Ive followed this story on and off for a few years now and only just saw the ending and i loved it! I so hope Aaryn makes a sequel because he really knows how to tell a story and i am desperate to know what happens between Zack and Braden!
Unlike so many other games, the sexual content is lower, but my god when those scenes come up they're pure perfection! And honestly, I love that the game isn't just about sex but actually is about their relationship around that aspect. I will continue to re-play this game for a long time because I absolutely loved everything about it
Heya, first off thanks for the post and thank you so much for following all these years. i know some people that played the original have put off the ending for a litany of reasons so i'm glad it met your expectations (no spoilers). seriously glad you enjoy the project and i'm grateful that you have the motivation to play it multiple times. i'm not sure what's next after this. my official response has been no sequels unless i can do better than the first time. i dont like when people run a franchise into the ground and people have trusted me with these characters and i take that pretty serious. i have a pretty open mind tho. thanks for the support and thanks for reading <3
Honestly, i feel obsessed with the game, my mind keeps thinking of a potential plot for a sequel (i would imagine it only being one sequel and that being it so you wouldn't run the risk of overdoing it).
I love writing and am an amateur writer (hoping to get published one day) so seeing stories as beautifully written as yours makes my heart sing!
Sorry if this is really forward but if you ever decide on writing a sequel but feel you aren't sure what to do for it and want an outsiders opinion/beta reader/help with an outline or anything let me know! I'd be more than happy to help (and I wouldn't want anything in return for it, being able to help you at all with this amazing story would be enough for me!)
yeah, i've had some ideas but like i said... I'd be careful with it. i'm also not afraid to do something else for a bit to practice new things. more experience opens up more doors that could easily be applied to something like this project universe in the future which could make it even better.
first off, i always get shy around others who write since this is my first time so go easy on me :p but i do want to wish you luck on your own publishing goals. while i've never tried, it sounds like a frustrating process so I hope you're able to find someone to help push your work.
in terms of help writing this story and stuff: i kinda have a crappy weird answer but it's an honest one. the short answer is that I have no idea what i need/want until i need/want it. i dont really plan things in advance so once I start going in a direction, it becomes easy to suddenly realize that i need a certain thing (animation, feedback, research, editing, whatever) and typically there's no planning or notice behind that. even the outlines for each update are only done right before i start writing that specific update. I'll always appreciate help with the project and i'll always be humbled that anyone would be interested in working or helping me with this thing, but I'm also not the greatest at realizing what I need-- i pretty much just go on emotions and instinct with the story and the characters. I'm also ok with a lot of the errors in the story simply because i never wanted it to be perfect. i dont like following rules-- particularly grammar rules (i'm sure you noticed). so i sorta feel like i'm a pain in the ass lmfao <3
Haha, no, honestly im exactly the same! I feel like a newbie writer all the time, all my works are my own private stories for now.
i think the term is pantser/plantser (where you write on the fly/by the seat of your pants, or where you only partially plan Chapters without planning the entire story, I'm more of a plantser so I plan a few chapters ahead when I write. But after reading the ending of your original version, my mind just raced and I could picture what I'd do for the first 3-4 chapters and what I'd do for an overall story and ending (but of course this is your story, not mine so I respect that totally!)
I'm very much a novice myself so I get what you mean there. The offer is always open if you ever want and it is a genuine one. I have a few friends who write, some irl and some online, who ive had as critique partners/beta reading, and thrown ideas with each other, so I doubt I'd consider you a pain in the ass if you ever invited me to help, even if its just to bounce ideas off each other. And yeah, i noticed your unique style with grammar, and thats one of the best parts of the story, it made it feel like actual people talking to each other, not just characters in a story (if that makes sense) 😂
as I said, offer is always open, you don't have to take it, of course, and I wouldn't mind since it's your story and idea and no one else's, but if you ever want some help in any way, I'll be here, and hey, that offer can stand for Straight?! Or any other project you work on because I'd love to see how you as a writer and your style develop in the future. You have a lot of skill and talent!
thank you so much for the kind words. i sincerely appreciate this and i truly appreciate your motivation to help. i'll definitely keep you in mind. right now the focus is the revamp so there's not much planning that's going into it. I've had a few additions to the revamp and expanded sections but (surprise surprise) those weren't really planned and just started to play out while i was working on the CGs.
i'm humbled you appreciate the writing style. i sorta just dramatically ramble sometimes and i think i tend to like darker wording and massive run-on sentences that would probably send my middle school teachers into cardiac arrest. i do think the critiquing part is useful though. i've gotten a lot of great ideas from the community and stuff. if you didn't know, there's a discord if you're into that sorta thing. we used to have massive discussions about each of the updates but that's slowed down with the revamp obviously because the bulk of the original players have already finished the story but there's still a lot of newer people on there-- kinda like a new generation-- many of which haven't finished the story and they're just playing it episodically with the revamp updates. but i do enjoy feedback on there and stuff-- which has caused me to make a few additions every now and then :)
another way at helping the project is just sharing it. following on social media and liking things to help it get more traction, recommending it to others and stuff like that. i've really depended on word-of-mouth because i'm terrible at marketing.
I came across this little gem , and was so positively surprised , great dialogues writing and amazing characters that felt so real ... I normally when playing any Visual Novels just keep skipping through the most of the dialogues, because generally, in the most of VN it is just a sea of boring text to make the VN longer, boring me to death and literally forcing me to keep skipping , with only one interest that keeps me going on ... to see the sex scenes, different outcomes and endings...
BUT WOW, this little gem "Straight ? "Had me absolutely invested into the story and characters left me feeling nostalgic and wanting more ... It was just right amount of everything , and sex scenes were not forced or placed prematurely into the story for the sake of it ! It all felt natural and grounded, I could relate to! Why is this not on steam, this is way better than most of VN on steam I played ... Thank you, Donated 25$ and keep good work, I appreciate you
heya. Thank you so much. i'm glad you enjoy the dialogue. i'm a fan of stories or movies where a lot of things take place in conversation. i think, irl, that's how we get to know people and their backstory-- we don't see it. so we have to learn about people as they develop and i think that development plays out in conversation. the dialogue was also important to me because it tends to argue different sides of why a character is resistant to something and then also hopefully presents an alternative way to think about that. i really wanted to show the actual process that happens there and how to confront false narratives within your head or how to move towards your own view of hapiness and the world-- even if it conflicts with something that you were taught or some type of ideology that was drilled into you.
but thank you so much for reading. also thank you for the generous donation. i depend on those to keep going but i hope you never feel obligated. i never take it for granted and i truly appreciate your kindness. I'm also looking at Steam... it's been on the table for awhile but i wanted the revamp a little more developed but it's getting closer hopefully.
and i appreciate you <3 stay safe out there. take care of the people you love and tell the people around you that you care about them. the world is tense right now and you never know who's struggling.
I wrote a script in Python to allow myself to enjoy this work, it translates all texts into Ukrainian. And if you replace the model, it will translate into any language (with the obligatory replacement of the original fancy fonts with something more common, if your language is not written in Latin)
import re
from transformers import AutoTokenizer, AutoModelForSeq2SeqLM
heya. i'm looking at eventually getting to translations and stuff. i had several volunteers on the discord that were interested in helping out. i just haven't gotten a chance to try and manage it with everything else i'm juggling. i know there's a lot of people out there that have really been interested in reading the story in their own language. the first issue I've had is time but the second one mostly centers around how much slang i write with. it's going to be difficult to try to get that translated and still try and keep my original nonsense :p
hello, to clarify here, i'm going to assume that you're talking about the android port. If you download from this site or from my patreon page, those are safe downloads because I upload them myself. if you find the game on any other site, I can't control if someone has tampered with it. but assuming that you downloaded from here, the android port may ask permission to access pictures on some, but not all devices. It's not accessing your pictures or any of your personal data on your phone, it's asking permission to use pictures in general because the story backgrounds are jpg files (pictures) and because the game needs to access those to actually have graphics, and because you downloaded the game and the game pictures are now technically stored on your phone: it's asking your permission to access the pictures stored in the game data. privacy is a big deal to me so as long as you're using an official version of the game from these sites, you should be safe. if you have further questions about it, i'd be happy to answer those or you can just pop onto our discord page and ask in real time.
the project operates solely on donation. there will never be ads and no data farming or selling of stuff or anything like that. i can't stand that stuff and despise when companies do it to me. the last thing i'd ever do is create something that takes things from people.
Short and sweet... Thank you. Who knew so many people would share such similar experiences. From beginning to end your story is beautifully told and it has made me feel so much better. Also, you can f*** right off with that little "glitch" on the title card at the end. Once again, thank you so much for creating this and I CANNOT wait until you get the revamp done. <3
but thank you so much for playing and for taking the time to reach out and say you enjoyed it. really appreciate the time. we'll see where things go after the revamp :)
I have NEVER had a book hangover so much. There are few books where I relate to the characters so well. I finished it 3 days ago and I still think about the character arcs. I relate so much to Zack and I'm going through his rollercoaster of emotions through his story - omg I was crying more than I'd like to admit. I'm really toying with downloading the v0.21 to finish the story or ride the hangover a bit longer in anticipation for the next update.
You have an amazing gift for storytelling. Thank you for sharing it with us. I can't wait to see what journey you take us on next.
thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and sorry for the hangover :p I will say there is still a pretty substantial drop in quality in the original compared to the Revamp even if you picked it up from the current update but if you're just looking for the story, it'll get you there. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to check in and post. i really appreciate the time and energy <3
i am not the type of guy who likes reading visual novels, it just feels cheesy to me. i had this idea that they are just smuts you could read fast thanks to the support of the visuals. i have no idea why i even clicked on this, just a random urge after seeing the cover and the title, expecting nothing but a shallow story which directly leads into meaningless NSFW scenes after a few scenes.
"+hey i am X. i am new to the school.
-hey, i am Y, do you like nasty gay p***?
+sure!"
that was when i found myself 6 hours deep into the story, fully invested in it. mind you it has been years since i have read anything at all.
it is just such a well written story that takes it time and does not rush. it reflects on real life struggles well. the thoughts of Zack were extremely touching to read and relatable. being from a homophobic country and family, I saw myself in Zack, and even more interestingly, found myself craving for such an innocent but also an intense experience. i must say i spend a few days being sad over this craving. who envies pixels and words right? well, the way you used those did that to me.
it has been two weeks and i still think about this story, but i feel happy that i randomly clicked on this. i think it changed something in my brain chemistry. i find myself enjoying small moments of my life rather than speedrunning it. i enjoy small steps in all my relationships and approaching better to disagreements, knowing the other person might have a different perspective of the story. never have i thought a daily ":)" session would lead me to such a touching piece of art.
heya. i'm glad you randomly clicked on it too. i really appreciate this perspective. i know everyone's experience is different-- particularly when you toss in location or cultures-- so it's really hard to write a definitive experience for anyone so i'm glad you could relate. I do think a lot of VNs could be a lot deeper. many do feel pretty flat and stuff and i just have a tendency in life to want to go deeper anyway. i know the slow burn isn't for everyone so i'm glad it hooked you. i'm glad i hooked you in a genre that normally is associated with cringy tropes to just put people into compromising sexual situations. i think things should matter in stories and i think there's power in making people wait for something or characters to really work for something. it just matters more to me then. thank you so much for reading. also, thank you so much for going the extra step just to create an account to leave a comment-- it doesn't go unnoticed and i appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. the world is a mess so stay safe out there, particularly since you're from a homophobic country. appreciate you <3
This is not just a game or a simple NSFW graphic novel. What starts as an interactive story where you click through events quickly turns into a deep, emotional experience that stays with you. This isnt some shallow game meant just to turn you on--it's a story that gets inside your head and evokes feelings you may never have experienced before.
When i first searched for a gay/bi NSFW game, I never expected to stumble upon something this unique. What started as a simple curiosity turned into an emotional journey that had me for hooked for days. This game makes you feel everything--excitement, desire, deep sadness, even tears. It forces you to think about your choices, about yourself, and maybe even about your entire life.
I played both the original version and the revamped edition. Each is unique in its own way. The first release is raw, giving you a direct look into the mind of the writer and his characters, who undergo immense growht in just a few months. The revamped version takes everything to another level. Even if you already played the first game, this new edition will hit you all over again--with even deeper emotions and more refined storytelling. You can truly see how much the writer has evolved, both in his writing style and in his reflection on life itself.
When i talked about this game with friends, i discovered something incredible. A bi friend of mine came out because of this novel. He first told me about 2 years ago, and it was this story that helped him understand and accept himself. When he heard about the revamped version, he was thrilled, but he no longer felt the need to be part of the community--because thanks to this novel, he had already found himself.
And that's the true power of this game: it doesn't just change your perspective--it might just change you life.
As the story wil yell you; Nothing lasts forever.
Big thanks to the creator of this story and I wish lots of love and encouragement for finishing the Revamp.
this was an amazing read and thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. to say i'm humbled by such words is an understatement but it made me smile and i want to thank you so much. thanks for taking the story seriously despite the genre. i know an adult game that hits heavy isn't for everyone but i'm grateful for all of those who have enjoyed it. i also would ask that you thank your friend for playing and reading. i'm truly honored to have played even a slight role in his own journey. that's truly remarkable and i don't even know him but i'm proud of him anyway. everyone deserves self-acceptance and peace. but please tell him that i said thank you for reading and for recommending it to you. really glad you shared this. all the best to you both <3
SPOILERS******* Hi! I really really enjoyed this. I downloaded the revamp and played through it in 24 hours or so. Writing is great, characters are relatable. I love both MC's. I do not know, because I am ignorant, but is the "ending" where it says "to be continued" a definite ending or is there more to come? Pardon my dumb question, I just do not know if I downloaded the correct version.
so there's 2 versions. the revamp only goes up to most of chapter 7 right now. it currently "ends" with a "to be continued" screen. that screen simply means i'm still working on the next update. all updates are released episodically so when v16 drops it'll just pick up where v15 left off and finish off chapter 7. There's 10 chapters in the full story.
the original v0.21 version is the full story. it has all 10 chapters and ends with a clear ending. that version, however, is way less quality and is basically the rough draft. the revamp will eventually follow that story with the same ending.
hopefully that helps. if you still have questions, you can certainly ask :)
SPOILERS***** I finished the story and I cannot tell you how happy I am at how it ended, at the same time heart-sick that it is over? *wink*. I would like to help in any way that I can to keep this story going. Too many of these have been abandoned; please, do not let that happen to this. What a beautiful and important story.
thank you so much and i'm glad you enjoyed the ending. i worked hard on that thing to check a lot of boxes. i have no intention of abandoning it. i agree, the majority of these are abandoned but i think that's because people dont realize how much friggen work it is. i'm here for the long haul and hopefully the revamp, once complete, will do the full story justice
Loved it. Thanks for sharing this story with us. It'll probably be a long time before I come back to it to replay, but I do still look forward to the finished revamped version. Still feels like there's a lot to go, not because you haven't made progress, but because the last remaining chapter(s) is pretty big. Though I am curious what you'll wind up changing as you refine the script for the revamp.
I love how it unfolds so slowly and carefully. Any other VN like this would be way shorter and feel rushed, but for the most part, at least with the revamp, everything felt paced really well. Anyway, again, thanks for the great story. Ciao.
there really is a lot left to go. ton of things that happen that continue to really impact the story. in my head, the park was the halfway point but once i started writing stuff, i think the last 3 chapters are probably 50% of the game. originally, i expected to move quickly through the later parts of the game but now i'm not sure. this v15 update was harder than anything i've done before so i'm not sure. seriously appreciate you reading and dont worry about the re-read if you never get around to it. i'm not much one for re-reads myself-- especially how friggen long this story is. but, i do hope i'm able to pull something off in the revamp for the ending. thank you so much for reading and thanks for letting me know what you thought :)
I started this VN wit the revamp, but the current ending got mee squirrmmiinng. I couldn't help myself and finished the rough draft. Now I am crying, for the ending or because I can never experience this masterpiece for the first time again? Well... yes
Brilliant writing and brilliant storytelling. I am not into VN's but this might be the sole exception (and any of your future works [this is a plea attempt]).
haha, aww, thank you so much. i'm humbled to be your exception-- seriously glad you found me and gave this project a chance. i'm hoping the revamp continues at it's current pace all the way to that ending (shhhh, no spoilers :p)
so my official answer on any sequels or follow-ups has been that right now, i have nothing planned but i also didn't plan much of this story. i sorta write as i go. but, without saying spoilers, i worked hard on the end to check a lot of boxes for a lot of different types of readers. essentially a sequel would have to undo most of that work. i'm open to doing that but there would have to be a purpose to it. everything in the story really has a purpose so a sequel or continuation would be the same way. so the only way i'd really want to continue the story is if i feel like i could do it better than the first one. lot of sequels anymore just seem like a cash grab and i'm not about that life.
Ngl, u checked like every single box 😭 ending was immaculate. Just shows u truly in it for the story and to inspire. We love a woke king. Great work man, you outdid yourself. Best of luck with the future chapter revamp
A great game until the end, among other VNs I've played, this one has been more exciting, intriguing and charming, in this last update I was like a little girl screaming seeing her biggest shipp kissing, it was interesting to say the least, I look forward to the future that you will bring to this beautiful story of Zack, hugs and take care
hehe, glad you like the new update and i'm glad you appreciate the depth in the genre. don't worry, we're not even close to the end yet. there's still a lot of story left. thank you so much for reading and sticking with this thing. really appreciate it <3
Awww, I'm the one who's grateful for the story you're bringing to us, by the way, I'm thinking about trying to create a story and make a game my way, so I wanted to know what you use to make the scenarios, characters, etc., I hope it's not too much to ask :3
heh, if you're asking me for tips on this process: i'm terrible, lmao. i legit just figure it out as i go. i'm awful at outlines and planning and stuff like that, so i dont have a ton of tips for the writing aspect. i did write a post on my patreon a little while ago to people who are trying to do this for themselves-- just things that worked for me and if any of those help, feel free to use what applies to you. in terms of the art program, i use DAZ3D and Blender the programming software is Renpy. other than that, i just sit over here and google shit and try to figure out how to make the picture that's in my head :)
oh, you can be sure I'll check out the patreon content, if I wasn't so poor I would 100% support it, even though it doesn't seem like much, you helped me with what you said, I'm happy and excited to try to do something good like yours, thanks again and sorry for the time I took from you, hugs and take care
I have a hard time believing there was "no previous storytelling experience" here. Granted, I’m only reading the Revamp for now, but let me say a few things.
I have a serious love-hate relationship with coming-of-age stories. As a gay man, that relationship is even more intense when the coming-of-age revolves around one's sexual orientation. As for NSFW games, I usually just straight-up dislike them—at best, they make me cringe.
I stumbled upon Straight!? completely by chance, and I’ll admit, my initial interest was just barely enough to make me download and launch it. It took me less than five minutes to decide I wanted to spend the next five hours playing (which, as a busy adult juggling two jobs, meant waking up with some serious dark circles the next morning—but also the satisfaction of an incredibly enjoyable read).
I’m an author. I’ve published a few novels, worked as a game writer, and now I write interactive fiction. I’ve never made a visual novel, so I can’t speak professionally on that aspect. But honestly, I found the visual side secondary to your writing. It’s engaging, irreverent, sometimes all over the place—but in the best way possible. It captures overthinking brilliantly and does an even better job portraying what it feels like to talk more to yourself than to the rest of the world. On top of that, it does so with excellent vocabulary, deliberate word choices, rhetorical flourishes, and digressions that may not always be essential but add so much flavor.
Which brings me back to my initial comment. I came here specifically to find a way to reach out and congratulate you (then I realized there’s a comment section—ironic, considering I’ve posted here myself… very Zack of me). I ended up rereading the intro and literally blurted out a very loud WHAT?! upon seeing that you had "no previous storytelling experience." Now, of course, that means I’ll have to check out the "original rough draft"—and if I don’t see a clear improvement, I’ll have no choice but to seethe with envy.
Jokes aside, my compliments are 100% genuine. You’ve got a gem on your hands. I really hope to see this on Steam someday—it would be an instant, proud purchase for me. And please don’t stop here—if this is what you can do with zero prior experience, I cannot wait to see what you’ll create after Straight!?.
First off, thanks for the note and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I read this late last night and it made me smile before bed so thanks for that. it just means a lot that you felt compelled to leave a comment and that the story gripped you that quickly when you weren't really that interested to start with. that's a very flattering compliment and i'm grateful for it.
I'm always intimidated when someone leaves a comment and says they're an author or writer-- it's not necessarily the their writing experience that intimidates but it's more that I assume they have the executive knowledge on how to plan things or put pieces together. it's always enjoyable to read something that just clicks or feels planned out or surprises me. good stories do that but i'm also not great at planning things. i sorta just shoot from the hip and listen to the vibes I get from a scene then i just roll with it. i also have to edit dozens of times because i'm honestly a pretty scattered person so rough drafts will never see the light of day and probably read more like borderline psychosis :p
But thank you for your kind words. Yeah, no fictional writing experience here at all. I have a masters in clinical psych that i finished a few years ago so i've written papers n stuff for all that but that's it. This entire project started with a dare from a friend after i was complaining that a TV show we were watching had bad writing. he said if i thought i could do better than i should so i started fucking around. It's also another reason why i picked the adult genre-- if it turned out that i couldn't write, people tend to be more forgiving about the writing when it comes to all the porny games. your comments made me laugh about my style-- cause you nailed it. "irreverent" and "talking more to yourself than the rest of the world." I'm a bit dramatic and chaotic but it's honestly kinda fun when things work out. i'm always humbled when another writer pays me a compliment like this so thank you. thanks for taking the time to read and for thinking of me to reach out.
I would like to get on Steam but i just haven't gotten around to it yet. Too many things to do when your'e working on a project mostly solo so i fight the battles i can.
(However, if you do try the original version, go easy on me. the beginning is rough but eventually i took the gloves off. the community gave me a lot of encouragement to write the story i wanted to and i eventually just said fuck it and started writing in my own style around chapter 6-- yet another reason for the revamp).
all the best to you as well. stay safe out there and all the luck with your own projects and stuff, i may check em out <3
I'm genuinely happy that I made you smile; that was my main goal. I also understand your anxiety when it comes to other writers—or rather, I have low self-esteem, so I get anxiety in general, lol. But really, you don’t need to worry about it. I just mentioned it to emphasize how much I understand the difficulty behind writing, not to promote myself (especially since half of my work isn’t even in English). Don’t feel obligated to "return the favor" or anything :-)
I also understand the difference with writing "papers and stuff" (here comes another unsolicited personal note...). After my master’s, I made the poor decision to stay in academia, and now I’m doing a PhD. The competitiveness in the field really requires you to do research with one hand and write articles with the other... So, I know very well how academic writing has nothing to do with writing fiction. Kudos to you for reaching this level of skill without previous experience in fiction writing, specifically!
This brings me to a question I forgot to ask earlier; if it’s too personal to answer, don’t worry. The fact that you have the same academic background as the protagonist and use his avatar as your profile picture got me thinking. Is it an autobiographical story? How much of the story is based on your own experiences?
(I’m at the beginning of chapter five, so feel free to stay vague!)
Thanks again for your heartfelt response, I really appreciate it.
heya, good luck on the PhD stuff. i was actually going to do mine but got talked out of it. in the psych world it's pointless unless you wanna teach or specifically be a psychologist-- which honest i wasn't interested in because i dont like testing stuff. otherwise, you can do all the same stuff with a masters and it's a waste of money. ton of writing and work though so i wish you luck-- and most importantly- sanity.
So Str8 isn't a true story. all of the characters are fictional and i quite literally make things up as i went. only had one original outline and it was a messy flow chart. i didn't plan much ahead because i liked the story and characters and i didn't wanna be spoiled either so i only outlined updates one at a time with only a couple benchmarks throughout the story i was interested in hitting. i wrote a pretty detailed post about this on my Patreon page that i can link here if you're interested in all the details.
Aaaaand, it hit ENTER too quickly. but thanks again for the kind words and holy crap, you said all those nice things before you got out of Chapter 5? you're not even to the good stuff yet. i think it starts to pick up in chapter 5. 6 was the game changer for a lot of people back in the day. i still get mail about that chapter and i was really intimidated and excited to get to it for the revamp
Thank you for the links! Your reflection on how developing one's identity is at the core of self-acceptance was really interesting. I have to admit I also laughed quite a bit at the game being an "anxiety simulator" because... yeah, it's true.
I'm serious, I really appreciated everything even before starting chapter 5! If you tell me these things, then I can't wait to continue playing. In the meantime, I’m recommending it to people I know :-)
I really like this updates ending. Unlike some of the other update endings where I went "NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!". That's because I played the original version from start to finish so I knew what was coming lol. But this updates ending was a really nice one and I wish all of them would be like that (I know wishful thinking lol). well keep up the great work and I look forward to the next update as well as any other projects you might do in the future :)
oh thanks. yeah, this is one of the endings where we get to breathe a little. the original game update usually stopped at cliffhangers but there were a few updates that just really needed to have some closure (i think chapter 6 had that too). i really like to try and stop endings at places that i think are important or need to sorta echo. my personal preference for the story is to read it one update at a time just because it forces you to stop and sit with certain things and i just like that. really appreciate the read and interest in the story and hope you continue to enjoy the revamp. i was really happy how this one turned out in comparison to the original. thing has come a long ways :)
Ah, great to know it's on the list somewhere. I did a complete playthrough of the original nearly 1 year ago to the day, so I'll be sure to support when/if that happens ^^
Adding steam achievements on top would be even better. I love collecting them.
i thought i recognized the name. the Steam thing will take some hoops to jump though but i would like to do it and my goal is to make it free like it is everywhere else. i'm a big achievement fan, myself, but i'm not sure how it would fit into this game because it's so linear but it's something i can keep in mind :)
i love love love the game, just did a third maybe 4th play through, are you at all planning a second game for after they graduate maybe? totally fine if not
heya, thanks so much for playing and for letting me know you're enjoying it. you've also probably played it as many times as i have and i wrote the damn thing, lmao. but that's honestly amazing that you've enjoyed it that much and i hope you continue to-- especially the revamp 'cause it's waaaay better. no plans for a sequel right now. i'm just taking one thing at a time. i tend to do a better job when i do that :)
I just finished the rough draft and this story caught me off guard. I never expected to cry playing a NSFW game!
Zack and Braden's story is truly special. I can't wait to start playing through the revamp and see all the enhancements to the visuals and the story itself!
awww, sorry about the tears. if it makes you feel better i cried writing the damn thing in a few spots. thank you so much for playing and checking it out and for popping on here to leave a comment-- it helps me a ton. if you enjoyed the original, def check out the revamp then-- it feels like an entirely new experience. i'm actually still motivated and enjoying making it. thanks so much <3
I can't describe how much I love this story. I'm a student living on scholarship. I really want to support you but I can't right now. But I will support you as soon as I can. It's the least I can do for the good feeling I get from this game. Thank you so much for releasing it for free. I love you so much
ayyy, thanks so much for playing and leaving a comment. First off, i'm really glad you're enjoying the story and i'm really glad that the free version helps accommodate that student lifestyle. now the most important part: prioritize that school stuff and don't stress yourself out trying to figure out a way to support the project. you already have. you downloaded it, you played it, and you took time out of that insanely busy school lifestyle to leave a comment. comments and reviews and things like that over here help boost my visibility so that others can find the game. if you think you have a debt here: it's already paid-- you made me smile. Seriously, take care of your school stuff and if the game gives you a break then i'm insanely grateful to be part of that process. don't worry about the financial stuff over here. people have been generous and i'm not a greedy person. i'd rather you took care of yourself first. the game will be here regardless and i'm grateful you're part of this thing now. if you still feel like you want to help out and stuff, you can always follow me on socials, repost, or recommend the game to others. but you've done enough already. good luck on all that school stuff and thanks again for reading <3
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Ive followed this story on and off for a few years now and only just saw the ending and i loved it! I so hope Aaryn makes a sequel because he really knows how to tell a story and i am desperate to know what happens between Zack and Braden!
Unlike so many other games, the sexual content is lower, but my god when those scenes come up they're pure perfection! And honestly, I love that the game isn't just about sex but actually is about their relationship around that aspect. I will continue to re-play this game for a long time because I absolutely loved everything about it
Heya, first off thanks for the post and thank you so much for following all these years. i know some people that played the original have put off the ending for a litany of reasons so i'm glad it met your expectations (no spoilers). seriously glad you enjoy the project and i'm grateful that you have the motivation to play it multiple times. i'm not sure what's next after this. my official response has been no sequels unless i can do better than the first time. i dont like when people run a franchise into the ground and people have trusted me with these characters and i take that pretty serious. i have a pretty open mind tho. thanks for the support and thanks for reading <3
Honestly, i feel obsessed with the game, my mind keeps thinking of a potential plot for a sequel (i would imagine it only being one sequel and that being it so you wouldn't run the risk of overdoing it).
I love writing and am an amateur writer (hoping to get published one day) so seeing stories as beautifully written as yours makes my heart sing!
Sorry if this is really forward but if you ever decide on writing a sequel but feel you aren't sure what to do for it and want an outsiders opinion/beta reader/help with an outline or anything let me know! I'd be more than happy to help (and I wouldn't want anything in return for it, being able to help you at all with this amazing story would be enough for me!)
yeah, i've had some ideas but like i said... I'd be careful with it. i'm also not afraid to do something else for a bit to practice new things. more experience opens up more doors that could easily be applied to something like this project universe in the future which could make it even better.
first off, i always get shy around others who write since this is my first time so go easy on me :p but i do want to wish you luck on your own publishing goals. while i've never tried, it sounds like a frustrating process so I hope you're able to find someone to help push your work.
in terms of help writing this story and stuff: i kinda have a crappy weird answer but it's an honest one. the short answer is that I have no idea what i need/want until i need/want it. i dont really plan things in advance so once I start going in a direction, it becomes easy to suddenly realize that i need a certain thing (animation, feedback, research, editing, whatever) and typically there's no planning or notice behind that. even the outlines for each update are only done right before i start writing that specific update. I'll always appreciate help with the project and i'll always be humbled that anyone would be interested in working or helping me with this thing, but I'm also not the greatest at realizing what I need-- i pretty much just go on emotions and instinct with the story and the characters. I'm also ok with a lot of the errors in the story simply because i never wanted it to be perfect. i dont like following rules-- particularly grammar rules (i'm sure you noticed). so i sorta feel like i'm a pain in the ass lmfao <3
Haha, no, honestly im exactly the same! I feel like a newbie writer all the time, all my works are my own private stories for now.
i think the term is pantser/plantser (where you write on the fly/by the seat of your pants, or where you only partially plan Chapters without planning the entire story, I'm more of a plantser so I plan a few chapters ahead when I write. But after reading the ending of your original version, my mind just raced and I could picture what I'd do for the first 3-4 chapters and what I'd do for an overall story and ending (but of course this is your story, not mine so I respect that totally!)
I'm very much a novice myself so I get what you mean there. The offer is always open if you ever want and it is a genuine one. I have a few friends who write, some irl and some online, who ive had as critique partners/beta reading, and thrown ideas with each other, so I doubt I'd consider you a pain in the ass if you ever invited me to help, even if its just to bounce ideas off each other. And yeah, i noticed your unique style with grammar, and thats one of the best parts of the story, it made it feel like actual people talking to each other, not just characters in a story (if that makes sense) 😂
as I said, offer is always open, you don't have to take it, of course, and I wouldn't mind since it's your story and idea and no one else's, but if you ever want some help in any way, I'll be here, and hey, that offer can stand for Straight?! Or any other project you work on because I'd love to see how you as a writer and your style develop in the future. You have a lot of skill and talent!
thank you so much for the kind words. i sincerely appreciate this and i truly appreciate your motivation to help. i'll definitely keep you in mind. right now the focus is the revamp so there's not much planning that's going into it. I've had a few additions to the revamp and expanded sections but (surprise surprise) those weren't really planned and just started to play out while i was working on the CGs.
i'm humbled you appreciate the writing style. i sorta just dramatically ramble sometimes and i think i tend to like darker wording and massive run-on sentences that would probably send my middle school teachers into cardiac arrest. i do think the critiquing part is useful though. i've gotten a lot of great ideas from the community and stuff. if you didn't know, there's a discord if you're into that sorta thing. we used to have massive discussions about each of the updates but that's slowed down with the revamp obviously because the bulk of the original players have already finished the story but there's still a lot of newer people on there-- kinda like a new generation-- many of which haven't finished the story and they're just playing it episodically with the revamp updates. but i do enjoy feedback on there and stuff-- which has caused me to make a few additions every now and then :)
another way at helping the project is just sharing it. following on social media and liking things to help it get more traction, recommending it to others and stuff like that. i've really depended on word-of-mouth because i'm terrible at marketing.
I came across this little gem , and was so positively surprised , great dialogues writing and amazing characters that felt so real ... I normally when playing any Visual Novels just keep skipping through the most of the dialogues, because generally, in the most of VN it is just a sea of boring text to make the VN longer, boring me to death and literally forcing me to keep skipping , with only one interest that keeps me going on ... to see the sex scenes, different outcomes and endings...
BUT WOW, this little gem "Straight ? "Had me absolutely invested into the story and characters left me feeling nostalgic and wanting more ...
It was just right amount of everything , and sex scenes were not forced or placed prematurely into the story for the sake of it !
It all felt natural and grounded, I could relate to!
Why is this not on steam, this is way better than most of VN on steam I played ...
Thank you, Donated 25$ and keep good work, I appreciate you
heya. Thank you so much. i'm glad you enjoy the dialogue. i'm a fan of stories or movies where a lot of things take place in conversation. i think, irl, that's how we get to know people and their backstory-- we don't see it. so we have to learn about people as they develop and i think that development plays out in conversation. the dialogue was also important to me because it tends to argue different sides of why a character is resistant to something and then also hopefully presents an alternative way to think about that. i really wanted to show the actual process that happens there and how to confront false narratives within your head or how to move towards your own view of hapiness and the world-- even if it conflicts with something that you were taught or some type of ideology that was drilled into you.
but thank you so much for reading. also thank you for the generous donation. i depend on those to keep going but i hope you never feel obligated. i never take it for granted and i truly appreciate your kindness. I'm also looking at Steam... it's been on the table for awhile but i wanted the revamp a little more developed but it's getting closer hopefully.
and i appreciate you <3 stay safe out there. take care of the people you love and tell the people around you that you care about them. the world is tense right now and you never know who's struggling.
I wrote a script in Python to allow myself to enjoy this work, it translates all texts into Ukrainian. And if you replace the model, it will translate into any language (with the obligatory replacement of the original fancy fonts with something more common, if your language is not written in Latin)
import re
from transformers import AutoTokenizer, AutoModelForSeq2SeqLM
import sentencepiece
import torch
model_name = "facebook/nllb-200-distilled-600M"
tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained(model_name)
model = AutoModelForSeq2SeqLM.from_pretrained(model_name)
print(model.config)
def is_file_reference(line):
return re.search(r'["\'].*\.(mp3|jpg|png|wav|ogg)["\']', line) is not None
def translate_text(text, src_lang="eng_Latn", tgt_lang="ukr_Cyrl"):
inputs = tokenizer(text, return_tensors="pt", padding=True, truncation=True, max_length=512)
translated_tokens = model.generate(
**inputs,
forced_bos_token_id=tokenizer.lang_code_to_id[tgt_lang]
)
return tokenizer.decode(translated[0], skip_special_tokens=True)
def process_line(line, i):
matches = re.findall(r'(["\'])(.*?)\1', line)
for match in matches:
translated_text = translate_text(re.sub(r'{(?:i|/i|FF3366|/FF3366)}', '', match[1]))
line = line.replace(f'{match[0]}{match[1]}{match[0]}', f'{match[0]}{translated_text}{match[0]}')
print(" " + i + translated_text)
return line
def process_line_(line):
matches = re.findall(r'(["\'])(.*?)\1', line)
for match in matches:
if not is_file_reference(match[1]):
translated_text =translate_text(match[1])
line = line.replace(f'{match[0]}{match[1]}{match[0]}', f'{match[0]}{translated_text}{match[0]}')
line = re.sub(r'{i}(.*?){/i}', lambda m: f"{{i}}{translate_text(m.group(1))}{{/i}}", line)
return line
def translate_script(input_file, output_file):
with open(input_file, "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
lines = file.readlines()
translated_lines = []
i = 0
for line in lines:
i += 1
if is_file_reference(line):
translated_lines.append(line)
else:
translated_lines.append(process_line(line, i))
with open(output_file, "w", encoding="utf-8") as file:
file.writelines(translated_lines)
# Вказуємо файли для обробки
input_file = "script.rpy"
output_file = "translated_script.rpy"
translate_script(input_file, output_file)
heya. i'm looking at eventually getting to translations and stuff. i had several volunteers on the discord that were interested in helping out. i just haven't gotten a chance to try and manage it with everything else i'm juggling. i know there's a lot of people out there that have really been interested in reading the story in their own language. the first issue I've had is time but the second one mostly centers around how much slang i write with. it's going to be difficult to try to get that translated and still try and keep my original nonsense :p
Idk why this game needs access to all files on my phone to run but quickly deleted it once it kept asking permission.
hello, to clarify here, i'm going to assume that you're talking about the android port. If you download from this site or from my patreon page, those are safe downloads because I upload them myself. if you find the game on any other site, I can't control if someone has tampered with it. but assuming that you downloaded from here, the android port may ask permission to access pictures on some, but not all devices. It's not accessing your pictures or any of your personal data on your phone, it's asking permission to use pictures in general because the story backgrounds are jpg files (pictures) and because the game needs to access those to actually have graphics, and because you downloaded the game and the game pictures are now technically stored on your phone: it's asking your permission to access the pictures stored in the game data. privacy is a big deal to me so as long as you're using an official version of the game from these sites, you should be safe. if you have further questions about it, i'd be happy to answer those or you can just pop onto our discord page and ask in real time.
the project operates solely on donation. there will never be ads and no data farming or selling of stuff or anything like that. i can't stand that stuff and despise when companies do it to me. the last thing i'd ever do is create something that takes things from people.
Short and sweet... Thank you. Who knew so many people would share such similar experiences. From beginning to end your story is beautifully told and it has made me feel so much better. Also, you can f*** right off with that little "glitch" on the title card at the end. Once again, thank you so much for creating this and I CANNOT wait until you get the revamp done. <3
haha, sorry about that glitch. dont hate me :p
but thank you so much for playing and for taking the time to reach out and say you enjoyed it. really appreciate the time. we'll see where things go after the revamp :)
I have NEVER had a book hangover so much. There are few books where I relate to the characters so well. I finished it 3 days ago and I still think about the character arcs. I relate so much to Zack and I'm going through his rollercoaster of emotions through his story - omg I was crying more than I'd like to admit. I'm really toying with downloading the v0.21 to finish the story or ride the hangover a bit longer in anticipation for the next update.
You have an amazing gift for storytelling. Thank you for sharing it with us. I can't wait to see what journey you take us on next.
thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and sorry for the hangover :p I will say there is still a pretty substantial drop in quality in the original compared to the Revamp even if you picked it up from the current update but if you're just looking for the story, it'll get you there. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to check in and post. i really appreciate the time and energy <3
i created an account just to comment this.
i am not the type of guy who likes reading visual novels, it just feels cheesy to me. i had this idea that they are just smuts you could read fast thanks to the support of the visuals. i have no idea why i even clicked on this, just a random urge after seeing the cover and the title, expecting nothing but a shallow story which directly leads into meaningless NSFW scenes after a few scenes.
"+hey i am X. i am new to the school.
-hey, i am Y, do you like nasty gay p***?
+sure!"
that was when i found myself 6 hours deep into the story, fully invested in it. mind you it has been years since i have read anything at all.
it is just such a well written story that takes it time and does not rush. it reflects on real life struggles well. the thoughts of Zack were extremely touching to read and relatable. being from a homophobic country and family, I saw myself in Zack, and even more interestingly, found myself craving for such an innocent but also an intense experience. i must say i spend a few days being sad over this craving. who envies pixels and words right? well, the way you used those did that to me.
it has been two weeks and i still think about this story, but i feel happy that i randomly clicked on this. i think it changed something in my brain chemistry. i find myself enjoying small moments of my life rather than speedrunning it. i enjoy small steps in all my relationships and approaching better to disagreements, knowing the other person might have a different perspective of the story. never have i thought a daily ":)" session would lead me to such a touching piece of art.
heya. i'm glad you randomly clicked on it too. i really appreciate this perspective. i know everyone's experience is different-- particularly when you toss in location or cultures-- so it's really hard to write a definitive experience for anyone so i'm glad you could relate. I do think a lot of VNs could be a lot deeper. many do feel pretty flat and stuff and i just have a tendency in life to want to go deeper anyway. i know the slow burn isn't for everyone so i'm glad it hooked you. i'm glad i hooked you in a genre that normally is associated with cringy tropes to just put people into compromising sexual situations. i think things should matter in stories and i think there's power in making people wait for something or characters to really work for something. it just matters more to me then. thank you so much for reading. also, thank you so much for going the extra step just to create an account to leave a comment-- it doesn't go unnoticed and i appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. the world is a mess so stay safe out there, particularly since you're from a homophobic country. appreciate you <3
This is not just a game or a simple NSFW graphic novel. What starts as an interactive story where you click through events quickly turns into a deep, emotional experience that stays with you. This isnt some shallow game meant just to turn you on--it's a story that gets inside your head and evokes feelings you may never have experienced before.
When i first searched for a gay/bi NSFW game, I never expected to stumble upon something this unique. What started as a simple curiosity turned into an emotional journey that had me for hooked for days. This game makes you feel everything--excitement, desire, deep sadness, even tears. It forces you to think about your choices, about yourself, and maybe even about your entire life.
I played both the original version and the revamped edition. Each is unique in its own way. The first release is raw, giving you a direct look into the mind of the writer and his characters, who undergo immense growht in just a few months. The revamped version takes everything to another level. Even if you already played the first game, this new edition will hit you all over again--with even deeper emotions and more refined storytelling. You can truly see how much the writer has evolved, both in his writing style and in his reflection on life itself.
When i talked about this game with friends, i discovered something incredible. A bi friend of mine came out because of this novel. He first told me about 2 years ago, and it was this story that helped him understand and accept himself. When he heard about the revamped version, he was thrilled, but he no longer felt the need to be part of the community--because thanks to this novel, he had already found himself.
And that's the true power of this game: it doesn't just change your perspective--it might just change you life.
As the story wil yell you; Nothing lasts forever.
Big thanks to the creator of this story and I wish lots of love and encouragement for finishing the Revamp.
this was an amazing read and thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment. to say i'm humbled by such words is an understatement but it made me smile and i want to thank you so much. thanks for taking the story seriously despite the genre. i know an adult game that hits heavy isn't for everyone but i'm grateful for all of those who have enjoyed it. i also would ask that you thank your friend for playing and reading. i'm truly honored to have played even a slight role in his own journey. that's truly remarkable and i don't even know him but i'm proud of him anyway. everyone deserves self-acceptance and peace. but please tell him that i said thank you for reading and for recommending it to you. really glad you shared this. all the best to you both <3
personally i love both version, i dont know why when i first read this i got pretty emotional, jpb well done mate.
heya, thanks a lot. sorry about all the feels. i like the deep dive, i guess :)
thanks for reading <3
SPOILERS******* Hi! I really really enjoyed this. I downloaded the revamp and played through it in 24 hours or so. Writing is great, characters are relatable. I love both MC's. I do not know, because I am ignorant, but is the "ending" where it says "to be continued" a definite ending or is there more to come? Pardon my dumb question, I just do not know if I downloaded the correct version.
heya :)
so there's 2 versions. the revamp only goes up to most of chapter 7 right now. it currently "ends" with a "to be continued" screen. that screen simply means i'm still working on the next update. all updates are released episodically so when v16 drops it'll just pick up where v15 left off and finish off chapter 7. There's 10 chapters in the full story.
the original v0.21 version is the full story. it has all 10 chapters and ends with a clear ending. that version, however, is way less quality and is basically the rough draft. the revamp will eventually follow that story with the same ending.
hopefully that helps. if you still have questions, you can certainly ask :)
Thank you so much!!
np. if you get stuck, just ask. also have a discord server too that i'm on almost daily. if i can't help you, someone else from the community will :)
SPOILERS***** I finished the story and I cannot tell you how happy I am at how it ended, at the same time heart-sick that it is over? *wink*. I would like to help in any way that I can to keep this story going. Too many of these have been abandoned; please, do not let that happen to this. What a beautiful and important story.
thank you so much and i'm glad you enjoyed the ending. i worked hard on that thing to check a lot of boxes. i have no intention of abandoning it. i agree, the majority of these are abandoned but i think that's because people dont realize how much friggen work it is. i'm here for the long haul and hopefully the revamp, once complete, will do the full story justice
Loved it. Thanks for sharing this story with us. It'll probably be a long time before I come back to it to replay, but I do still look forward to the finished revamped version. Still feels like there's a lot to go, not because you haven't made progress, but because the last remaining chapter(s) is pretty big. Though I am curious what you'll wind up changing as you refine the script for the revamp.
I love how it unfolds so slowly and carefully. Any other VN like this would be way shorter and feel rushed, but for the most part, at least with the revamp, everything felt paced really well. Anyway, again, thanks for the great story. Ciao.
there really is a lot left to go. ton of things that happen that continue to really impact the story. in my head, the park was the halfway point but once i started writing stuff, i think the last 3 chapters are probably 50% of the game. originally, i expected to move quickly through the later parts of the game but now i'm not sure. this v15 update was harder than anything i've done before so i'm not sure. seriously appreciate you reading and dont worry about the re-read if you never get around to it. i'm not much one for re-reads myself-- especially how friggen long this story is. but, i do hope i'm able to pull something off in the revamp for the ending. thank you so much for reading and thanks for letting me know what you thought :)
I started this VN wit the revamp, but the current ending got mee squirrmmiinng. I couldn't help myself and finished the rough draft. Now I am crying, for the ending or because I can never experience this masterpiece for the first time again? Well... yes
Brilliant writing and brilliant storytelling. I am not into VN's but this might be the sole exception (and any of your future works [this is a plea attempt]).
haha, aww, thank you so much. i'm humbled to be your exception-- seriously glad you found me and gave this project a chance. i'm hoping the revamp continues at it's current pace all the way to that ending (shhhh, no spoilers :p)
thanks again. seriously <3
In he future, once the revamp is done, is there a possibility of a sequel >.<
SLIGHT SPOILER!!! READ NO FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY
Like what is up with Zack's family and how did both of the guys react to Braden's family T.T
so my official answer on any sequels or follow-ups has been that right now, i have nothing planned but i also didn't plan much of this story. i sorta write as i go. but, without saying spoilers, i worked hard on the end to check a lot of boxes for a lot of different types of readers. essentially a sequel would have to undo most of that work. i'm open to doing that but there would have to be a purpose to it. everything in the story really has a purpose so a sequel or continuation would be the same way. so the only way i'd really want to continue the story is if i feel like i could do it better than the first one. lot of sequels anymore just seem like a cash grab and i'm not about that life.
Ngl, u checked like every single box 😭 ending was immaculate. Just shows u truly in it for the story and to inspire. We love a woke king. Great work man, you outdid yourself. Best of luck with the future chapter revamp
thank you so much. really appreciate the energy <3
A great game until the end, among other VNs I've played, this one has been more exciting, intriguing and charming, in this last update I was like a little girl screaming seeing her biggest shipp kissing, it was interesting to say the least, I look forward to the future that you will bring to this beautiful story of Zack, hugs and take care
hehe, glad you like the new update and i'm glad you appreciate the depth in the genre. don't worry, we're not even close to the end yet. there's still a lot of story left. thank you so much for reading and sticking with this thing. really appreciate it <3
Awww, I'm the one who's grateful for the story you're bringing to us, by the way, I'm thinking about trying to create a story and make a game my way, so I wanted to know what you use to make the scenarios, characters, etc., I hope it's not too much to ask :3
heh, if you're asking me for tips on this process: i'm terrible, lmao. i legit just figure it out as i go. i'm awful at outlines and planning and stuff like that, so i dont have a ton of tips for the writing aspect. i did write a post on my patreon a little while ago to people who are trying to do this for themselves-- just things that worked for me and if any of those help, feel free to use what applies to you. in terms of the art program, i use DAZ3D and Blender the programming software is Renpy. other than that, i just sit over here and google shit and try to figure out how to make the picture that's in my head :)
Game Advice Post
oh, you can be sure I'll check out the patreon content, if I wasn't so poor I would 100% support it, even though it doesn't seem like much, you helped me with what you said, I'm happy and excited to try to do something good like yours, thanks again and sorry for the time I took from you, hugs and take care
I have a hard time believing there was "no previous storytelling experience" here. Granted, I’m only reading the Revamp for now, but let me say a few things.
I have a serious love-hate relationship with coming-of-age stories. As a gay man, that relationship is even more intense when the coming-of-age revolves around one's sexual orientation. As for NSFW games, I usually just straight-up dislike them—at best, they make me cringe.
I stumbled upon Straight!? completely by chance, and I’ll admit, my initial interest was just barely enough to make me download and launch it. It took me less than five minutes to decide I wanted to spend the next five hours playing (which, as a busy adult juggling two jobs, meant waking up with some serious dark circles the next morning—but also the satisfaction of an incredibly enjoyable read).
I’m an author. I’ve published a few novels, worked as a game writer, and now I write interactive fiction. I’ve never made a visual novel, so I can’t speak professionally on that aspect. But honestly, I found the visual side secondary to your writing. It’s engaging, irreverent, sometimes all over the place—but in the best way possible. It captures overthinking brilliantly and does an even better job portraying what it feels like to talk more to yourself than to the rest of the world. On top of that, it does so with excellent vocabulary, deliberate word choices, rhetorical flourishes, and digressions that may not always be essential but add so much flavor.
Which brings me back to my initial comment. I came here specifically to find a way to reach out and congratulate you (then I realized there’s a comment section—ironic, considering I’ve posted here myself… very Zack of me). I ended up rereading the intro and literally blurted out a very loud WHAT?! upon seeing that you had "no previous storytelling experience." Now, of course, that means I’ll have to check out the "original rough draft"—and if I don’t see a clear improvement, I’ll have no choice but to seethe with envy.
Jokes aside, my compliments are 100% genuine. You’ve got a gem on your hands. I really hope to see this on Steam someday—it would be an instant, proud purchase for me. And please don’t stop here—if this is what you can do with zero prior experience, I cannot wait to see what you’ll create after Straight!?.
Wishing you all the best.
Heya :)
First off, thanks for the note and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I read this late last night and it made me smile before bed so thanks for that. it just means a lot that you felt compelled to leave a comment and that the story gripped you that quickly when you weren't really that interested to start with. that's a very flattering compliment and i'm grateful for it.
I'm always intimidated when someone leaves a comment and says they're an author or writer-- it's not necessarily the their writing experience that intimidates but it's more that I assume they have the executive knowledge on how to plan things or put pieces together. it's always enjoyable to read something that just clicks or feels planned out or surprises me. good stories do that but i'm also not great at planning things. i sorta just shoot from the hip and listen to the vibes I get from a scene then i just roll with it. i also have to edit dozens of times because i'm honestly a pretty scattered person so rough drafts will never see the light of day and probably read more like borderline psychosis :p
But thank you for your kind words. Yeah, no fictional writing experience here at all. I have a masters in clinical psych that i finished a few years ago so i've written papers n stuff for all that but that's it. This entire project started with a dare from a friend after i was complaining that a TV show we were watching had bad writing. he said if i thought i could do better than i should so i started fucking around. It's also another reason why i picked the adult genre-- if it turned out that i couldn't write, people tend to be more forgiving about the writing when it comes to all the porny games. your comments made me laugh about my style-- cause you nailed it. "irreverent" and "talking more to yourself than the rest of the world." I'm a bit dramatic and chaotic but it's honestly kinda fun when things work out. i'm always humbled when another writer pays me a compliment like this so thank you. thanks for taking the time to read and for thinking of me to reach out.
I would like to get on Steam but i just haven't gotten around to it yet. Too many things to do when your'e working on a project mostly solo so i fight the battles i can.
(However, if you do try the original version, go easy on me. the beginning is rough but eventually i took the gloves off. the community gave me a lot of encouragement to write the story i wanted to and i eventually just said fuck it and started writing in my own style around chapter 6-- yet another reason for the revamp).
all the best to you as well. stay safe out there and all the luck with your own projects and stuff, i may check em out <3
Hey!
I'm genuinely happy that I made you smile; that was my main goal. I also understand your anxiety when it comes to other writers—or rather, I have low self-esteem, so I get anxiety in general, lol. But really, you don’t need to worry about it. I just mentioned it to emphasize how much I understand the difficulty behind writing, not to promote myself (especially since half of my work isn’t even in English). Don’t feel obligated to "return the favor" or anything :-)
I also understand the difference with writing "papers and stuff" (here comes another unsolicited personal note...). After my master’s, I made the poor decision to stay in academia, and now I’m doing a PhD. The competitiveness in the field really requires you to do research with one hand and write articles with the other... So, I know very well how academic writing has nothing to do with writing fiction. Kudos to you for reaching this level of skill without previous experience in fiction writing, specifically!
This brings me to a question I forgot to ask earlier; if it’s too personal to answer, don’t worry. The fact that you have the same academic background as the protagonist and use his avatar as your profile picture got me thinking. Is it an autobiographical story? How much of the story is based on your own experiences?
(I’m at the beginning of chapter five, so feel free to stay vague!)
Thanks again for your heartfelt response, I really appreciate it.
heya, good luck on the PhD stuff. i was actually going to do mine but got talked out of it. in the psych world it's pointless unless you wanna teach or specifically be a psychologist-- which honest i wasn't interested in because i dont like testing stuff. otherwise, you can do all the same stuff with a masters and it's a waste of money. ton of writing and work though so i wish you luck-- and most importantly- sanity.
So Str8 isn't a true story. all of the characters are fictional and i quite literally make things up as i went. only had one original outline and it was a messy flow chart. i didn't plan much ahead because i liked the story and characters and i didn't wanna be spoiled either so i only outlined updates one at a time with only a couple benchmarks throughout the story i was interested in hitting. i wrote a pretty detailed post about this on my Patreon page that i can link here if you're interested in all the details.
True Story?
Why and Adult Game?
Aaaaand, it hit ENTER too quickly. but thanks again for the kind words and holy crap, you said all those nice things before you got out of Chapter 5? you're not even to the good stuff yet. i think it starts to pick up in chapter 5. 6 was the game changer for a lot of people back in the day. i still get mail about that chapter and i was really intimidated and excited to get to it for the revamp
Thank you for the links! Your reflection on how developing one's identity is at the core of self-acceptance was really interesting. I have to admit I also laughed quite a bit at the game being an "anxiety simulator" because... yeah, it's true.
I'm serious, I really appreciated everything even before starting chapter 5! If you tell me these things, then I can't wait to continue playing. In the meantime, I’m recommending it to people I know :-)
I really like this updates ending. Unlike some of the other update endings where I went "NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!". That's because I played the original version from start to finish so I knew what was coming lol. But this updates ending was a really nice one and I wish all of them would be like that (I know wishful thinking lol). well keep up the great work and I look forward to the next update as well as any other projects you might do in the future :)
oh thanks. yeah, this is one of the endings where we get to breathe a little. the original game update usually stopped at cliffhangers but there were a few updates that just really needed to have some closure (i think chapter 6 had that too). i really like to try and stop endings at places that i think are important or need to sorta echo. my personal preference for the story is to read it one update at a time just because it forces you to stop and sit with certain things and i just like that. really appreciate the read and interest in the story and hope you continue to enjoy the revamp. i was really happy how this one turned out in comparison to the original. thing has come a long ways :)
Do you ever think you'll add this to steam once the revamp is done?
I'd honestly like to get it put on Steam before it's complete but we'll see. it's on my list. i just haven't gotten there yet
Ah, great to know it's on the list somewhere. I did a complete playthrough of the original nearly 1 year ago to the day, so I'll be sure to support when/if that happens ^^
Adding steam achievements on top would be even better. I love collecting them.
i thought i recognized the name. the Steam thing will take some hoops to jump though but i would like to do it and my goal is to make it free like it is everywhere else. i'm a big achievement fan, myself, but i'm not sure how it would fit into this game because it's so linear but it's something i can keep in mind :)
i love love love the game, just did a third maybe 4th play through, are you at all planning a second game for after they graduate maybe? totally fine if not
heya, thanks so much for playing and for letting me know you're enjoying it. you've also probably played it as many times as i have and i wrote the damn thing, lmao. but that's honestly amazing that you've enjoyed it that much and i hope you continue to-- especially the revamp 'cause it's waaaay better. no plans for a sequel right now. i'm just taking one thing at a time. i tend to do a better job when i do that :)
nice! i love it, thanks for the answer!
I just finished the rough draft and this story caught me off guard. I never expected to cry playing a NSFW game!
Zack and Braden's story is truly special. I can't wait to start playing through the revamp and see all the enhancements to the visuals and the story itself!
awww, sorry about the tears. if it makes you feel better i cried writing the damn thing in a few spots. thank you so much for playing and checking it out and for popping on here to leave a comment-- it helps me a ton. if you enjoyed the original, def check out the revamp then-- it feels like an entirely new experience. i'm actually still motivated and enjoying making it. thanks so much <3
Well if it makes you feel better they were happy tears at the end! <3
I can't describe how much I love this story. I'm a student living on scholarship. I really want to support you but I can't right now. But I will support you as soon as I can. It's the least I can do for the good feeling I get from this game. Thank you so much for releasing it for free. I love you so much
ayyy, thanks so much for playing and leaving a comment. First off, i'm really glad you're enjoying the story and i'm really glad that the free version helps accommodate that student lifestyle. now the most important part: prioritize that school stuff and don't stress yourself out trying to figure out a way to support the project. you already have. you downloaded it, you played it, and you took time out of that insanely busy school lifestyle to leave a comment. comments and reviews and things like that over here help boost my visibility so that others can find the game. if you think you have a debt here: it's already paid-- you made me smile. Seriously, take care of your school stuff and if the game gives you a break then i'm insanely grateful to be part of that process. don't worry about the financial stuff over here. people have been generous and i'm not a greedy person. i'd rather you took care of yourself first. the game will be here regardless and i'm grateful you're part of this thing now. if you still feel like you want to help out and stuff, you can always follow me on socials, repost, or recommend the game to others. but you've done enough already. good luck on all that school stuff and thanks again for reading <3