I love the game the way it is. It is a romantic, yet not cringy story with a perfect touch of kinkiness. The characters' personality has been very well-developed, and it makes the whole story feel very authentic and relatable. I am glad it isn't just porn. I wish it never finished. You really did a great job.
My only complaint about the latest update is how sometimes it freezes in my phone and I have to restart.
glad you're enjoying it. it's a weird mix i think with the story and adult content but hopefully you can see that the adult content has it's purpose and place in the story and isn't just there to be porny. Sorry you're having trouble with the phone version. I haven't gotten a chance to test it cause I dont have access to android. If you're getting any specific errors or anything tho, i may be able to help with that
The adult content definitely has its purpose and the story is great, I love the two main characters and their insecurities. It's a delightful middle point between the "family-friendly love stories" where nothing steamy ever happens and some erotic fan fictions with a lot of sex but weak stories. The visual novel concept is great concept in my opinion, even more when we can choose different options that change the story. I wish there were more games like this. So I just want to thank you again for your work.
The game works fine most of the time in my phone, but sometimes the screen goes black. There's no error code anywhere, I just see a completely black screen. This has happened to me about five or six times, it was either when I turned off the screen for just a minute (like a small toilet break), or I checked a notification from another app. Once the screen goes black there's no way back, I didn't see any way to "unfreeze it" and the game didn't restart in its own either. Clicking the game from the menu didn't have any effect, so I had to close the game manually (force closed) and I lost my unsaved progress. Luckily, the auto-saving feature works, so I didn't lose too much progress.
My phone is a Poco X3 Pro with Android 11, Snapdragon 860, 6GB RAM DDR4 and 128GB UFS 2.1. It isn't a big deal anyway.
Hmm... i'm new to posting the android port. I have a guy that does it for me but one of the issues with android is they're all so different so it could be a snag with your phone type or something. I haven't heard anyone on the discord mention it going dark and they're pretty good about letting me know things that are messed up. It also could be bugging out with the screen shut off. I actually dont have a way to test android yet. I'm gonna work on getting an emulator on my desktop and see if i can test it that way but I usually just depend on the community to let me know if things are running smoothly. I do the same thing with the MAC port. Sorry about it acting up though. that's annoying to have to keep restarting it though. i can ask around and see if anyone else has mentioned it
Hey, this game was one of the first that I have played on this website. I am really invested in your story. And the fact that I'd be in college in very few months as a bi guy (almost gay if you don't count specific attractive women lmao) makes me relate to Zack so much. Actually, I relate to every protag in the game. The story is very captivating, and I hope you would make a sequel or a new story (if you want to ofc). fr tho I just surfed around to find some ridiculous smut but ended up finding your amazing game instead. Thank you. :)
Glad you like it. I still have a lot of work left to do on this one so we'll see where things are then. One more story-based update then I'm gonna start polishing the beginning--which will hopefully seem new and be a better experience than this draft version is. That gives me time to plan future projects too
i had to make an account to say i love your story i have never seen a game like this before and i started just a few weeks ago. i have seen every update this story has and its made me laugh, almost cry, and feel so much happiness. im sad to think that this story is about to end i have never even read a full book in my life but this story has kept me on the edge of my seat. i pray that you manage to keep this story going maybe like a season 2 of there next semester. im pretty sure everyone who has followed the story so far would agree to another 20 updates or ever 100 as this is beyond the best story i have read please keep an open mind before closing the story for good
I always appreciate when people make an account just to make a comment on the project. I promise to keep an open mind. If there's a story to tell, it will always be considered, for this project or any other
heh, no way. This is my first anything. Never written a story or done game design. I was a psych major. I’m learning as I go. That’s why it hopefully gets better as you play through it
well for your first I would have to say it's amazing work and I hope it never ends. the story between Braden and Zack is amazing I just hope you can continue to make more parts to this story. I never want it to end I had many sleepless nights reading and playing through it but since it's the first semester I think there is potential for a second semester or summer break. from the work you put into it already I know you got the potential to pull off a lot more with this
we'll see. there's a fine line between continuing the story and running it into the ground, ya know? I don't want to have one of those projects where someone says "the first two are good then it falls apart." So i'm going to be strategic about that... for all of us
This update was fantastic, I can't wait for the new update even if I know it will be the last one. Even if you said that the story will end soon, I still hope that something will happen in the universe and you will continue the story, I think there would be many more ways to continue the story. :))) 👍👍👍
i'm keeping an open mind. if there's a story to tell, we could tell it but i dont wanna run it into the ground either. But thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you liked this last one :)
Ok I understood your point of view, but this update made me very excited, so I need to wrote a possible continuation of the story😅🙈🙈
For example in the next update Braden and Zack should have their first time, but because Zack feels insecure it stops, and the relationship between Braden and Zack will become strange especially due to the fact that they will not stay together because the summer vacation has started . Zack returns home where he meets another boy (new character), with whom he will have a rather strange relationship because he is still thinking about Braden. Zack and his boyfriend will go to a concert (or somewhere else) and meet Braden, then Zack's new boyfriend understands that Zack has strong feelings for Braden and decides to go back without Zack, leaving him with Braden. Zack goes home to Braden and stays there for a while, because Braden was happy to meet Zack again. Eventually they have their first time and the story ends when the two start the next semester as a couple. (When Zack goes home to Braden he may meet his parents, who did not agree with gay people, this may be a reason why Braden did not understand why he likes Zack)
(P.S. the game is too cool and I'm very excited I'll probably get back to normal in the next few days)😁👍
No spoilers (at least not meant to be) I said in a previous comment but that was just before the end... GREAT WRITING!! Ash is the man!! IMHO I think this is worthy of all sorts of awards! I know you said there is one more update (I think) and I guess like it has been mentioned in the story (maybe not word for word) All good things must come to an end... I am going to miss these characters in the end!! Mystery, Joy, Sadness, Humor... all there! Great Job!
Well thank you. I def get enough awards; people comment and say nice things about the project all the time and it really does mean a lot. Glad you enjoyed it. It really does check a lot of boxes but i'm pretty random with stuff and the story really bounces around like that--could be a good or bad thing but life is kinda like that, ya know :) thanks for the kind words <3
I probably need a new update, because when you immerse yourself in the story, the game time runs out very quickly. Maybe it's because this game is amazing and I really like it. Great compliment to the developers and I hope to continue.
I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the whole game and before I finish with what I think is the end of version v0.20.5 your story telling appears to have grown along with the characters. Hope to see more from you both Aaryn and Blayke!!
i appreciate this. I think it's grown too. Somewhere around chapter 6 i said fuck it and started doing my own thing and i think it turned out much better than any attempt to do what the genre was already doing. Just another reason why i really wanna go back and polish the first part of the game
I’ve just finished the new update.. I don’t want to say too much for those who’ve yet to experience it. All I will say is: daaaaamn.. that last little bit got me. I think it’s my favourite update so far.
I’m sad that this will soon come to an end.. it’s just helped in so many ways. Having grown up in small town England, sexuality wasn’t always the easiest thing to deal with, so these characters hit hard!
The way you write.. the language you use to express emotions, anxieties, inner struggles, and the complexities of sexuality has a way of just cutting right through to me and I’ll miss that! I’m obviously nowhere near as eloquent as you, and to say “thank you” just seems a bit hollow.. but thank you. You honestly have no idea quite how much this story has meant to me. It’s the first visual novel I’ve experienced, and it’s easily one of my favourite novels visual or otherwise. I know I’ll be coming back to it over and over again, and I can’t wait to see what you do in the future. Honestly you’re amazing <3
i appreciate you and i can empathize with your struggle. That's one of the reasons I'm sharing this in the first place and it's one of the primary reasons that it remains free. Thank you for your kind words. I really do put a lot into this so I enjoy hearing realistic reactions to it like this. These comments give me life <3
It's up now. I'm only able to post one mirror here so i use the one with no download limits. If you have problems or it's slow, try my post here with alternatives
I'm not sure why it's doing that; I've never heard of that one before and I've had well over 100k downloads. I did just post v0.20.5 though so try that one. It's a new download link and it has an extra 2 hours of content on it too and let me know if you have problems. You can also try my Patreon post (it's a free post) here with alternate mirrors. One of those should work for you (hopefully). If not, let me know and we'll figure something out
i dont think i would get tired playing this game. i downloaded it first while i was just h at the time but while playing, it really made me enlightened and think about the choices that ive made in life. im not done playing but i know i would be playing this over and over. if i only have money i wouldve went to patreon already. i really love the game and im glad i decided to download it. thank you so much for exisiting and creating this game💜💜💜
heh. glad the game made you think. that means a lot. I've put a lot of thought into it so it's nice to see that pay off. Stay tuned, new free version comes out tomorrow
The game is absolutely fantastic, the story is full of intrigue, funny moments and sometimes embarrassing moments. This game is the best, the graphics are also very good and the characters are wonderful.
AAAAAAA !!!!
I'm waiting for the new update!
I hope you will make the game as long and interesting as possible, with new characters and romantic moments between the main characters.
You did a very very good job, I can't wait to play the new version and many many other versions after that.
So in short I wanted to say that there could not be a better game, with an extraordinary story and characters.
unfortunately, yes. The way I do the coding forces you to have to start a new game each time and download each game update in its entirity. but then you can jump to the beginning of the update right after clicking new game The only way i've figured out to get around this is to code in everything in advance and there's 2 ways that's impossible : 1) i dont plan a lot of the story in advance and just write it in real time, and 2) people tend to look through the code to try and find clues or spoilers.
no ETA on it yet. i just started working on it and it'll likely take awhile since it's the conclusion. I'm anticipating the usual, which is a few thousand hours of dev time. it'll probably be fairly long but I wanna do it right.
In terms of saves, never use old saves after an update. If you click new game, you can just follow any prompts from there and it'll start you right at the end of the previous update. If there's any relevant choices to that specific update, it'll just ask you a couple questions to check those boxes again and you're good to go. You can't use the previous save but we basically recreate one in about 5 seconds
yes. the story will continue when i post the next update but you wont be able to use your old save but i always post a way to jump you right back to the end of the last update
At first, with the first two episodes I was like "ooh boy", I didn't like Zach nor the choices the game offered (it crept me out). But I kept playing, I'm not sure why, and I'm glad I did because the story improved with every chapter. And chapter 9, "Ash", I think it's gold: it got me emotional, I cried. And I loved the characters' growth (all of them), how I could connect with them in the end, the satisfaction of resolution in some subplots, etc.
So thanks for making this story and sharing it with us!
I think the story def improves over time. I made the early mistake of trying to cater to the norm of games back in 2017 rather than do my own thing. You gradually see me move away from that model as the story progresses. I can't wait to go back and fix the beginning part. it's a mess
oh nah. i'm not being hard. it's just a fact. things have improved and i've learned a lot with never doing any of this before so i want to go back and fix the beginning part and really make it my own like the ending is
I read this comment a few days ago on my phone and wanted to respond thoughtfully but, like you, I'm still sorta at a loss for words as well. So I'll say thank you and hope that it lands with the sincerity that I intend. This was just a really humbling post. I'm glad you had a good experience with it so thanks. I wish good health and safety to you as well <3
it's not a "sequel". It's the same base game here but adds the first half of chapter 10. So kinda like another episode of the current game that picks up right where the last one left off. But yes, that should be on the November 13 and it is free but we're still accepting donations but there's no obligation
heh, aww. thanks a lot. I haven't worked on any translations yet because there's a lot of work to be done to the beginning part and i dont want to waste the time of translators but hopefully that will be something we can do in the future
I'm hoping to launch v0.20 around this weekend sometime. I'm finishing tests and stuff on it now. That will go up on the Patreon site for $5 and up donations and then will be posted there and here for free 3 weeks after that.
It gets kinda weird with payment stuff because I use the automated system over on Patreon. Last update has had over 100k downloads so managing those individually would have been a nightmare. So over on Patreon, the update is unlocked for anyone who donates $5 during the month the update releases in. That's my hub and the main place that I keep managed and updated. It's kinda like paying for that "episode" if you will. That being said, if you paid $5 for each episode, the entire game gets really expensive and I'm not onboard with that so that's another reason that I release it for free 3 weeks later. But the donations are also how I fund the project but you can see that's voluntary.
Over here, on itchio, it's different. The game is still free but it's not regulated like that and I have no way to release the update over here separately behind a paywall. Over here, you can download free but you have an option to donate-it's not required. I don't like the idea of putting the game behind a required paywall because I've vehemently opposed charging for the game. I've marketed the financial aspect as "donations" since I'm not able to release on a regular schedule.
So short story is, if you donated over on Patreon, during October, you'd unlock it. If you just donated over here, you wouldn't. If that's a concern of yours and you feel it's unfair, let me know and I can try and work with you. I'm not here to take money from people and financial contributions to the project are strictly voluntary. I will mention, i'm not sure how to refund over here on itchio if that was a concern, i've never had anyone ask. Patreon has an easy system in place for that.
Hope that answers your question, if not, hit me up
Thx for the big explentation. Sad that i have to wait 3 weeks, I donated around may so i thought mayeb there was kind of record. Because you can click on the download and say that you've already paid than you need to fill in your email. And i thought with that you can also get it asap. But if it's to much wotk i understand and will just wait until it's free. Thank you
I'm not sure. I've had others suggest that but I haven't looked into it very seriously yet. My first concern is that Steam would charge me or make me charge others for the game when I specifically wanted it to be free. I'm not going to charge on one platform and make it free on others. My main focus thus far has been to get the update done then I usually take a little break between updates and focus on business stuff like that. I'm also not happy with the beginning part of the game and that needs redone before i dropped something on a large platform like Steam so that could be something for the revised edition in the future. I'm keeping things open... I'm just not charging for it so if Steam forces me to charge, I wouldn't use it
Yes, you will have to download the new version and start a New Game. However, when you click New Game, there's a prompt that will let you jump to the end of the last chapter and start Chapter 10. You won't have to play all the way back through. Using old saves will corrupt the save file and you WILL get errors and the game will crash. Some people tend to snoop in the code and look for game clues as spoilers so I never include things for future updates in the code. Because of that, you have to start a New Game with each update so that it loads all the new variables.
My god, I have to say the day I found out this game was available for Android devices, I was just jumping. There is no words to express how much I love your work of art. I'm sorry about my bad English, but my god, I love your work tbh. Cannot wait for the next update :"3 Thank you so much for everything *heart*
First of all, this was my first time playing/seeing one of theses and now I don't think I can get this out of mind. The characters, the story, the drama i love it all. I can't believe how accurate you got these characters like Zack reacts the same way I would and is way to relatable. The only thing I found that i was missing was for Braden to catch Zack in the act. And chapter 9 for what ever ending you chose was unbelievable and suspenseful. Can't wait for the next chapter and final release so I can replay scenario to see how the story evolves. Also wondering waht wil happen in next up coming scenes ;)
SO!! I decided to replay the game again and I'm just as sin love with it as I was before. What brought it on was seeing the update to getting it on android ( although I don't have one and I just recently got a new computer earlier this year. Currently I am on Part 2: Chp 5, so half way though it.
Getting to the point though on what I want to touch on. It did not cross my mind that Braden had a small tooth gap and it's so adorable. I feel the need to redraw the pic I did of him back in 2020. While playing though it this time around it also got me thinking how Braden's POV would be and how he felt when interacting with Zach, like just peaking through his mind, especially when it came to the nsfw parts LMAO.
The game still holds up since I first saw it and played through it and I'll continue to keep it as my hyperfixation even after it's done. I really wish AI had more people to talk about it because all I do is spam on my insta story about it.
ALSO ALSO, the second hand embarassment is way too strong because Zach fr be having the same thoughts as me. I'll def tag you on TWT when I do more art of them.
Funfact, Braden was my last piece before my last laptop broke, but now I got a tablet. I'm also planning on subscribing to your patreon, I can't keep missing content. Steady job so I'm ready to support tf outta you and seeing hte completion of this game.
Keep up the good work and don't push yourself too hard xoxo
I'll definitely leave another comment when I finish the rest of the parts again.
ok, this fan art is amazing and i love it! It's so humbling to see people draw your characters in their free time and words will never truly express how appreciative that I am, when people share stuff like this. I'd love to see more
i just went through the game again. It was different. Maybe my choices changed things. The first time Zach touched Braden's leg, but this time he stuck his hand down his underwear. Braden's explanation at the end of chapter 9 left me feeling much better this time. I am not sure if you made changes or I changed...I enjoyed the story even more this time through. Looking forward to the next update.
Yep, you probably chose differently this time. I've made a rule about not going back to change the way things play out. I think it's bad writing for me to go back in episodic story and change stuff. Once the game is finished, I plan to redo the beginning part specifically and make it more linear as well as improve the overall writing and stuff.
Straight? is my first visual novel. I love it. I am addicted to the genre now and can not get enough. This was my first and still my favorite. I just wanted to thank you.
I was going to wait until the next release and then try to get the android port but there's been a lot of demand for this recently so I'm pushing it up. Stay tuned. I'm working on one for v19.5 and I'll post here when I get it
This is one of the best games that I have ever played. Honestly was not what I was expecting. It sucked me in and I can't wait for the next chapter. What program did you use to make the characters and scenes? It looks great
heh, that's a bold statement to say it's one of the best games but thank you and I appreciate it. I use Daz3D for the art stuff. It's a free program but the assets cost. We've also used Blender to create some of the environments and movies
So I’m just gonna cut straight to the chase and say that this VN wasn’t what I was expecting when I originally downloaded it. I went in blind thinking that I was going to play another point and click erotica visual novel with some saucy scenes and be able to call it a day, but to say I was pleasantly surprised with the depth and emotional nature of the story would be a gross understatement.
I don’t really identify as a writer, don’t have the discipline despite having the imagination, but I’m generally a pretty hard person to please in terms of character development and character arcs, but what you’ve done with Zack and Braden’s story is pretty magical. I feel like the slowed pace of the novel adds a lot of weight to your narrative giving the reader time to really sit in their choices (which is probably why other commenters had such a visceral reaction to the pervy route in chapter 9 lmao). It’s not just some race to get to the saucier parts of the story (which admittedly are very much there and very enjoyable) or to the next H scene. Obviously no disrespect to VNs like that, it’s just refreshing to see a tender story of identity, friendship, and found family really be explored with this sense of solemnity and respect.
I’m hooked pretty heavily and even joined up on your Patreon so I could follow development more closely so I won’t be behind on how Zack and Braden’s relationship continues to grow and blossom. Not gonna lie though I love slow burn fluff and I’m really hoping to get to see the catharsis of Braden calling Zack his boyfriend at some point!
Heh, chapter 9 turned out to be one of my favs. I've been worried about that, fearing I'd hit the apex of the story much earlier--especially given how much I liked chapter 8 so I was honestly surprised how happy I was with it.
I'll also say thanks for jumping onboard for the Patreon support. That really does help and there's honestly a lot more content over there with some behind the scenes as well as more of the adult stuff if you're into that sorta thing. Thanks a lot of the warm words and for just saying that the story moved when when you identify as a tough critic; comments like that mean a lot to me
I'm gonna try and release an official android build before long. it's on my list, i'm just spending more time writing the next update and stuff versus those things but I'd like to have the next update on android
I feel like I'd want to do a more in-depth review after the story's been released in its entirety, but, for now, after two weeks of being unable to get this game out of my head, I want to say thank you.
Thank you for the long hours, stress, and effort you've put into this game. Thank you for creating something equal parts beautiful, magical, and so damn real. Thank you for putting into visuals the honest struggles that countless people are/have been dealing with on a regular basis, especially as a free download. Thank you for the balance of excitement, apprehension, and doubt throughout the meticulously-paced story that make those moments of payoff so much more worth it. Thank you for creating a compelling and authentic cast of characters, from their dialogue to their actions and thoughts, flaws and all. Thank you for introducing more genuine love in a market/world saturated with superficial bursts of lust.
And lastly, thank you for inspiring a fire of emotions (tears and all) within me that I've not felt in a long while, for crafting something that I've been craving out of media for years, and for showing me that I want to contribute to the world in a similar way.
I hope that the rest of development goes smoothly, and I'm so looking forward to what you have in store!
This was a really sincere post and I really appreciated it. Made me smile so I'm going to return your list of "thank you's" by saying thank you for taking the time to be thoughtful and just checking in about it. two weeks is a long time to be quasi-haunted by a game so I'm going to take that as a compliment, especially for this genre. Things are progressing and I hope the next installment lives up to the hype. This post meant a lot so thanks again. seriously <3
Definitely intended it to be a compliment! The more a game consumes my life, the better it is, and the glow still hasn't faded, haha. So the least I could do was share how much of an impact it's made. <3
no spoilers but hopefully things in the story will work out appropriately (i know, super lame answer). It's up to the characters more than it is me. I lost control of this thing a long time ago
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I love the game the way it is. It is a romantic, yet not cringy story with a perfect touch of kinkiness. The characters' personality has been very well-developed, and it makes the whole story feel very authentic and relatable. I am glad it isn't just porn. I wish it never finished. You really did a great job.
My only complaint about the latest update is how sometimes it freezes in my phone and I have to restart.
glad you're enjoying it. it's a weird mix i think with the story and adult content but hopefully you can see that the adult content has it's purpose and place in the story and isn't just there to be porny. Sorry you're having trouble with the phone version. I haven't gotten a chance to test it cause I dont have access to android. If you're getting any specific errors or anything tho, i may be able to help with that
The adult content definitely has its purpose and the story is great, I love the two main characters and their insecurities. It's a delightful middle point between the "family-friendly love stories" where nothing steamy ever happens and some erotic fan fictions with a lot of sex but weak stories. The visual novel concept is great concept in my opinion, even more when we can choose different options that change the story. I wish there were more games like this. So I just want to thank you again for your work.
The game works fine most of the time in my phone, but sometimes the screen goes black. There's no error code anywhere, I just see a completely black screen. This has happened to me about five or six times, it was either when I turned off the screen for just a minute (like a small toilet break), or I checked a notification from another app. Once the screen goes black there's no way back, I didn't see any way to "unfreeze it" and the game didn't restart in its own either. Clicking the game from the menu didn't have any effect, so I had to close the game manually (force closed) and I lost my unsaved progress. Luckily, the auto-saving feature works, so I didn't lose too much progress.
My phone is a Poco X3 Pro with Android 11, Snapdragon 860, 6GB RAM DDR4 and 128GB UFS 2.1. It isn't a big deal anyway.
Hmm... i'm new to posting the android port. I have a guy that does it for me but one of the issues with android is they're all so different so it could be a snag with your phone type or something. I haven't heard anyone on the discord mention it going dark and they're pretty good about letting me know things that are messed up. It also could be bugging out with the screen shut off. I actually dont have a way to test android yet. I'm gonna work on getting an emulator on my desktop and see if i can test it that way but I usually just depend on the community to let me know if things are running smoothly. I do the same thing with the MAC port. Sorry about it acting up though. that's annoying to have to keep restarting it though. i can ask around and see if anyone else has mentioned it
Hey, this game was one of the first that I have played on this website. I am really invested in your story. And the fact that I'd be in college in very few months as a bi guy (almost gay if you don't count specific attractive women lmao) makes me relate to Zack so much. Actually, I relate to every protag in the game. The story is very captivating, and I hope you would make a sequel or a new story (if you want to ofc). fr tho I just surfed around to find some ridiculous smut but ended up finding your amazing game instead. Thank you. :)
Glad you like it. I still have a lot of work left to do on this one so we'll see where things are then. One more story-based update then I'm gonna start polishing the beginning--which will hopefully seem new and be a better experience than this draft version is. That gives me time to plan future projects too
i had to make an account to say i love your story i have never seen a game like this before and i started just a few weeks ago. i have seen every update this story has and its made me laugh, almost cry, and feel so much happiness. im sad to think that this story is about to end i have never even read a full book in my life but this story has kept me on the edge of my seat. i pray that you manage to keep this story going maybe like a season 2 of there next semester. im pretty sure everyone who has followed the story so far would agree to another 20 updates or ever 100 as this is beyond the best story i have read please keep an open mind before closing the story for good
I always appreciate when people make an account just to make a comment on the project. I promise to keep an open mind. If there's a story to tell, it will always be considered, for this project or any other
is this your first story ? I would love to see more of your work if there is any
heh, no way. This is my first anything. Never written a story or done game design. I was a psych major. I’m learning as I go. That’s why it hopefully gets better as you play through it
well for your first I would have to say it's amazing work and I hope it never ends. the story between Braden and Zack is amazing I just hope you can continue to make more parts to this story. I never want it to end I had many sleepless nights reading and playing through it but since it's the first semester I think there is potential for a second semester or summer break. from the work you put into it already I know you got the potential to pull off a lot more with this
we'll see. there's a fine line between continuing the story and running it into the ground, ya know? I don't want to have one of those projects where someone says "the first two are good then it falls apart." So i'm going to be strategic about that... for all of us
This update was fantastic, I can't wait for the new update even if I know it will be the last one. Even if you said that the story will end soon, I still hope that something will happen in the universe and you will continue the story, I think there would be many more ways to continue the story. :))) 👍👍👍
i'm keeping an open mind. if there's a story to tell, we could tell it but i dont wanna run it into the ground either. But thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you liked this last one :)
Ok I understood your point of view, but this update made me very excited, so I need to wrote a possible continuation of the story😅🙈🙈
For example in the next update Braden and Zack should have their first time, but because Zack feels insecure it stops, and the relationship between Braden and Zack will become strange especially due to the fact that they will not stay together because the summer vacation has started . Zack returns home where he meets another boy (new character), with whom he will have a rather strange relationship because he is still thinking about Braden. Zack and his boyfriend will go to a concert (or somewhere else) and meet Braden, then Zack's new boyfriend understands that Zack has strong feelings for Braden and decides to go back without Zack, leaving him with Braden. Zack goes home to Braden and stays there for a while, because Braden was happy to meet Zack again. Eventually they have their first time and the story ends when the two start the next semester as a couple. (When Zack goes home to Braden he may meet his parents, who did not agree with gay people, this may be a reason why Braden did not understand why he likes Zack)
(P.S. the game is too cool and I'm very excited I'll probably get back to normal in the next few days)😁👍
haha, sounds like a ride. We'll see. There's still a lot that needs to happen before the credits roll. I'm still staying open tho
omg im so crying right now not going to spoil it by saying but damn.. that hit me hard. and now i cant wait for the next up date lol...... great work
heh, thanks. Glad people are still enjoying it after 20 updates now :)
No spoilers (at least not meant to be) I said in a previous comment but that was just before the end... GREAT WRITING!! Ash is the man!! IMHO I think this is worthy of all sorts of awards! I know you said there is one more update (I think) and I guess like it has been mentioned in the story (maybe not word for word) All good things must come to an end... I am going to miss these characters in the end!! Mystery, Joy, Sadness, Humor... all there! Great Job!
Well thank you. I def get enough awards; people comment and say nice things about the project all the time and it really does mean a lot. Glad you enjoyed it. It really does check a lot of boxes but i'm pretty random with stuff and the story really bounces around like that--could be a good or bad thing but life is kinda like that, ya know :) thanks for the kind words <3
I probably need a new update, because when you immerse yourself in the story, the game time runs out very quickly. Maybe it's because this game is amazing and I really like it. Great compliment to the developers and I hope to continue.
Glad you enjoyed it :)
I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the whole game and before I finish with what I think is the end of version v0.20.5 your story telling appears to have grown along with the characters. Hope to see more from you both Aaryn and Blayke!!
i appreciate this. I think it's grown too. Somewhere around chapter 6 i said fuck it and started doing my own thing and i think it turned out much better than any attempt to do what the genre was already doing. Just another reason why i really wanna go back and polish the first part of the game
I’ve just finished the new update.. I don’t want to say too much for those who’ve yet to experience it. All I will say is: daaaaamn.. that last little bit got me. I think it’s my favourite update so far.
I’m sad that this will soon come to an end.. it’s just helped in so many ways. Having grown up in small town England, sexuality wasn’t always the easiest thing to deal with, so these characters hit hard!
The way you write.. the language you use to express emotions, anxieties, inner struggles, and the complexities of sexuality has a way of just cutting right through to me and I’ll miss that! I’m obviously nowhere near as eloquent as you, and to say “thank you” just seems a bit hollow.. but thank you. You honestly have no idea quite how much this story has meant to me. It’s the first visual novel I’ve experienced, and it’s easily one of my favourite novels visual or otherwise. I know I’ll be coming back to it over and over again, and I can’t wait to see what you do in the future. Honestly you’re amazing <3
i appreciate you and i can empathize with your struggle. That's one of the reasons I'm sharing this in the first place and it's one of the primary reasons that it remains free. Thank you for your kind words. I really do put a lot into this so I enjoy hearing realistic reactions to it like this. These comments give me life <3
Ich freu mich schon endlos auf das Update.
It's posted. Hope you enjoy :)
Es ist mega klasse
Ich hab gelacht, geweint und fand es traumhaft schön
well, I've laughed and cried writing it so we shared that journey together. Thank you <3
Is the next update available yet?
It's up now. I'm only able to post one mirror here so i use the one with no download limits. If you have problems or it's slow, try my post here with alternatives
https://www.patreon.com/posts/58622767
Hii I'm trying to download it on my laptop but it always say "Network Error". Can someone help me :((
when its near the end of the download*
I'm not sure why it's doing that; I've never heard of that one before and I've had well over 100k downloads. I did just post v0.20.5 though so try that one. It's a new download link and it has an extra 2 hours of content on it too and let me know if you have problems. You can also try my Patreon post (it's a free post) here with alternate mirrors. One of those should work for you (hopefully). If not, let me know and we'll figure something out
https://www.patreon.com/posts/58622767
I'm already counting the hours for the new version🔥🥳
tomorrow at 9am Eastern time
i dont think i would get tired playing this game. i downloaded it first while i was just h at the time but while playing, it really made me enlightened and think about the choices that ive made in life. im not done playing but i know i would be playing this over and over. if i only have money i wouldve went to patreon already. i really love the game and im glad i decided to download it. thank you so much for exisiting and creating this game💜💜💜
heh. glad the game made you think. that means a lot. I've put a lot of thought into it so it's nice to see that pay off. Stay tuned, new free version comes out tomorrow
I just finished the game yesterday ...
The game is absolutely fantastic, the story is full of intrigue, funny moments and sometimes embarrassing moments. This game is the best, the graphics are also very good and the characters are wonderful.
AAAAAAA !!!!
I'm waiting for the new update!
I hope you will make the game as long and interesting as possible, with new characters and romantic moments between the main characters.
You did a very very good job, I can't wait to play the new version and many many other versions after that.
So in short I wanted to say that there could not be a better game, with an extraordinary story and characters.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE STORY!!!!!
haha. new update tomorrow when I get a chance to post it. There's plenty more funny and embarrassing moments :p
Just finished it. I cannot wait for more. Would i have to redownload it when the next one comes out?
unfortunately, yes. The way I do the coding forces you to have to start a new game each time and download each game update in its entirity. but then you can jump to the beginning of the update right after clicking new game The only way i've figured out to get around this is to code in everything in advance and there's 2 ways that's impossible : 1) i dont plan a lot of the story in advance and just write it in real time, and 2) people tend to look through the code to try and find clues or spoilers.
where would I be able to get my saves. or will it find it. also when do you suppose the new update will come out
no ETA on it yet. i just started working on it and it'll likely take awhile since it's the conclusion. I'm anticipating the usual, which is a few thousand hours of dev time. it'll probably be fairly long but I wanna do it right.
In terms of saves, never use old saves after an update. If you click new game, you can just follow any prompts from there and it'll start you right at the end of the previous update. If there's any relevant choices to that specific update, it'll just ask you a couple questions to check those boxes again and you're good to go. You can't use the previous save but we basically recreate one in about 5 seconds
So I can continue my progress?
yes. the story will continue when i post the next update but you wont be able to use your old save but i always post a way to jump you right back to the end of the last update
honestly I'm not one to get "excited" over cartoons but the way the story is laid out got me a few times. can't wait for more.
Glad it was an exception :)
This game is not what I expected (luckily)
At first, with the first two episodes I was like "ooh boy", I didn't like Zach nor the choices the game offered (it crept me out). But I kept playing, I'm not sure why, and I'm glad I did because the story improved with every chapter. And chapter 9, "Ash", I think it's gold: it got me emotional, I cried. And I loved the characters' growth (all of them), how I could connect with them in the end, the satisfaction of resolution in some subplots, etc.
So thanks for making this story and sharing it with us!
I think the story def improves over time. I made the early mistake of trying to cater to the norm of games back in 2017 rather than do my own thing. You gradually see me move away from that model as the story progresses. I can't wait to go back and fix the beginning part. it's a mess
Don't be hard on yourself, you are doing a great job !
oh nah. i'm not being hard. it's just a fact. things have improved and i've learned a lot with never doing any of this before so i want to go back and fix the beginning part and really make it my own like the ending is
I read this comment a few days ago on my phone and wanted to respond thoughtfully but, like you, I'm still sorta at a loss for words as well. So I'll say thank you and hope that it lands with the sincerity that I intend. This was just a really humbling post. I'm glad you had a good experience with it so thanks. I wish good health and safety to you as well <3
Is it true that you are going to release the free sequel to the game on the 13th?
it's not a "sequel". It's the same base game here but adds the first half of chapter 10. So kinda like another episode of the current game that picks up right where the last one left off. But yes, that should be on the November 13 and it is free but we're still accepting donations but there's no obligation
this game is so perfect and it's still translated into brazilian portuguese, if i had conditions i would donate more than 1000$
heh, aww. thanks a lot. I haven't worked on any translations yet because there's a lot of work to be done to the beginning part and i dont want to waste the time of translators but hopefully that will be something we can do in the future
You really created a great game was good how you conveyed the feeling and insurcurities most people have
When is the last update going to be completed?
v0.20 will hopefully come out tomorrow. After that, production will begin on the next update after that. v0.21 is set to be the last one
Hey, just wanted to say I LOVED the game, having played it for some hours already. Really nice story and dialogues. Can't wait to play further :)
Thank you. I really appreciate it <3
is the any news about when the update will come? I'm just so excited to see!!!
I'm hoping to launch v0.20 around this weekend sometime. I'm finishing tests and stuff on it now. That will go up on the Patreon site for $5 and up donations and then will be posted there and here for free 3 weeks after that.
If i paid for the game do i also get it this weekend?
It gets kinda weird with payment stuff because I use the automated system over on Patreon. Last update has had over 100k downloads so managing those individually would have been a nightmare. So over on Patreon, the update is unlocked for anyone who donates $5 during the month the update releases in. That's my hub and the main place that I keep managed and updated. It's kinda like paying for that "episode" if you will. That being said, if you paid $5 for each episode, the entire game gets really expensive and I'm not onboard with that so that's another reason that I release it for free 3 weeks later. But the donations are also how I fund the project but you can see that's voluntary.
Over here, on itchio, it's different. The game is still free but it's not regulated like that and I have no way to release the update over here separately behind a paywall. Over here, you can download free but you have an option to donate-it's not required. I don't like the idea of putting the game behind a required paywall because I've vehemently opposed charging for the game. I've marketed the financial aspect as "donations" since I'm not able to release on a regular schedule.
So short story is, if you donated over on Patreon, during October, you'd unlock it. If you just donated over here, you wouldn't. If that's a concern of yours and you feel it's unfair, let me know and I can try and work with you. I'm not here to take money from people and financial contributions to the project are strictly voluntary. I will mention, i'm not sure how to refund over here on itchio if that was a concern, i've never had anyone ask. Patreon has an easy system in place for that.
Hope that answers your question, if not, hit me up
Thx for the big explentation. Sad that i have to wait 3 weeks, I donated around may so i thought mayeb there was kind of record. Because you can click on the download and say that you've already paid than you need to fill in your email. And i thought with that you can also get it asap. But if it's to much wotk i understand and will just wait until it's free. Thank you
Hi I've done the download but I can't seem to get it started, I think I'm clicking on the wrong file
did you unzip it. the file comes compressed so it's smaller to download.
yes the file's unzipped but i'm not clear about what I do next
just double click the str8.exe file
will this be coming to steam?
I'm not sure. I've had others suggest that but I haven't looked into it very seriously yet. My first concern is that Steam would charge me or make me charge others for the game when I specifically wanted it to be free. I'm not going to charge on one platform and make it free on others. My main focus thus far has been to get the update done then I usually take a little break between updates and focus on business stuff like that. I'm also not happy with the beginning part of the game and that needs redone before i dropped something on a large platform like Steam so that could be something for the revised edition in the future. I'm keeping things open... I'm just not charging for it so if Steam forces me to charge, I wouldn't use it
if there is an update later, do I have to reinstall the application?
Yes, you will have to download the new version and start a New Game. However, when you click New Game, there's a prompt that will let you jump to the end of the last chapter and start Chapter 10. You won't have to play all the way back through. Using old saves will corrupt the save file and you WILL get errors and the game will crash. Some people tend to snoop in the code and look for game clues as spoilers so I never include things for future updates in the code. Because of that, you have to start a New Game with each update so that it loads all the new variables.
My god, I have to say the day I found out this game was available for Android devices, I was just jumping. There is no words to express how much I love your work of art. I'm sorry about my bad English, but my god, I love your work tbh. Cannot wait for the next update :"3 Thank you so much for everything *heart*
No worries at all. Your English looks really good and I appreciate the support. Stay tuned <3
First of all, this was my first time playing/seeing one of theses and now I don't think I can get this out of mind. The characters, the story, the drama i love it all. I can't believe how accurate you got these characters like Zack reacts the same way I would and is way to relatable. The only thing I found that i was missing was for Braden to catch Zack in the act. And chapter 9 for what ever ending you chose was unbelievable and suspenseful. Can't wait for the next chapter and final release so I can replay scenario to see how the story evolves. Also wondering waht wil happen in next up coming scenes ;)
glad you enjoyed the ride <3
Stay tuned. Hoping to get the next update out in October for Patreons so it would be free over here sometime in November *cross fingers*
SO!! I decided to replay the game again and I'm just as sin love with it as I was before. What brought it on was seeing the update to getting it on android ( although I don't have one and I just recently got a new computer earlier this year. Currently I am on Part 2: Chp 5, so half way though it.
Getting to the point though on what I want to touch on. It did not cross my mind that Braden had a small tooth gap and it's so adorable. I feel the need to redraw the pic I did of him back in 2020. While playing though it this time around it also got me thinking how Braden's POV would be and how he felt when interacting with Zach, like just peaking through his mind, especially when it came to the nsfw parts LMAO.
The game still holds up since I first saw it and played through it and I'll continue to keep it as my hyperfixation even after it's done. I really wish AI had more people to talk about it because all I do is spam on my insta story about it.
ALSO ALSO, the second hand embarassment is way too strong because Zach fr be having the same thoughts as me. I'll def tag you on TWT when I do more art of them.
Funfact, Braden was my last piece before my last laptop broke, but now I got a tablet. I'm also planning on subscribing to your patreon, I can't keep missing content. Steady job so I'm ready to support tf outta you and seeing hte completion of this game.
Keep up the good work and don't push yourself too hard xoxo
I'll definitely leave another comment when I finish the rest of the parts again.
heres the pic from 2020
ok, this fan art is amazing and i love it! It's so humbling to see people draw your characters in their free time and words will never truly express how appreciative that I am, when people share stuff like this. I'd love to see more
i just went through the game again. It was different. Maybe my choices changed things. The first time Zach touched Braden's leg, but this time he stuck his hand down his underwear. Braden's explanation at the end of chapter 9 left me feeling much better this time. I am not sure if you made changes or I changed...I enjoyed the story even more this time through. Looking forward to the next update.
Yep, you probably chose differently this time. I've made a rule about not going back to change the way things play out. I think it's bad writing for me to go back in episodic story and change stuff. Once the game is finished, I plan to redo the beginning part specifically and make it more linear as well as improve the overall writing and stuff.
Straight? is my first visual novel. I love it. I am addicted to the genre now and can not get enough. This was my first and still my favorite. I just wanted to thank you.
heh, well glad that you picked this one to start with and I'm honored that it's still your fav <3
Pls make this game available for android
I was going to wait until the next release and then try to get the android port but there's been a lot of demand for this recently so I'm pushing it up. Stay tuned. I'm working on one for v19.5 and I'll post here when I get it
Thanks😊
I'm gonna do a post but there's an Android link now thanks to DarkAssassin
Thank u veryy muchhh
<3
This is one of the best games that I have ever played. Honestly was not what I was expecting. It sucked me in and I can't wait for the next chapter. What program did you use to make the characters and scenes? It looks great
heh, that's a bold statement to say it's one of the best games but thank you and I appreciate it. I use Daz3D for the art stuff. It's a free program but the assets cost. We've also used Blender to create some of the environments and movies
So I’m just gonna cut straight to the chase and say that this VN wasn’t what I was expecting when I originally downloaded it. I went in blind thinking that I was going to play another point and click erotica visual novel with some saucy scenes and be able to call it a day, but to say I was pleasantly surprised with the depth and emotional nature of the story would be a gross understatement.
I don’t really identify as a writer, don’t have the discipline despite having the imagination, but I’m generally a pretty hard person to please in terms of character development and character arcs, but what you’ve done with Zack and Braden’s story is pretty magical. I feel like the slowed pace of the novel adds a lot of weight to your narrative giving the reader time to really sit in their choices (which is probably why other commenters had such a visceral reaction to the pervy route in chapter 9 lmao). It’s not just some race to get to the saucier parts of the story (which admittedly are very much there and very enjoyable) or to the next H scene. Obviously no disrespect to VNs like that, it’s just refreshing to see a tender story of identity, friendship, and found family really be explored with this sense of solemnity and respect.
I’m hooked pretty heavily and even joined up on your Patreon so I could follow development more closely so I won’t be behind on how Zack and Braden’s relationship continues to grow and blossom. Not gonna lie though I love slow burn fluff and I’m really hoping to get to see the catharsis of Braden calling Zack his boyfriend at some point!
Keep doing what you’re doing!
Heh, chapter 9 turned out to be one of my favs. I've been worried about that, fearing I'd hit the apex of the story much earlier--especially given how much I liked chapter 8 so I was honestly surprised how happy I was with it.
I'll also say thanks for jumping onboard for the Patreon support. That really does help and there's honestly a lot more content over there with some behind the scenes as well as more of the adult stuff if you're into that sorta thing. Thanks a lot of the warm words and for just saying that the story moved when when you identify as a tough critic; comments like that mean a lot to me
will be on android?
I'm gonna try and release an official android build before long. it's on my list, i'm just spending more time writing the next update and stuff versus those things but I'd like to have the next update on android
thanks!
I feel like I'd want to do a more in-depth review after the story's been released in its entirety, but, for now, after two weeks of being unable to get this game out of my head, I want to say thank you.
Thank you for the long hours, stress, and effort you've put into this game. Thank you for creating something equal parts beautiful, magical, and so damn real. Thank you for putting into visuals the honest struggles that countless people are/have been dealing with on a regular basis, especially as a free download. Thank you for the balance of excitement, apprehension, and doubt throughout the meticulously-paced story that make those moments of payoff so much more worth it. Thank you for creating a compelling and authentic cast of characters, from their dialogue to their actions and thoughts, flaws and all. Thank you for introducing more genuine love in a market/world saturated with superficial bursts of lust.
And lastly, thank you for inspiring a fire of emotions (tears and all) within me that I've not felt in a long while, for crafting something that I've been craving out of media for years, and for showing me that I want to contribute to the world in a similar way.
I hope that the rest of development goes smoothly, and I'm so looking forward to what you have in store!
This was a really sincere post and I really appreciated it. Made me smile so I'm going to return your list of "thank you's" by saying thank you for taking the time to be thoughtful and just checking in about it. two weeks is a long time to be quasi-haunted by a game so I'm going to take that as a compliment, especially for this genre. Things are progressing and I hope the next installment lives up to the hype. This post meant a lot so thanks again. seriously <3
Definitely intended it to be a compliment! The more a game consumes my life, the better it is, and the glow still hasn't faded, haha. So the least I could do was share how much of an impact it's made. <3
well, i really appreciate the time you took to do that so thank you :)
Since there is only one chapter left, please make them finally to have a sexual relation. We have been waiting for this for soooo long
no spoilers but hopefully things in the story will work out appropriately (i know, super lame answer). It's up to the characters more than it is me. I lost control of this thing a long time ago
When will the next episode be released? I'm so excited for the next parts. Great work, please let this project to keep going :D
I don't have a date yet but I'm crossing my fingers for October some time. No promises but I'm trying
I can't wait and I know you are doing your best. Amazing work! Thanks.
thanks a lot <3
I love this game, its history, everything (especially Braden), too bad that there is only one chapter left.
Thanks for the support. One more to go. Hopefully, it's worth it