I'll Meet You At The Rooftop | A Visual Novel
Project Overview
I'll Meet You At The Rooftop is a voiced romance visual novel about the people you meet on a school rooftop, and a half-Japanese girl who is still figuring out what love means to her.
What is it?
You're the player, a student with no preset gender, name, or backstory, who finds your way up to the school rooftop. There you meet Emi, an otaku and fujoshi who hides in fandom and smiles through questions about where she's "really" from. Her only real refuge is the roof, and her closest friend there is Takumi, who is just as good at wearing a mask. As the year goes on, the three of you grow closer, and new people find their way up too. Every one of them asks the same question in a different way: what does love look like for you?
It's a gentle, character-driven story with branching routes and multiple endings. Its themes are identity, belonging, friendship, and finding someone who lets you take the mask off.
Who is it for?
Fans of quiet slice-of-life stories, school romance, and indie visual novels, especially players who want characters who feel like real teenagers. Content notes: identity and questioning, mild microaggressions, loneliness. There is no explicit content. All voice actors must be 18+.
Voice Actor
Age: 16, second-year | Role: Protagonist (player POV)
A half-Japanese girl who has spent her life being asked "but where are you really from?" She's an otaku and fujoshi, so fandom is her safe place. She's mysterious on the surface, cute without trying, and funny when she's comfortable. Underneath, she's confused about why romance doesn't click the way it seems to for everyone else, and she hasn't found the words for it yet.
Voice: Warm alto to mid-range, natural and slightly dry. She sounds like a girl who hides in humor. Her delivery is relaxed and a little self-deprecating. Her voice goes quieter and slower when she's being honest. She sprinkles in natural Japanese phrases (ano, maji de, yabai), so a bilingual or Japanese-fluent actor is a bonus.
Direction notes: Never make her bubbly or "anime girl" in a squeaky way. Think grounded and slightly tired, with a spark when fandom comes up.
- female teen
- female young adult
Warm: "I'll meet you at the rooftop, okay? Same place as always."
Deflecting: "It's fine, really. I'm used to people asking where I'm actually from."
Fangirl: "Wait, you read that too?! Sit. Sit down. We need to talk. Now."
Artist
Design and draw the cast. The designer should be comfortable with school uniforms, a variety of body types, and subtle emotional range.
Per character:
1 character design sheet (front, back, and expression notes)
Full-body sprites in 1 to 2 outfits (uniform plus casual/seasonal for key characters)
5 to 8 expressions per main character (neutral, happy, sad, embarrassed, surprised, annoyed, serious, tender)
Layered files (PSD or CSP) for easy expression swapping
Please email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Artist: [your role]". I don't use Discord, so email is the only contact method.
Include:
A link to your portfolio (and a few pieces showing character art, backgrounds, or CGs, depending on your role)
Which role(s) you're applying for
Your rates and estimated turnaround
Whether you've worked on a visual novel before (not required)
I'll reply to every application. Thank you for your interest!
*Say something you think would fit*
Artist
Painted, atmospheric backgrounds. About 8 to 12 locations, each with day and evening/night variants where needed.
School rooftop (the hub, in several times of day and weather)
Classroom, hallway, school entrance
Art room, library
Train station and a residential street
Café or convenience store
Festival or summer-night location
Emi's bedroom
Please email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Artist: [your role]". I don't use Discord, so email is the only contact method.
Include:
A link to your portfolio (and a few pieces showing character art, backgrounds, or CGs, depending on your role)
Which role(s) you're applying for
Your rates and estimated turnaround
Whether you've worked on a visual novel before (not required)
I'll reply to every application. Thank you for your interest!
*Say something you think would fit*
Artist
Special full-screen story illustrations for key moments.
Roughly 3 to 5 CGs per route plus several shared ones (about 20 to 30 total, scalable depending on budget)
Examples: the first rooftop meeting, a quiet shared moment at sunset, a festival scene, an emotional confession, and a "true ending" image
Each CG with 1 to 2 variations (e.g. with and without text box overlay)
Please email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Artist: [your role]". I don't use Discord, so email is the only contact method.
Include:
A link to your portfolio (and a few pieces showing character art, backgrounds, or CGs, depending on your role)
Which role(s) you're applying for
Your rates and estimated turnaround
Whether you've worked on a visual novel before (not required)
I'll reply to every application. Thank you for your interest!
*Say something you think would fit*
Artist
Title screen, main menu, textbox and name box, choice buttons
Save/load, settings, and gallery screens
A custom "mask meter" graphic
Style should match the sepia, nostalgic theme.
Please email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Artist: [your role]". I don't use Discord, so email is the only contact method.
Include:
A link to your portfolio (and a few pieces showing character art, backgrounds, or CGs, depending on your role)
Which role(s) you're applying for
Your rates and estimated turnaround
Whether you've worked on a visual novel before (not required)
I'll reply to every application. Thank you for your interest!
*Say something you think would fit*
Producer
This is a PROGRAMMING role, not a producing role. I'm looking for a developer to build I'll Meet You At The Rooftop, a voiced romance visual novel, in Ren'Py and publish it on itch.io.
You'd:
Build the game from the provided script, art, and audio
Implement branching choices, a "mask meter" affection system, and multiple endings
Set up the UI, save/load, settings, and a CG/music gallery
Integrate voice lines and music
Test, fix bugs, and export builds for itch.io (Windows, Mac, Linux, and web if possible)
Requirements: Ren'Py (or Python) experience and a portfolio or past VN projects.
Contact: Email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Programmer" and a link to your work. I don't use Discord.
*Say something you think would fit*
Musician
I'm looking for a composer for I'll Meet You At The Rooftop, a voiced romance visual novel about identity, friendship, and finding out what love means. The tone is gentle, nostalgic, and slightly melancholy, like late-afternoon light on a school rooftop.
You'd create:
A title screen theme
A main "Rooftop" theme that recurs, with variations for different moods
Background tracks for everyday scenes, tension, comedy, and emotional moments (roughly 10 to 15 tracks)
A theme for each love interest's route (optional, depending on scope)
An ending or "true ending" piece
Seamless loops for in-game use
Style references: soft piano, acoustic guitar, light strings, lo-fi textures, and ambient pads. Think quiet slice-of-life anime and indie VN soundtracks. Nothing too bombastic.
Deliverables: WAV or high-quality MP3 files, loopable where needed, plus stems if possible.
Requirements: a portfolio with previous game, film, or anime-style work, and the ability to deliver to a schedule.
Contact: Email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Composer" and a link to your work. I don't use Discord.
*Say something you think would fit*
Audio Engineer
I'll Meet You At The Rooftop is a voiced visual novel with a full cast of voice actors recording from home. I need an audio engineer to make everything sound consistent and professional.
You'd:
Clean, edit, and normalize voice recordings (noise reduction, breath and click removal, trimming)
Match volume and tone across different actors and microphones
Organize and name files to a system I can hand to the programmer
Create or source ambient sound effects: wind, school bells, footsteps, cicadas, crowd noise, and UI sounds
Balance voice, music, and effects so dialogue is always clear
Deliverables: edited audio in WAV or OGG, organized by character and scene, plus a simple file index.
Requirements: experience with DAWs (Audacity, Reaper, Adobe Audition, etc.) and a sample of before-and-after cleanup or sound design.
Contact: Email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Audio" and a link to your portfolio. I don't use Discord.
*Say something you think would fit*
Writer
Description:
I'm looking for a careful reader to review the script of I'll Meet You At The Rooftop, a romance VN centered on a half-Japanese girl in Japan questioning her identity and her relationship to romance. The story deals with being mixed in Japan, asexuality, and a friendship with a gay classmate, and I want to portray these with care.
You'd:
Proofread for grammar, spelling, consistency, and flow
Check that dialogue sounds natural for teenage characters
Review the portrayal of mixed-race identity, asexuality, and LGBTQ+ characters, and flag anything that feels stereotyped, inaccurate, or hurtful
Check Japanese phrases, honorifics, and school-life details for accuracy
Give clear, constructive written feedback
Ideal candidates: someone with lived experience of one or more of these themes, such as mixed heritage, the ace spectrum, or LGBTQ+ identity, and/or familiarity with Japanese school culture. Editing experience is a plus.
Deliverables: a marked-up script (tracked changes or comments) and a short summary of any bigger concerns.
*Say something you think would fit*
Video Editor
I need a short trailer (30 to 60 seconds) for I'll Meet You At The Rooftop to promote the game on itch.io and social media. You'll edit provided art, voice lines, and music into a polished teaser with text and transitions. Experience with VN or indie game trailers is a plus. [Compensation.] Email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Trailer" and a link to your reel.
*Say something you think would fit*
Animator
I'd only post this one later. It would be for small effects like blinking sprites, subtle breathing, or an animated title screen, so it's worth waiting until the main assets exist.
*Say something you think would fit*
Singer
I'm looking for a singer to perform a theme song for I'll Meet You At The Rooftop. The style is soft, emotional, and nostalgic, like a gentle anime ending theme. Japanese, English, or bilingual vocals are all welcome. Please send a short demo or portfolio link along with your vocal range and style. [Compensation.] Email [redacted] with the subject line "Rooftop VN Vocalist."
Direction: gentle, breathy, close to the mic. Almost like talking. Slow tempo, around 70 BPM. Up the stairs where the old bell rings, Past the fence and the faded things, I carry all the words I never said, Folded small like a sketch unread. The sky keeps quiet, the wind keeps time, And I'm still learning how to feel fine.
Direction: open and warm, building to a quiet peak, with a little ache but not overly dramatic. Medium tempo, around 85 BPM. So I'll meet you at the rooftop, Where the sunset slows, Where I don't have to be anyone Anyone but me. And if I never find the words, If love is something strange, I'll meet you at the rooftop, And nothing has to change.
Direction: slightly wistful, with a natural pronunciation. Romaji is included so non-native speakers can still audition. 屋上で待ってる Okujou de matteru (I'll be waiting on the rooftop) ここにいていいよ Koko ni ite ii yo (It's okay to be here) そのままのきみで Sono mama no kimi de (Just as you are) And the sky will hold us both.
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