Why I Made a Visual Novel Without BGM

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.

Instead, I used over 350 sound effects and ambient sounds to create an immersive atmosphere. Birds chirping, footsteps echoing in the hallway, a gust of wind blowing through an empty field—these natural sounds are not just background noise; they are the music of this story.

Why? Because Stretch is a quiet, grounded tale. It’s about everyday youth in a divided society—characters who are not superheroes, just young people trying to find their place. Music would have told you what to feel. But silence, punctuated by real-world sounds, lets you decide that for yourself.

This approach also fits the game’s core concept:

“A novel for people who don’t feel like reading any.”

We wanted this to feel less like a traditional game and more like a moment stolen from real life—fleeting, imperfect, and honest.