Stretch (English Trial Version)

Devlog

• Coming Soon to Steam, Google Play, and More
  June 06, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  We’re working on publishing Stretch on multiple platforms: FANZA (Japan) – ✅ itch.io – ✅ Steam – ⏳ (pending tax approval) Google Play – 🔜 (Android build in progress) We’ve also co... Continue reading

  
• 800 CGs – That’s Not a Typo
  June 05, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  Stretch contains over 800 unique CG illustrations, all generated and refined with AI tools. Every scene—yes, every single one—is illustrated. No backgrounds. No stock. Just full-on CG storytelling... Continue reading

  
• Stretch Was Born from a Puppet Show (Yes, Really)
  June 04, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  Before making this game, we spent 10+ years writing stories for a puppet show concept titled “You Can Start with Any Episode!” Stretch was originally a test run for that style of storytelling. So... Continue reading

  
• Meet the Cast: Fourteen Voices, One Final Song
  June 03, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  The ending theme, After School That Can’t Become a Constellation, features 14 AI-synthesized vocalists—each representing a character from the game. We’ve structured the song as a buildup: solos... Continue reading

  
• A Single Ending – And That’s a Feature, Not a Bug
  June 02, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  There are no “routes” in Stretch. No flags. No branching paths. Just one solid, linear story—from spring to winter, plus an epilogue. But we do have silly mini-options: want to derail the story... Continue reading

  
• No Music, No Problem – Why We Chose Environmental Sounds
  June 02, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  Unlike most visual novels, Stretch has no background music. Instead, we’ve used over 350 environmental and ambient sounds to bring scenes to life—whether it’s the rustling of trees, the echo of... Continue reading

  
• The Novel You’ve Never Wanted to Read… Until Now
  June 01, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  “For those who have nothing they want to read.” Stretch is for people who are tired of flashy stories, tired of games with too much pressure. This is a quiet, awkward, sometimes funny, sometimes t... Continue reading

  
• Why There’s No Romance – and Why That Matters
  June 01, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  In Stretch, there are no love triangles. No confession scenes. Instead, we focused on friendship, anxiety, and bittersweet growth. This is a story for people who were just… trying to survive school... Continue reading

  
• The Stretch Club Is Real, and It’s Completely Hopeless
  May 31, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #indie, #no music, #AI art, #atmospheric, #single ending

  Our visual novel Stretch tells the story of a group of… well, not-so-dedicated students in a fictional “Stretch Club.” They don’t stretch much. They mostly bicker, mess around, and navigate th... Continue reading

  
• Translating “Stretch” – Between Cultures and Contexts
  May 31, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual-novel, #devlog, #localization, #translation, #indiegame, #renpy, #stretch, #language, #gamedev

  As the developer of Stretch, I’ve been working hard to translate every line of this 150,000-word story into English. It’s not just a matter of language. It’s a matter of context. Japanese school... Continue reading

  
• 14 Characters, One Song – The Ending Chorus of Stretch
  May 30, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual-novel, #devlog, #vocaloid, #music, #ending-theme, #stretch, #renpy, #indiegame, #ensemble

  The ending theme of Stretch is a song titled “After School, Never a Constellation.” It starts with 2 voices, grows to 5, then 14—all characters singing together. That buildup represents the emot... Continue reading

  
• Going Global – Stretch on Steam, Android & More
  May 30, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual-novel, #devlog, #steam, #android, #mac, #global-release, #stretch, #indiegame, #renpy

  The original Japanese version of Stretch is complete, and now I’m working on the English release. But that’s not all—Stretch is coming to Steam, itch.io, FANZA, and eventually Google Play. A Mac... Continue reading

  
• This All Started with a Puppet Show
  May 29, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual-novel, #devlog, #origin-story, #puppet-show, #stretch, #gamedev, #indiegame, #renp

  Funny thing—Stretch was never meant to be a full game. It began as a practice project for something else: a long-running puppet show series I’ve been planning for over a decade. That project will... Continue reading

  
• Built with 800 AI Images – Visual World of Stretch
  May 29, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual-novel, #devlog, #ai-art, #cg, #illustration, #renpy, #indiegame, #stretch, #klingai

  Every scene in Stretch—yes, every single one—is a full CG illustration. Backgrounds? Characters? Interactions? All drawn out using over 800 AI-generated images. I used KlingAI to generate these vi... Continue reading

  
• A One-Way Road – Why Stretch Has No Route Splits
  May 28, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual-novel, #devlog, #linear-story, #indiegame, #renpy, #no-choices, #storytelling, #stretch

  Unlike many VNs, Stretch has no branching routes. No bad endings. No good endings. The story flows from start to finish like a novel—because that’s what it aims to be. There are choices, but they... Continue reading

  
• Why I Made a Visual Novel Without BGM
  May 28, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual-novel, #devlog, #sound-design, #no-bgm, #atmospheric, #stretch, #indiegame, #renpy, #storytelling

  When most people think of visual novels, they imagine beautiful music flowing in the background, enhancing every emotional beat. But with Stretch, I made a deliberate choice to exclude BGM entirely. I... Continue reading

  
• Why I Made the Entire Game in CGs Only
  May 27, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #cg only, #no sprites, #cinematic, #indie dev, #ai art, #renpy

  Every scene in Stretch is told using full CG images—there’s no static sprite conversation view, no traditional VN framing. I wanted the entire story to feel cinematic and direct, like watching a m... Continue reading

  
• Getting Closer to the Steam Release!
  May 27, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #indie dev, #steam release, #gamedev, #upcoming release, #renpy

  The Steam release of Stretch is almost here! I’ve submitted the pricing details to Valve and am now waiting for their approval. Once that’s complete, the store page will go live and the game will... Continue reading

  
• The Steam Submission Process is Brutal
  May 26, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#gamedev, #steamworks, #indie dev, #visual novel, #renpy, #steam submission, #devlog

  Honestly, I underestimated how hard it would be to publish on Steam. Between configuring depots, vdf files, branches, builds, pricing approval, and navigating menus that sometimes don’t even have cl... Continue reading

  
• Why There’s No BGM in Stretch
  May 26, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #no music, #ambient sound, #experimental, #sound design, #renpy

  You may notice that Stretch has no background music. That’s intentional. I decided early on to use only environmental sound effects—wind, traffic, voices, school bells—to create atmosphere. I fe... Continue reading

  
• Why the Special Edition Costs ¥2500
  May 25, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #indie dev, #pricing strategy, #premium, #gamedev thoughts, #renpy

  The special edition of Stretch is priced at ¥2500 (roughly $16.99). I know that’s more than most indie VNs, especially ones without voice acting or full animations. But I didn’t want to undersell... Continue reading

  
• Fourteen Vocaloid Singers, One Ending Theme
  May 25, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #vocaloid, #renpy, #original song, #emotional, #game dev, #ending theme

  The ending theme of Stretch, titled “Houkago That Couldn’t Become a Constellation”, features a total of 14 Vocaloid voices. It starts with two voices, then adds more characters verse by verse, c... Continue reading

  
• Why I Made Stretch
  May 23, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #story-driven, #indie game, #coming of age, #emotional, #renpy

  Stretch is a visual novel about youth, disconnection, and the awkward space between conformity and rebellion. I’ve always had a strong discomfort with the school system in general, especially middle... Continue reading

  
• FANZA Launch – 24 Hours, 0 Sales, Infinite Hope
  May 22, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#fanza, #visualnovel, #launchday, #quietgame, #stretch

  Well, it’s been 24 hours since Stretch went live on FANZA. And so far… not a single sale. Zilch. Nada. Absolute silence. Which, to be fair, fits the theme of the game. But honestly? That’s okay... Continue reading

  
• "Is This Even a Game?" — A Fanza Comment That We Agree With
  May 21, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visualnovel, #kineticnovel, #minimalist, #storyfirst, #fanza

  Someone might say: “This isn’t a game. It’s just reading.” And we’d say: “Exactly.” Stretch is a visual novel in the purest sense. No choices. No game overs. No routes. Just a linear sto... Continue reading

  
• The All-Ages Edition Has Landed
  May 21, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#allages, #localization, #visualnovel, #aiart, #fanza

  Some of you may remember that Stretch was originally a bit spicier. Not explicit, but it did include: Towel scenes Bath jokes Summer beach chaos Those have all been cut in favor of a full all-ages edi... Continue reading

  
• Selling a Game Without Social Media — What Happened?
  May 20, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #nosocialmedia, #indiegame, #visualnovel, #devlog, #quietgame

  We don’t use Twitter. Or YouTube. Or TikTok. We release games. And we talk about them here, on itch.io. So what happens when you try to sell a visual novel using zero social media? On FANZA: 0 sales... Continue reading

  
• How to Sell 0 Copies on FANZA – A Masterclass
  May 20, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visualnovel, #fanza, #indiegame, #launchfail, #ambient

  So you want to sell 0 copies of your game in 24 hours on FANZA? Here’s the perfect recipe: Make a non-romantic, non-fanservice visual novel Fill it with silence and social awkwardness Remove all BGM... Continue reading

  
• What I Learned from Trying to Sell an 800-CG Visual Novel
  May 19, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #visualnovel, #aiart, #dlsite, #gamedev, #indie

  Stretch uses 800 AI-generated CGs. No backgrounds. No sprites. No BGM. Just one image per scene, and ambient sound. This was a deliberate choice. But it came with a cost. One of the biggest platforms... Continue reading

  
• "Stretch" Is Now on FANZA – And It Sticks Out, a Lot
  May 19, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#quietgame, #fanza, #visualnovel, #storydriven, #aiart

  We just launched Stretch on FANZA’s all-ages section. …and to say it “stands out” would be an understatement. Among titles like “One Piece AI Anime 1080p Edition”, our game about awkward t... Continue reading

  
• No BGM, No Romance, No Fanservice — Still a Visual Novel
  May 19, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  2

  #quietgame, #visualnovel, #storyrich, #fanza, #antiromance

  Let’s be honest. Most visual novels offer: Background music Branching romance paths At least one scene in a towel Stretch offers: None of that Instead, we give you: Characters who barely talk to eac... Continue reading

  
• The Most Unlikely Game on FANZA?
  May 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#fanza, #visualnovel, #aiart, #ambient, #storyfirst

  FANZA is known for… well, not this. And yet Stretch is now quietly sitting in the all-ages section. No music No nudity No romance No choices that matter Just 150,000 words of story, 800 illustration... Continue reading

  
• Will You Be Our First?
  May 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #visualnovel, #fanza, #indiegame, #launchfail, #ambient

  It’s been a full day since launch. Zero sales. Zero reviews. Zero regrets. Still, we’d love to know what it feels like… when that first “1” appears on the sales count. If you happen to be th... Continue reading

  
• How Did This End Up on FANZA?
  May 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#fanza, #visualnovel, #oddrelease, #cats, #ambient

  We still don’t really know. FANZA is… intense. Our game is… not. There are no swords. No succubi. No simulated intimacy. Just one girl thinking, “I wish I were a cat,” and another saying... Continue reading

  
• Stretch: The Quietest Game on the Loudest Platform
  May 18, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #visualnovel, #fanza, #ambient, #minimalism, #storyfirst

  We launched Stretch on FANZA. Which is kind of like whispering a poem at a death metal concert. It’s a platform known for high-energy, high-volume, high-everything content. And here we are—with: n... Continue reading

  
• Now Available on FANZA (All-Ages Edition)
  May 17, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visualnovel, #fanza, #allages, #aiart, #ambient

  We’re excited to announce that Stretch is now officially available on FANZA as an all-ages visual novel! 🛒 Check it out here: 👉 https://www.dmm.co.jp/dc/doujin/-/detail/=/cid=d_586093/?i3_ref=... Continue reading

  
• Cats as working adults: an escape from reality in a dream world
  May 16, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#devlog, #visual novel, #surreal, #dream sequence, #character writing

  In Stretch, there’s a chapter where the protagonist—burnt out, cornered—just… dreams. She dreams she’s a working adult in a society of cats. A responsible member of the feline workforce. It... Continue reading

  
• What is a non-branching novel game like?
  May 15, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#devlog, #visual novel, #kinetic novel, #no choices, #narrative

  I’m trying something unusual: a visual novel with no branching paths. Not a kinetic novel in the strictest sense—but close. You can take detours, side jokes, or bonus scenes… but they always lea... Continue reading

  
• Why the title "Stretch"?
  May 15, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#devlog, #title, #game design, #writing process, #meaning

  Why is the game called “Stretch”? It’s not about sports. It’s about emotional flexibility. About being pulled in every direction—expectations, friendships, failures, your own doubts—and st... Continue reading

  
• I'm making a game that reads aloud.
  May 14, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#devlog, #sound design, #visual novel, #gamedev, #no BGM

  Most visual novels rely on BGM to guide emotion. Mine doesn’t. “Stretch” uses only ambient and environmental sound effects. No background music. No dramatic swells. Just footsteps, wind, the hum... Continue reading

  
• "They said I couldn’t do it alone" — But I just finished making a fully localized Japanese visual novel.
  May 14, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#devlog, #renpy, #visualnovel, #japanese, #translation, #solo-dev, #gamedev, #itch-release

  In a recent 1-on-1 at work, my manager told me, “You can’t do anything by yourself.” Well—guess what? A few weeks later, I’ve successfully rebuilt my Ren’Py project from scratch, fully loc... Continue reading

  
• Can Footsteps and Wind Replace a Soundtrack?
  May 13, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#minimalism, #ambient sound, #no music, #life sounds, #immersive storytelling, #indie visual novel, #quiet game

  In Stretch, we replaced music with noise. And by “noise,” we don’t mean it in a bad way. We mean everyday noise. The sound of trees in the park, the sound of traffic lights at an intersection. T... Continue reading

  
• They Had Every Reason Not to Sing
  May 12, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #theme song, #outsider kids, #found family, #renpy, #choral, #indie game

  The 14 voices in the theme song for Stretch aren’t a choir. They’re the voices of kids who should have remained silent. Half of them skipped school. Some of them have no families. Some stop attend... Continue reading

  
• What Does 'All-Ages' Really Mean for Stretch?
  May 12, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #coming of age, #all ages, #english, #japanese indie game, #slice of life, #renpy

  We’re almost at the finish line — the all-ages version of Stretch is nearly complete. When we decided to shift away from R18 content, we didn’t just “remove” things. We refocused the experie... Continue reading

  
• [English Demo Released!] "Stretch" now available in English
  May 11, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #english, #visual novel, #demo, #comedy, #school life, #slice of life, #narrative, #translation

  Thank you for your interest in “Stretch”! We’re excited to announce that the English version of the demo is now available for download. If you’ve been waiting to check out this quirky, heartfe... Continue reading

  
• Preparing the All-Ages Version — Rewriting in Progress
  May 11, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #school, #coming of age, #all ages, #AI voice, #Japanese setting, #narrative-driven, #indie game

  We have officially started work on making an all-ages version of Stretch for a wider release both in Japan and overseas. We have removed or replaced all sexual content, including explicit images such... Continue reading

  
• We Deleted the School, But Not the Story
  May 10, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #visual novel, #school life, #experimental, #renpy, #all ages, #indie game, #found family, #coming of age

  There used to be a school in Stretch. There were classrooms with numbers. There were “first-year” and “second-year” students. There were grades, ages, classes. We removed all that. Not because... Continue reading

  
• Sound Without BGM: Why Stretch Has No Music
  May 10, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #indie game, #sound design, #silent game, #renpy, #ambient, #english

  If you noticed something missing while playing the demo of Stretch, you’re not wrong — there’s no background music. Not a single track. Instead, the entire game relies on ambient sounds and soun... Continue reading

  
• For Those Who’ve Never Found a Story That Felt Like Theirs
  May 09, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #emotional, #quiet story, #all ages, #slice of life, #school life, #friendship, #indie game, #narrative

  We didn’t set out to make Stretch for everyone. We made it for the people who scroll past hundreds of games and think, “None of this is really for me.” Maybe school wasn’t the best time of you... Continue reading

  
• No BGM, No Problem — When Silence Speaks Louder
  May 09, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#sound design, #no BGM, #immersive, #narrative, #slice of life, #ambient, #indie game, #audio, #visual novel

  Unlike many visual novels, Stretch has no background music. Not because we forgot, or couldn’t. Just because… we didn’t want to. The buzzing of cicadas in the distance. The sound of a door closi... Continue reading

  
• "Where Did All the Towels Go?" — Cleaning Up for All Ages
  May 09, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #comedy, #school, #slice of life, #all ages, #localization, #indie game, #ai voice, #devlog

  As we dive deeper into preparing the all-ages version of Stretch, we’ve started asking ourselves some serious questions: “Why were there so many bath towels?” “Did we really need three differe... Continue reading

  
• 🎵 Why We Made a 14-Vocalist Ending Song — And What It Cost Us
  May 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#voice-synthesis, #theme-song, #ai-voices, #behind-the-scenes

  Stretch has an original ending theme. It’s called “A Constellation-less After School” — and yes, it has **14 different characters singing** in it. Why? Because... we wanted chaos. And also tea... Continue reading

  
• When I Took Off the Towel, the Story Got Dressed
  May 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #all ages, #coming of age, #slice of life, #character-driven, #light comedy, #AI-generated vocals, #fully voiced theme song, #refined through revision

  Hello. I’m Shoichi Kirishima, creator of Stretch. Originally, this project was meant to be released under the R18 category. That said, the “adult” parts were mostly lighthearted: a bath towel at... Continue reading

  
• Stretch in English: Why We Cut the Beach Gags — and Found Something Deeper
  May 08, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #visual novel, #localization, #slice of life, #translation, #fanservice, #narrative design

  Did you know the Japanese version of Stretch features a few extra scenes — like beachside comedy skits and a somewhat chaotic bathhouse segment? These weren’t just fanservice; they were quirky, ch... Continue reading

  
• The Summer of Nurihei – Watercolors, Somen, and Sudden Drama
  May 07, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #slice of life, #summer, #friendship, #emotional, #coming of age

  Ah, summer. Shaved ice, art explosions, and… an emotional roadside showdown? In Stretch, third-grader Nurihei bravely steps out of his loneliness and into a world of messy friendships, DIY art studi... Continue reading

  
• How to Survive Homework
  May 07, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #comedy, #school life, #visual novel, #relatable, #teenagers, #mischief

  Let’s be honest. Nobody—absolutely nobody—likes the summer homework sheet. Math drills? Nope. Reading reflections on mandatory literature? Double nope. But fear not: Stretch’s trio of middle s... Continue reading

  
• 🌸 Meet the Main Character: Juri — Our Grumpy, Sarcastic Heroine
  May 06, 2025 by kirishimashoichi

  1

  #character-intro, #visual-novel, #story-rich, #slice-of-life

  Juri is the protagonist of Stretch. She's not a cheerful girl. She's sarcastic, stubborn, and a little fragile. In other words, she's the perfect protagonist for a coming-of-age story set in an ordina... Continue reading

  
• Translating “Stretch Club” — A Small Phrase, A Big Headache
  May 06, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#devlog, #translation, #localization, #japanese-school

  Translating *Stretch* into English is fun — and sometimes a bit of a puzzle. Take “Stretch club” for example. In Japanese, it's a silly club name that immediately sounds like a pun or something... Continue reading

  
• Stretch English Demo Now Available!
  May 06, 2025 by kirishimashoichi#visual novel, #demo, #english, #slice of life, #school, #indie game

  📢 The English demo version of *Stretch* is now available on itch.io! This free demo includes the **Prologue** and the beginning of the **Spring chapter**. Approximate playtime: **30–40 minutes**... Continue reading