Stretch (English Trial Version)

Devlog

• 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