Straight!? is a work in progress cinematic visual novel that specifically focuses on NSFW male/male and gay content. It is free-to-play and is funded solely from donations through sources like itch.io or Patreon. It is primarily created by one first-timedeveloper complimented by a small team of friends to help complete his first passion project.
Story
Straight!? is a coming-of-age tale that follows the main character, Zack, a 19-year-old student on his first day of college and the personal journey that ensues after he meets his new roommate: 18-year-old Braden. While Zack initially reports being comfortable with his attraction to guys, we slowly learn how truly uncomfortable he really is. As they grow closer, each is forced to embark on an existential journey to confront their own feelings on sexuality, attraction, labels, and the impact these have on the way they define their relationship, themselves, and the world around them. Along the line, we’ll meet a cast of supporting characters that will each challenge Zack and Braden in their own way as they try to put all the pieces of themselves together and come to terms with who they really are.
In contrast to many NSFW games, Straight!? is a realistic "slow burn" where the primary focus is on dialogue and character development. While there is NSFW content, it is used to enhance the story and the character interactions and to openly deal with issues related to sexuality without censorship. Players commonly report beginning the game with intent to speed through to NSFW scenes, but then find themselves completely invested in the characters and the world around them.
This story has everything. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with flawed and relatable characters full of sarcasm, humor, wit, triumph, and tragedy. It will ask very hard questions of the characters and the readers alike.
About the Project
Straight!? is a cinematic novel and is my first attempt at game development with no previous art, coding, or storytelling experience. While it began as a side hobby back in 2017, the popularity of the story and characters moved the project to full-time development in 2021.
You can expect Straight!? to operate much differently than other visual novels and adult games. With a background in psychology, the writer uses interactions with the character to form a template for how to communicate in relationships and potential ways for someone to work through their own sexuality issues while still keeping the narrative engrossing and fun to read. This doesn’t show the way towards sexual self-acceptance but it does show one stubborn and relentless character’s journey to accept and find peace within himself.
This project is very character driven. These characters have a depth far beyond the typical depictions of the sexual stereotypes you see in the media. The adult genre has always been shallow and this game wanted to set a new standard. Why can't an adult game have a good story?Additionally, you may see characters struggle with social issues or completely ignore major cultural expectations associated with their sexuality or community simply because it’s not who they are. I did this not to be offensive but to highlight the depth and fluidity of the character’s viewpoints as they struggle to find who they really are in a desirably inclusive world increasingly defined by clashing societal expectations and categorical labels. Over the years, I’ve gotten thousands of letters regarding the impact of this project on the lives of people across the world.
For more on the original intent of the story, you can reference this article.
Updates and Current Development
Straight!? is still actively in development and there are currently two versions of the project available:
V0.021.4 is the original “rough draft” of the game and was finished in 2022. This version includes the full first draft of the story and begins developmentally “rough” and progressively improves in writing and visual quality as the game unfolds and I gained experience. This version is no longer being updated and is viewed as practice. You can download it below or from other mirrors here.
The current development is focusing on revamping the original version with enhanced graphics, better writing, and an engaging soundtrack to help enhance all of your favorite moments all over again. This version is denoted by “revamp” in the title and will progressively follow the story of the rough draft. If you’re new to the game, you should probably play the “rough draft” first before this version. The first three screenshots on the right are from the current revamp build. You can download it below.
The plan is to release the “revamp” as the final version of the game when it is finished and the original “rough draft” will be discarded.
Updates are released to $5 Patreon supporters first. Three weeks after the Patreon exclusive, all known bugs are fixed and the new version is released publicly for free on Patreon and posted here.
Game updates can range in developmental time depending on the needs of each individual update. However, development has only increased since 2017 and is now full-time thanks to the generosity and popularity of the story.
Supporting the Project
To support the project, you simply have to play it. The download here is FREE and you're more than welcome to ignore the donation page. Please do not donate if you're not in a financial position to do so. If you'd like to support on an ongoing basis or unlock additional content, you can visit my Patreon page.
Other ways you can support the game beyond financial supportinclude:
1. Rating the Game here on itch.io
2. Sharing it with friends and encouraging them to share it as well
3. Following the developers on social media and helping them to expand the audience
4. Joining the Discord and just saying hello
Official Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/aaryn
Follow the Devs:
Aaryn- Lead Dev/Writer/CGs :https://linktr.ee/aarynstr8
Blayke- Co-Writing and Editing Support:https://blaykeapollostudioslgbt.carrd.co/
Jordyn - Technical and Image Editing Support:https://linktr.ee/jordynstr8
Discord: We have a public Discord that is FREE to join. Only requirements are to be 18+ and to be nice. We're a pretty chill bunch. You can joinHere
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