slice of life, #visual novel

  Stretch is a game that takes place entirely in static illustrations and text. But within that stillness is a mix of dry comedy, teen awkwardness, and moments of surprisingly sincere emotion. There’s... Continue reading

  
• Upcoming Plans: Steam Updates + Android Rollout
  June 27, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#roadmap, #update, #steam, #android, #devlog

  Our current plan: 📱 Finish and publish the Android versions (EN/JP) 🛠️ Patch the Steam version based on player feedback 🧭 Update the store pages with clearer info and new screenshots 💬 R... Continue reading

  
• Localization Is More Than Just Translation
  June 25, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#localization, #translation, #japanese culture, #visual novel, #adaptation

  Translating Stretch wasn’t just a matter of converting Japanese to English. We had to rethink a lot of cultural references, wordplay, and even school system details. Some scenes were restructured en... Continue reading

  
• Separate Apps for English and Japanese on Mobile
  June 23, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#android, #separate apps, #english, #japanese, #mobile release

  For the mobile release, we’re planning to publish the English and Japanese versions as separate apps. Why? Because it’s cleaner, easier to manage, and lets players search in their preferred langua... Continue reading

  
• The Ending Theme: 14 Voices, 1 Song
  June 23, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#ending theme, #original music, #ai vocals, #visual novel, #emotional

  Did you know the ending theme of Stretch, “星座になれない放課後” (“After School, Not Meant for Constellations”), features a chorus of 14 AI-generated singers? We wanted to end the st... Continue reading

  
• 800 CGs, 350 Sounds, 0 Background Music
  June 22, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#no bgm, #sound design, #cg, #visual novel, #indie dev

  Fun fact: Stretch has 800 CG illustrations, over 350 sound assets, and not a single background track. Instead of music, we use ambient sounds—wind, birds, chalk, etc.—to ground each scene in reali... Continue reading

  
• What Is Stretch Anyway?
  June 22, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#introduction, #visual novel, #story, #no choices, #slice of life

  New here? Wondering what “Stretch” is? It’s a slice-of-life visual novel about a half-forgotten middle school club with no real purpose… except for stretching. But somehow, these five students... Continue reading

  
• Our First VNDB Review Is Here!
  June 21, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#vndb, #review, #player feedback, #english release, #indie game

  Big news: someone out there played Stretch… and wrote a VNDB review! We were bracing for “who made this weird rice club simulator?” but instead got some kind and thoughtful words. Thank you! If... Continue reading

  
• Stretch Now Available in English and Japanese on Steam!
  June 20, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#release, #bilingual, #english version, #steam launch, #visual novel

  After months of translation, playtesting, and double-checking all 800 images and 350 sounds… “Stretch” is now officially available in both English and Japanese on Steam! You can choose your lang... Continue reading

  
• What makes “Stretch” so unusual?
  June 19, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #no music, #story, #ai generated, #unique

  Most visual novels rely on music. Stretch does not. Instead, this story unfolds with ambient sounds, footsteps, classroom noise, waves — carefully layered across nearly every scene. Here’s a look... Continue reading

  
• 🆕 Stretch is now available in English on Steam!
  June 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#steam, #english, #visual novel, #update, #branching, #localization, #announcement

  🆕 Stretch is now available in English on Steam! If you were curious about this little ambient visual novel, you can now play the full English version by switching to the english branch on Steam!... Continue reading

  
• The Stretch Club Mothers' Meeting
  June 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #parenthood, #emotional, #family, #quiet drama, #character-driven

  “Behind every club is a secret network of moms.” In this quieter, more mature section of the story, the parents (especially the mothers) of the Stretch Club students gather to talk about their chi... Continue reading

  
• Nine Rounds of Kickboxing
  June 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #sports, #character drama, #adolescence, #fighting, #coming of age

  “Teenage fists. Teenage hearts. Nine matches.” Kiide, one of the game’s key male characters, is struggling with both discipline and desire. His journey takes him through nine kickboxing matches... Continue reading

  
• The Cat Society Dream
  June 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #surreal, #slice of life, #cats, #dream, #indie game

  “Sometimes you just want to be a cat.” In this episode, our heroine Juri escapes from the pressures of school and social expectations—by turning into a cat. Literally. This surreal sidestory exp... Continue reading

  
• The Bamboo Cutter Dream
  June 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #dream, #fantasy, #classical, #literature, #moon, #subconscious

  “When you fall asleep while studying, Kaguya might show up.” This arc centers on Kanayama, a boy who’s so stressed about school that he starts dreaming of receiving private lessons from a myster... Continue reading

  
• The Imoholy Festival
  June 17, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #comedy, #absurd, #school life, #festival, #potatoes, #chaos

  “Potatoes. Competitions. Chaos.” Every fall, the students take part in an event that’s completely unique: the Imoholy Festival. Rooted in a bizarre cultural tradition that nobody remembers the o... Continue reading

  
• 14 Vocaloid Voices, 1 Ending Song
  June 17, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#vocaloid, #music, #chorus, #character song, #ending theme

  The ending song, “After School That Couldn’t Become a Constellation,” features 14 Vocaloid singers performing in layers: solo, duet, ensemble, and final chorus. It’s a song about not becoming... Continue reading

  
• From “Maid Jokes” to Existential Rants
  June 17, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#comedy, #existential, #japan, #parody, #visual novel

  Stretch may start slow, but beneath its quiet school days are moments of absurd comedy and deep emotional stabs. Ever seen a “maid joke battle”? A kid begging to be turned into a cat? A foreign te... Continue reading

  
• The “Stretch Club” That Never Stretches
  June 16, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#japan, #slice of life, #middle school, #irony, #character driven

  A club that doesn’t stretch. A girl who wants to be a cat. A boy who learns math in his dreams. Stretch is a slice-of-life story that starts off ordinary and ends… not exactly extraordinary, but s... Continue reading

  
• Every Scene Fully Illustrated – 800+ CGs in "Stretch"
  June 16, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#cg only, #visual novel, #renpy, #ai illustrations, #indie dev

  Most visual novels use static sprites and backgrounds. Stretch doesn’t. Every single scene in the game – from classroom banter to dramatic emotional moments – is fully illustrated. That’s over... Continue reading

  
• “Stretch” is now on Steam! 🎉
  June 16, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#release, #steam, #announcement, #visual novel, #japan

  After months of development and quiet updates here on itch.io, I’m proud to announce that the Japanese edition of Stretch has been officially released on Steam! If you’ve been following the develo... Continue reading

  
• The Bear-Hunting Game That Took the School by Storm.
  June 16, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#comedy, #visual novel, #school, #parody, #mini game

  Inside Stretch, there’s a moment when the students erupt in chaotic energy. “First hunt of the year!” “Bear season begins!” This isn’t some generic school event. It’s KUMA VOLLEY COMPANY... Continue reading

  
• A Visual Novel With No BGM – Why We Chose Silence
  June 15, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#no bgm, #environmental audio, #experimental, #visual novel design, #immersion

  One of the most unusual design choices in Stretch was to remove all background music. Instead of traditional BGM, we used over 350 ambient and environmental sound effects to create immersion. From rus... Continue reading

  
• The Dreams That Taught Him Everything.
  June 15, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#surreal, #visual novel, #dream sequence, #education, #slice of life

  Kanayama doesn’t study like a normal student. He studies in his dreams. In Stretch, he falls asleep at his desk and enters strange, vivid dreamscapes—each focused on a different subject. English?... Continue reading

  
• "Stretch" Launches on Steam Tomorrow!
  June 15, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#steam release, #visual novel, #japanese indie, #ai art, #slice of life

  After 8 months of development, I’m happy to announce that the Japanese version of Stretch will officially release on Steam tomorrow, June 16th! This visual novel started as a personal practice proje... Continue reading

  
• No BGM, No Backgrounds. Just Everything in Full CG and Soundscapes.
  June 15, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #experimental, #AI art, #environmental audio, #indie game

  Stretch doesn’t use traditional background music. It doesn’t even use normal backgrounds. Instead, every scene—every single moment—is rendered as a full CG illustration. Over 800 images. And i... Continue reading

  
• Winter Ends, but the Story Keeps Going.
  June 14, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #seasonal, #emotional, #epilogue, #coming of age

  Stretch is a seasonal story. Spring, summer, fall, winter—each chapter brings changes. Friendships shift. People drift. Some run. Some return. Winter wraps up with a Christmas play. But the story do... Continue reading

  
• 14 Voices, 1 Song: The Making of Our Ending Theme.
  June 13, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#vocaloid, #visual novel, #music, #ensemble, #original soundtrack

  Stretch doesn’t end with a bang. It ends with a chorus. Our original theme, “Houkago That Couldn’t Become a Constellation,” is performed by 14 virtual singers—each representing a character f... Continue reading

  
• For Those Who Have Nothing Left to Read.
  June 13, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #story-driven, #indie game, #no route branching, #emotional

  Have you ever felt like there’s nothing left to read? Not just “bored with books”—but that every story feels the same, or none of them speak to you anymore. That’s where Stretch began. I was... Continue reading

  
• From R-18 to All Ages: Why We Let Go of the Steamier Bits.
  June 12, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #censorship, #platform policy, #adaptation, #indie dev

  Originally, Stretch had a few suggestive scenes. Bath gags. Beach jokes. Towel hijinks. They weren’t explicit, but they weren’t strictly clean either. When preparing for Steam, we decided to go al... Continue reading

  
• No Branches. No Endings. Just a Story That Walks With You.
  June 12, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #nonlinear, #no choices, #emotional narrative

  In Stretch, you won’t find route splits or good/bad endings. There are no romance meters, no affection stats, no flags to raise. Instead, you’ll encounter a handful of lighthearted “side corners... Continue reading

  
• A Pink Castle and the Kids Who Live There.
  June 11, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#drama, #visual novel, #found family, #orphanage, #AI art

  They call it Waku-Waku Medamaen. A pink, fancy-looking building straight out of a fairy tale. But don’t be fooled. Behind the ribbons and pastel walls lies a group home—a place where children with... Continue reading

  
• I Want to Be a Cat—Escaping Reality, One Nap at a Time.
  June 11, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #dream, #escapism, #surreal, #character drama

  Juri doesn’t want to grow up. During a career training week, she skips out—and dreams instead. In that dream, she’s not a student anymore. She’s a cat. Thus begins Catlife Internships, a six-p... Continue reading

  
• What Is Stretch About?
  June 11, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#plot, #story summary, #indie game, #coming of age, #narrative-driven

  At its heart, Stretch is a story about disconnected youth—those on the edges of school life, and society. There’s no romance route. No fanservice. Just a quiet, aching journey through a year of ad... Continue reading

  
• What’s New in the Steam Version?
  June 10, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#Steam, #visual novel, #narrative, #wishlist, #Stretch

  The Steam version of Stretch includes a brand-new gameplay trailer, updated category settings, and minor polishing on the store description. The game content remains faithful to the original, but we... Continue reading

  
• Who Is This Game For?
  June 10, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#target audience, #slow game, #slice of life, #indie, #visual novel

  For people tired of dating sims. For those who want something quieter, lonelier, more real. For readers. For wanderers. For those who feel lost sometimes. Stretch isn’t here to save you. It just wan... Continue reading

  
• Ending Theme: A 14-Vocaloid Chorus
  June 09, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#vocaloid, #theme song, #original music, #visual novel, #ending

  The game ends with a full-length original song, “After-School, Not Yet Stars.” It’s sung by 14 characters using 14 different Vocaloids, each entering the chorus over time. The last scene? A fina... Continue reading

  
• Characters Without Routes, Still Memorable
  June 09, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#character design, #no routes, #linear vn, #story-based, #renpy

  There are no romance routes in Stretch. But the characters—especially the reckless, struggling, weirdly endearing club members—will stick with you. You don’t “choose” them. You just live alo... Continue reading

  
• Why Stretch Doesn’t Have Music
  June 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#sound design, #no bgm, #ambient, #immersive, #renpy

  Wait, a visual novel without BGM? That’s right. Instead, we focused on ambient and environmental sounds to pull you into the moment. Rustling trees, footsteps, chalk on blackboards—those are the m... Continue reading

  
• Few Days to Launch!
  June 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#Steam, #countdown, #upcoming release, #visual novel, #Stretch

  Just a few days left until Stretch officially launches on Steam! The review process is underway, the store page is live, and everything is almost in place. If you’ve been following this project here... Continue reading

  
• Let’s Talk About the Ending Song
  June 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#Steam, #music, #Vocaloid, #Stretch, #visual novel, #original soundtrack

  The final act of Stretch is wrapped up by an original song titled “星座になれない放課後 (Seiza ni Narenai Houkago)”, performed by 14 unique Vocaloid voices. I composed and arranged this... Continue reading

  
• Illustrations in Stretch: 800 CGs, No Backgrounds
  June 07, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#cg, #full illustration, #ai art, #visual novel design, #storytelling

  You read that right. We used over 800 unique full illustrations—every scene is handpicked and AI-enhanced. No stock backgrounds. Just focused, expressive storytelling in every panel... Continue reading

  
• Steam Release Coming Soon!
  June 07, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#Steam, #visual novel, #story-rich, #coming soon, #Stretch

  We’re happy to announce that Stretch, our fully-illustrated visual novel with environmental sound-only storytelling, is coming soon to Steam! Featuring a complete story told in 185 episodes, over... Continue reading

  
• From Puppet Shows to Visual Novels
  June 06, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#dev history, #behind the scenes, #indie dev, #renpy, #game origin

  The creator of Stretch originally wanted to make puppet shows. This game? Just a “practice project.” Now it’s 150,000 words long, fully illustrated, and released worldwide. Funny how these thing... Continue reading

  
• Stretch - English Version Now Available!
  June 06, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#release, #english version, #visual novel, #ambient sound, #full illustration

  After months of translation, adaptation, and debugging, Stretch is now available in English! This is not your typical visual novel. No BGM. No branching routes. Just 100% illustrated storytelling back... Continue reading