Horror games often thrive by taking the wholesome and twisting it into something unsettling, but one indie developer has taken that concept to a personal extreme. JOJOJOJOsoft, the creator of the dark fantasy turn-based RPG Billy the Hero, recently revealed that the game’s most horrifying boss monster was modeled directly after his own wife.

Sharing the process on Reddit, the developer explained that the creature was over 20 years in the making—at least in terms of inspiration. When searching for reference material around his home, he decided that his wife’s “very deep sleep” provided the perfect, raw, and natural look he needed for a monster, noting that he preferred it over a posed or “pretty” look.

How the Monster Was Created

The developer stealthily captured photos of his wife while she was staying up late baking for their children. He then moved into the digital editing phase to transform those reference images into a nightmare-inducing boss:

  • Cutting and Arranging: The developer cut out faces from the photos and arranged them into a multi-headed monster featuring human hands.
  • Texture and Color: To increase the “creep factor,” the dev reduced the saturation to grayscale, added layers of lighting and shadows, and painted in veins, tendons, and fleshy connections.
  • Final Grading: The creature was finished with color grading to ensure it looked appropriately terrifying for players to face in-game.

The result is a multi-headed entity that the developer claims gives Konami’s own roster of creatures a run for their money. “After some final color grading, she is ready to be unleashed. You can now queue up to spam your skills on her,” the developer wrote.

Community Reaction and Potential Consequences

The reveal has been met with a mix of amusement and genuine concern from the gaming community. Many commenters praised the developer’s creativity while simultaneously warning him about the potential domestic fallout of his design choices.

“Do not show this to her. This is what lawyers find filed under ‘reasons for divorce,’” one user joked. Others have set reminders to check back in a few weeks to see if the developer’s marital status has changed. Despite the online ribbing, the developer indicated that his wife is taking the news well for now, though it remains to be seen if he will be spending his nights on the sofa as a result of his artistic endeavor.

While Billy the Hero does not currently have a set release date, the title is confirmed for PC via Steam. The game promises a variety of creepy creatures for players to battle, and thanks to this latest reveal, it is clear the developer isn't afraid to look close to home for his inspiration.