They Bleed Pixels

They Bleed Pixels is a challenging action platformer inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and classic horror. You guide a young girl through violent nightmares that carry her to other worlds, while the horrors of her dreams begin changing her waking body. At the Lafcadio Academy for Troubled Young Ladies, she must confront a blood-soaked book that may be the source of her troubles before her transformation into a clawed horror is complete.

Combat and movement

Combat uses a one-button attack system built around skilled timing rather than complicated combos or button-mashing. You fight shadowy monsters and can kick them into saws, pits and spikes. Stylish kills fill a checkpoint meter faster; when it is full, you can place a checkpoint, carry it for extra points or drop it to preserve your progress.

The platforming controls let you stop and start precisely, as well as perform dashes and double jumps. The game also has Standard and Novice difficulty settings.

Levels and challenges

You fight and explore across 11 large levels, each with its own visuals and music. Completing the game is only part of the challenge: individual level rankings and 150 skill-based achievements give you further goals. Bonus levels and guest levels based on indie developers’ own creations include They Bleed Ponycorns, They Bleed Stardust and exp.

Records and soundtrack

Online leaderboards track speed and high scores, and you can record, play back and share your best runs. Pixel-art motion comics tell the story of the girl’s eldritch nightmares. The original electronic soundtrack by DJ Finish Him (aka Shaun Hatton) uses synthesizers, unconventional instruments and gadgets not usually made for music.