Billy the Hero is an upcoming turn-based dark fantasy RPG brimming with eccentric heroines and bizarre monsters. After indie developer JOJOJOJOSoft went viral on Reddit for unveiling a grotesque monster inspired by his wife, one commenter dared him to include his own face in the game instead. He took the challenge to the next level, adding himself and his entire male development team as punchable prisoners within the game.
In his original Reddit post, JOJOJOJOSoft revealed that he crafted the monster using photos of his wife while she was asleep. He altered the colors, incorporated textures derived from food and raw meat, then added veins and tendons before drenching it in blood to achieve the final unsettling design.
While many found the post amusing, JOJOJOJOSoft admits that he also faced harsh criticism, with some labeling him misogynistic for transforming his wife into a monster without her consent (despite him sharing a follow-up picture of his wife stepping on him). JOJOJOJOSoft’s latest IndieDev Reddit post highlights one specific comment that reads “”Tough guy, use a woman’s face for monster? Put your own face in if you’re so tough!”
Presumably in response to the misogyny accusations, JOJOJOJOSoft included all the male members of the dev team (including himself) as punchable characters in the game (he notes that none of his team are aware they’ve been added as of his post).
The dev team appears as realistic figures chained to a wall in an underground prison. Once accessible, players can visit the devs and (as JOJOJOJOSoft puts it) punch them “to their heart’s content.” He encourages players to punch them for various reasons, whether it’s due to poor music design, terrible writing, or simply disliking the devs’ faces (there’s no concrete evidence suggesting Billy the Hero suffers from any of these issues).
Punching the dev team has no impact on the main story but contributes to unlocking certain achievements. The devs can be defeated if hit enough times, with JOJOJOJOSoft noting that the squelch sound effect is “very satisfying.” Alongside the dev team, an old king who tasks the protagonist Billy with saving the world can also be found in the prison. JOJOJOJOSoft mentions there’s ample space for more prisoners and asks fans if there’s anyone specific they’d like to see join the devs.
Billy the Hero is currently in development for Windows (Steam).