From Manga to Visual Novel: How KNH: Campus Days Came to Life

Creating a game alone is never easy, especially when it’s fueled purely by passion rather than funding or external support. KNH: Campus Days is the result of years of personal storytelling, creative affection, and a deep connection to its characters. In this interview, the developer Mina Hatake opens up about their journey from hobbyist manga artist to solo game creator, the challenges of balancing everyday life with development, and the emotional roots that shaped the world of KNH. From its nostalgic school setting to its cast of heartfelt and chaotic characters, KNH: Campus Days is a love letter to youth, friendship, and the quiet moments that define our final school years.

Developer Background

Mina Hatake: I work as a freelancer, but my long-time hobby has been creating manga and writing stories as an amateur artist, purely for fun and without any serious expectations.

I’ve been writing stories about Ken for many years, and his becoming the main character of KNH: Campus Days comes entirely from my personal affection for him. I simply thought, “He deserves to have his own game.”

However, making a game took far more time and energy than I initially expected. With the responsibilities of everyday life, I realized it wouldn’t be something I could finish quickly. For now, my goal was at least to create a demo, something that could remind me that I can do this.

Mina Hatake: That’s very true. I have no funding and no external support from family or others, and I work entirely alone. I realistically only had about two to three months to create the demo, which was quite demanding for someone new to game development.

Still, because I was working on something I genuinely love, it felt more enjoyable than exhausting. Finishing the demo gave me a great sense of relief and pride, even though the game isn’t complete yet, I was proud of what I managed to finish.

At the moment, I need to focus on my personal life again, but I plan to continue developing the game little by little. One thing is certain: I will never abandon it halfway.

Game Inspiration and Development:

Mina Hatake: KNH: Campus Days is a visual novel focused on friendship during the school years, blending everyday life, lighthearted humor, and romance that gradually develops based on player
choices.

Players can choose to play as a female character or other genders to build friendships or romantic relationships, or play as a male protagonist to experience perspectives and conversations that only male characters share. This creates varied and unique experiences with each playthrough.

Mina Hatake: The inspiration behind KNH: Campus Days comes entirely from Ken, the main character, a character I’ve written and developed for many years through manga works in a fandom universe.

At one point, I simply thought, “What if Ken had his own game?” That idea became the starting point for the game’s story.

Once Ken became the center, his friends and surrounding characters naturally followed into the game. As a result, the tone leans more toward everyday life filled with chaos and humor rather than focusing solely on romance, reflecting the natural dynamics of a group of friends during their school years.

Mina Hatake: I wanted the game to feel like the player’s own daily life, living inside the KNH universe and growing alongside the characters, with the freedom to choose their own path. Ideally, I would have loved to tell the story from the beginning of high school all the way to graduation. But due to time limitations, I chose to focus on the final year only, the period where emotions, relationships, and life decisions are at their most intense.

Characters

Mina Hatake: Ken – The main protagonist. He seems almost perfect at first glance, yet lives by going with the flow. He hides many sides of himself from others. Easy to approach, but the hardest to romance. He has many charming moments. After all, he is the main character.

Tsukune – Ken’s childhood friend. Hot-blooded, loyal, and strongly principled. He becomes very shy when approached romantically and has a bit of a tsundere side.

Sansho – Another childhood friend. Talkative, humorous, and always trying to make others laugh. If you want information, he’s the one to talk to. Friendly and easygoing, but like Tsukune, completely flustered when directly flirted with.

Taishiro – Calm and mature on the surface, yet very attached to his friends. Around them, he’s just another boy. Awkward with romance and perhaps the most “normal” member of the group.

Masayuki – The polite and kind class president. Often excels academically, hardworking, and always willing to help others. Extremely approachable and friendly.

Shuuya – A senior who took a year off school and is now in the same year as the protagonist. Quiet and reserved, popular yet difficult to approach. Despite this, he is genuinely kind and carries a hidden backstory.

Haruto – A passionate new trainee PE teacher. Kind, friendly, straightforward, and driven, with clear life goals. Easy to talk to, though players may not encounter him as often.

Mina Hatake: I focused heavily on each character’s voice and tone:

• Ken has a deep, gentle voice with a playful edge.
• Tsukune sounds soft and bright, more cheerful than his fiery personality suggests.
• Sansho has a mischievous, youthful tone that feels lively and charming.
• Taishiro has a deep, calm, mature voice, somehow ending up the most handsome-sounding of all.
• Masayuki sounds gentle, warm, and friendly.
• Shuuya has a deep, quiet, adult-like voice.
• Haruto sounds warm, kind, and reassuring.
  

Mina Hatake: Thank you! I’m really glad you like Sansho, he truly is adorable. He’s very talkative, so I need to gather a lot of energy when writing his scenes. Personally, Ken is also one of my favorites to write. He’s playful, teasing, and slightly self-centered, which makes player interactions with him especially fun.

Another favorite is Shuuya. He was added later, and what makes him interesting isn’t just his quiet nature or looks, but the depth of his background and the mysteries surrounding him.

Mina Hatake: Each character comes from a different life background, so I designed their routes starting from their “position in life.”

Some characters have everything, friends, support, and stability, while others are constantly struggling and barely have time to think about anything else. This naturally makes some characters harder to approach and more challenging for players. Others are missing emotional support and need someone to fill that space. Players aren’t just choosing dialogue options to romance someone, they’re choosing how to step into that person’s life in a way that fits who they are.

As a result, each route differs not only in dialogue but in emotional pacing, difficulty, and overall
feeling, making every replay meaningful.

Gameplay and Production

Mina Hatake: I designed the game to feel as close to real life as possible. Some days allow players to build closeness with others, while on other days they may not meet or talk to anyone at all, naturally slowing relationship progress.

If players choose to visit places they “shouldn’t,” they may trigger long-term consequences, such as being targeted by the Bakuren group, which affects future days.

Meanwhile, events still happen in the world even if players don’t choose those paths. They
simply experience them from afar, like an outsider observing rather than someone directly
involved.

Mina Hatake: Most of the characters were designed years ago and already had their own stories through my manga work. When adapting them into a game, I brought them into the KNH universe, keeping their personalities and identities intact while adjusting details to fit a modern high school setting. This helped them feel true to themselves while fitting naturally into the game world.

Community and Feedback:

Mina Hatake: The feedback has been overwhelmingly warm. Many players enjoyed the nostalgic, everyday high school atmosphere and showed strong interest in the male characters, which made me genuinely happy. Since this is my first time creating a visual novel game, I still have a lot to learn. Many players offered constructive feedback, especially suggesting longer dialogue and stronger romantic
elements.

As someone more comfortable writing humor and who isn’t very talkative by nature, romance
writing has been a major challenge. These insights have been incredibly valuable and will greatly influence further development.

Future Plans and Development:

Mina Hatake: The full game will expand significantly with more intense and varied content. Players can look forward to major school events such as camps, cultural festivals, sports days, and conflicts with
rival schools.

These moments allow deeper relationship development, as characters grow closer and player decisions carry more emotional weight. I also plan to refine the first five days from the demo, ensuring the experience feels smooth and
polished from start to finish.

Exclusive Content and Final Thoughts:

Mina Hatake: Absolutely. I’m happy to share early development screenshots and some sketches.
I’ve also included images showing UI revisions leading up to the final version.
Unfortunately, I tend to delete older files, so I no longer have very early versions, but I’ve also shared sketches of content planned for future updates.

Mina Hatake: KNH: Campus Days is a game made entirely with love.
Even though it’s a solo project and has taken far longer than expected, I’m fully committed to completing it.

Thank you to everyone who gave the demo a chance and allowed these characters a place in your hearts, your support truly means the world to me.

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