Indie Game Designer Bases Nightmarish Boss on Photo of Wife Sleeping

The creative process behind video game monsters can take strange turns, and one independent developer has taken inspiration from a particularly close source. JOJOJOJOsoft, the creator of the upcoming 2D turn-based RPG Billy the Hero, revealed that he designed one of the game's bosses by secretly photographing his wife while she was asleep and turning her face into a monstrous creature.

According to vgtimes.com, the developer hit a wall while trying to design a boss and found his solution in an unusual place: his marital bedroom. He quietly snapped a photo of his sleeping wife, explaining that if she had been awake, she "would've wanted to look perfect", and he needed something far from perfect for the monster. The result is a nightmarish boss that bears her likeness.

vgtimes.comA Developer Photographed His Sleeping Wife — and Turned Her Into a Nightmarish Boss for His Game

“An indie developer from JOJOJOJOsoft created an RPG boss monster based on a photo of his sleeping wife's face, as part of an ongoing mutual trolling dynamic in their loving relationship.” :: Kotaku

kotakuIndie Developer Turns Sleeping Wife's Photo Into RPG Boss Monster As Part Of Couple's 'Mutual Trolling'

Kotaku added that the developer detailed the process on Reddit, clarifying it's not meant to be insulting but rather playful revenge between the couple. The creature appears in Billy the Hero, a game that the developer has been working on.

The playful twist on spousal inspiration shows how even a seemingly unflattering moment can become fuel for creative collaboration, or in this case, a bit of affectionate payback. Whether the wife will get her own turn to troll her husband remains to be seen, but for now, her sleeping face lives on as a pixelated monster.