▁living ▁exp enses ▁and ▁fin ance ▁game ▁development , ▁the ▁couple ▁sold ▁their ▁home ▁and ▁moved ▁into ▁a ▁tree ▁house ▁they ▁built ▁on ▁their ▁friend ▁Ja im ie ▁Mant zel ' s ▁land ▁on ▁a ▁ ▁Verm ont ▁mountains ide . ▁ ▁This ▁living ▁arrangement ▁reduced ▁their ▁month ly ▁out go ings ▁to ▁$ 1 5 0 , ▁ex cluding ▁food . ▁ ▁Though ▁f rug al , ▁this ▁l ifest yle ▁had ▁its ▁down s ides , ▁their ▁solar ▁pan els ▁could ▁only ▁charge ▁their ▁la pt ops ▁for ▁four ▁or ▁five ▁hours ▁a ▁day ▁and ▁only ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁sun ny . ▁ ▁Living ▁in ▁the ▁tree ▁house ▁required ▁more ▁effort , ▁water ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁collected ▁at ▁a ▁spring ▁house , ▁fire wood ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁gathered ▁and ▁cook ing ▁on ▁their ▁hom em ade ▁st ove ▁took ▁more ▁time . ▁ ▁St ol zer ▁estimates ▁that ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁their ▁time ▁was ▁spent ▁on ▁basic ▁surv ival , ▁which ▁slow ed ▁down ▁game ▁development . ▁ ▁The ▁game ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Rog ue ▁and ▁ar cade ▁beat ▁' em ▁ups ▁such ▁as ▁X - Men ▁and ▁Te en age ▁Mut ant ▁Nin ja ▁T urt les . ▁ ▁Its ▁visual ▁design ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁Go ble ' s ▁experiments ▁applying ▁b ump ▁mapping ▁onto ▁spr ites , ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁react ▁with ▁the ▁scene ' s ▁light ing . ▁ ▁St ol zer ▁believed ▁the ▁contrast ▁between ▁pixel ▁art ▁with ▁high - quality ▁light ing ▁would