They Bleed Pixels

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 90 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 90
  3. Negative: 13 out of 90

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  1. askewreviews
    Jul 2, 2013
    8
    I didn't have very high expectations for They Bleed Pixels, but I was pleasantly surprised. The game features a gorgeous art style with a lot of beautiful backdrops. The combat system takes a little getting used to but is really satisfying once you learn how to implement all the different moves properly. There aren't a huge amount of enemy types but each require very different strategiesI didn't have very high expectations for They Bleed Pixels, but I was pleasantly surprised. The game features a gorgeous art style with a lot of beautiful backdrops. The combat system takes a little getting used to but is really satisfying once you learn how to implement all the different moves properly. There aren't a huge amount of enemy types but each require very different strategies to defeat. The platforming controls are slightly clunky I definitely recommend playing with a controller. All in all a short but sweet little action platformer that is worth picking up.… Expand
  2. Chnmmr
    Nov 8, 2013
    5
    A game that could have been great but suffers from 'Indie game with little content so made incredibly frustratingly hard to make the game longer.'

    The environment is great and the pixel graphics set the tone very well. The combat system is entertaining and makes making combos a lot of fun. Unfortunately the game is severely let down by its controls. They are abysmal and the hero    A game that could have been great but suffers from 'Indie game with little content so made incredibly frustratingly hard to make the game longer.'

    The environment is great and the pixel graphics set the tone very well. The combat system is entertaining and makes making combos a lot of fun. Unfortunately the game is severely let down by its controls. They are abysmal and the hero feels like they are perpetually walking on ice. And THEN you reach the compulsory 'slippy ice type' level and the game becomes and very very frustrating experience. Been stuck on this level for far too long and I'm not getting anywhere.

    Simply put, I can not recommend this game as long as its difficulty/controls stay as they are. They Bleed Pixels is not fun, it is frustrating.    … Expand
  3. Weeblwub
    Oct 30, 2013
    2
    The game was fun for a little bit but it quickly grew frustrating and presented an unfair challenge. The game grows repetitive after a little bit. If you want a challenging game I would recommend SMB over this any day. The controls are much tighter in SMB than this. Another thing, while it may be a small complaint, is that when you respawn there is a time period where the character isThe game was fun for a little bit but it quickly grew frustrating and presented an unfair challenge. The game grows repetitive after a little bit. If you want a challenging game I would recommend SMB over this any day. The controls are much tighter in SMB than this. Another thing, while it may be a small complaint, is that when you respawn there is a time period where the character is floating to the ground where you have no control and after failing over and over you just want to start up right away but you have to wait for that half-second. Promising premise, bad delivery.… Expand
  4. Soaliar
    Jun 24, 2014
    10
    I can't find a single reason why this game has 7.4 of average score and Super Meat Boy has more than 9.

    The game is simply awesome, frustrating, but the experience of completing a level to a 100% is so satisfying that makes you wanna play it over and over again.

    10/10
  5. SoulSilver
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    This game is absolutely incredible. The story is short but very interesting, while the game play is fun and smooth. The levels of the game after you pass the first 2 becomes extremely difficult and can take pretty long to finish. The thing i love the most is the checkpoint system ( even if most times I want to rage quit because i put it in bad places ) and the unlock-ables. One of the bestThis game is absolutely incredible. The story is short but very interesting, while the game play is fun and smooth. The levels of the game after you pass the first 2 becomes extremely difficult and can take pretty long to finish. The thing i love the most is the checkpoint system ( even if most times I want to rage quit because i put it in bad places ) and the unlock-ables. One of the best games I played this year.… Expand
  6. Incogntiodies
    May 27, 2013
    3
    Image playing super meat boy but with bad controls. There you go, not a lot more needs to be said really. Shame because I liked the music and the visual style.
  7. LordZed
    Oct 31, 2013
    5
    Only play this game if you absolutely hate yourself. The controls are solid and really fun with responsive fighting and platforming combos between the double jumps and wall climbing. That is the only good things I have to say about it though. The solid base controls are ruined by absolutely horrid level mechanics.

    The second half of level 2 is covered almost entirely with ice. What's    Only play this game if you absolutely hate yourself. The controls are solid and really fun with responsive fighting and platforming combos between the double jumps and wall climbing. That is the only good things I have to say about it though. The solid base controls are ruined by absolutely horrid level mechanics.

    The second half of level 2 is covered almost entirely with ice. What's wrong with that you say? Well this is not your normal ice. This ice is some kind of super material developed by NASA, like windshields that water just slides off of and can't stick to; except you're the water. You slide around like a speed boat the second you hit the stuff shooting off at the speed of light even if you have no momentum either way when you land. And then when you jump off of the ice your character INSTANTLY loses all momentum and goes straight up. Whoever programmed the ice physics for this game should be shot. Then whoever decided it would be a good idea to have an entire level of the dreadful stuff should be shot twice.

    The level design does not get better from there sadly. Stay away unless you hate yourself and you love horrid controls.    … Expand
  8. ComradePB
    Oct 13, 2013
    6
    It's hard for me to give my opinion of this game, even after I've beaten it. I didn't know what to think at first, They Bleed Pixels seemed like another retro styled indie platformer not unlike Super Meat Boy. I asked my friend who already owned the game for his opinion and he claimed that it was a good game but difficult. I bought They Bleed Pixels the same day and started to play throughIt's hard for me to give my opinion of this game, even after I've beaten it. I didn't know what to think at first, They Bleed Pixels seemed like another retro styled indie platformer not unlike Super Meat Boy. I asked my friend who already owned the game for his opinion and he claimed that it was a good game but difficult. I bought They Bleed Pixels the same day and started to play through it. It seemed pretty fun, the combat was a little awkward and unresponsive but other than that I liked it. The pixel art was nice, the music was great, and the levels did test you without seeming to difficult.......but then I got to level 2 and had come to realize what I had just gotten myself into. With every passing level the obstacles that I had to overcome became more and more unforgiving and I suffered many more deaths. The very last level took me almost an hour and half and 223 deaths to complete, no joke. This game will challenge you and if you are not prepared to buckle down and see it through all the way to the end, then you become another one of its victims. It's a darn shame because I feel like this could have been a fun game, it's so satisfying to rack up combos, beat the crap out of enemies, kicking them in to saws, spikes, and crushers and watching as their pixelated blood is thrown in all directions. But that wasn't enough to get me to look past the unmerciful difficulty. If you're the type of person who doesn't mind dying a lot then by all means, play this game. If not, stay away whatever you do. I'm not saying They Bleed Pixels is a bad game, but if you're not careful, it will rip you to shreds.… Expand
  9. EpicIpecac
    Sep 3, 2012
    9
    They Bleed Pixels is a awesome game, driving you to madness, but satisfying as hell. The controls are pretty much one of the most slick and very easy-to-learn-difficult-to-master, because the game with it's amazing in depth combat avoids by anyways button mashing. The story is pretty much cool, i liked the H.P Lovecraft look that it has of it, the pixel art in here is great, theThey Bleed Pixels is a awesome game, driving you to madness, but satisfying as hell. The controls are pretty much one of the most slick and very easy-to-learn-difficult-to-master, because the game with it's amazing in depth combat avoids by anyways button mashing. The story is pretty much cool, i liked the H.P Lovecraft look that it has of it, the pixel art in here is great, the animations are top notch and cut-scenes are atmospheric and the use of backgrounds are beautiful and points out the theme that the level is supposed to have highlighted
    To players, this might be one of the most difficult platformers of the 2012, that everyone relates to Super Meat Boy as an example of it. Sometimes it can be unfair but avoids it with Save Sigils, that is a system of checkpoints for you to place anywhere you want by killing enemies with fancy, beautiful, bloody combos. Or by picking up Blood Drops that recharge your Sigil Meter.
    This is one of the examples of how indie developers can make great, polished games. A must buy!    … Expand
  10. HANZO1980
    Sep 25, 2012
    10
    yup a great game , it looks nice and plays well , maybe a bit difficult but that is the point , i really urge anyone with interest in 2d platforms and a taste in the occult to try it , and also the game is cheap and i love supporting these kind of developers , love the game , love the art and the execution , a spot on game that i am so happy to have in my collection , i only wish to seeyup a great game , it looks nice and plays well , maybe a bit difficult but that is the point , i really urge anyone with interest in 2d platforms and a taste in the occult to try it , and also the game is cheap and i love supporting these kind of developers , love the game , love the art and the execution , a spot on game that i am so happy to have in my collection , i only wish to see more and even a PSN version , great job guys , hope many people appreciate this game so i will do my best to tell all my friends about it!… Expand
  11. kaizer0002
    Feb 26, 2013
    6
    This game was advertised to me as Super Meat Boy with combat. While the platforming controls are well tuned, the combat controls and waypoint system betray a divided design philosophy. While it is advertised that you can place your waypoint anywhere, I assume somewhere along the line players were accidentally placing their's in bad locations. Instead of revising the system, increasinglyThis game was advertised to me as Super Meat Boy with combat. While the platforming controls are well tuned, the combat controls and waypoint system betray a divided design philosophy. While it is advertised that you can place your waypoint anywhere, I assume somewhere along the line players were accidentally placing their's in bad locations. Instead of revising the system, increasingly larger areas do not permit the user to place waypoints, devolving into there being no vast difference in where you place your waypoint in these safe zones. On top of that, as I progressed the game had more sections where it seemed impossible to progress without taking damage and you have to instead mitigate the damage you have control over.

    As for the combat, maneuvers assume you are on stable ground, of which the game is generally lacking and being a platformer, you will spend a lot of time in the air. Frequently I encounter an enemy and have to backtrack to a location where it is suitable to fight them, the aforementioned safe zones. With a few more attack options (up attack in air, side attack when on a wall, etc.) the player could feel more in charge of their actions.

    If the combat controls had meshed better with the area design, this could have been a much more desirable title. Separately, the enemy design, platforming controls, combat maneuvers and waypoint system are all intriguing. They just don't fit well together.    … Expand
  12. powermelom
    Dec 5, 2012
    10
    well, i do have to admit the fact that only can be played with the 360 controller sucks, but, what the hek, i mean, its a super game, and since i started i loved it, the story(currently in chapter or lvl 2 xd) the effects, all

    and since im not a control fan, i would totally recommend it
  13. rhomnousia
    Dec 26, 2012
    7
    Nice art style, nice combat concept, and great music.

    I docked it a few points due to the game attempting to be a "hardcore" platformer, but with lousy controls, and an awful attempt at physics. Jumping feels too lofty, and the character feels a bit too large for the level. The one attack button was a terrible idea, as you'll stumble over the attack controls for a long time, and when    Nice art style, nice combat concept, and great music.

    I docked it a few points due to the game attempting to be a "hardcore" platformer, but with lousy controls, and an awful attempt at physics. Jumping feels too lofty, and the character feels a bit too large for the level. The one attack button was a terrible idea, as you'll stumble over the attack controls for a long time, and when you start to get used to it, the game will be over.

    This is definitely worth picking up for    … Expand
  14. JenniferL86
    Sep 22, 2012
    3
    The game itself is pretty decent, but I'm reducing the score for having only compatability with 360 controllers. The game is meant to be played with a controller, for those of us that don't specifically have a 360 controller, it equates to a price of about forty bucks for a standard wired controller for a ten dollar game. I played through portions on keyboard due to compatability issuesThe game itself is pretty decent, but I'm reducing the score for having only compatability with 360 controllers. The game is meant to be played with a controller, for those of us that don't specifically have a 360 controller, it equates to a price of about forty bucks for a standard wired controller for a ten dollar game. I played through portions on keyboard due to compatability issues with the controller. It's ok, but it is not the same. The game itself treads the line between frustration and challenge. Most parts end up being interesting, fun, and challenging. There are points, however, where the game is unfair and the protagonist ill-equipped. Not bad, but not worth money unless perhaps you have a 360 controller… Expand
  15. UjuidarEhcram
    Jun 24, 2013
    7
    They Bleed Pixels is a platforming/brawling game with beautiful pixel art set in a Lovecraft-esque nightmare realm. The game's platforming is brutal, and is generally much harder than the fighting. This game is also very deep, and it has many rewards for taking extra risks.

    The control in this game is pretty tight, and that's a good thing, because the platforming is completely nuts.    They Bleed Pixels is a platforming/brawling game with beautiful pixel art set in a Lovecraft-esque nightmare realm. The game's platforming is brutal, and is generally much harder than the fighting. This game is also very deep, and it has many rewards for taking extra risks.

    The control in this game is pretty tight, and that's a good thing, because the platforming is completely nuts. (Note: I played with arrow keys, and I had no problem controlling the character at all.) Even the game's first level is brutal. This is not a game to play to calm down, since it will frustrate you very quickly. Not even Super Meat Boy ramped the difficulty up this quickly. That said, the game does give you the opportunity to save at many points during the levels, and you will need all the help you can get. The fighting system is very fun and rewards style. It's a nice break from the platforming.

    The graphics are beautiful. I never really noticed the sound because I was so focused on the game.

    This game is not for kids, and it's not for the inexperienced player. If you're looking for the satisfaction for beating a tough level, this might be your game. I'd recommend Super Meat Boy over They Bleed Pixels, though. I think SMB was better designed overall. Either way, if this sounds like fun to you (you masochist), it will definitely be worth the $10.    … Expand
  16. Khitchary
    Dec 24, 2012
    9
    I am using a newish logitech controller which has *x-input* which is apparently for newer games and am having no troubles with compatibility. Older controllers with only *direct input* need to go through some rigmarole to make their controllers work. Awesome game.
  17. hshroom
    Sep 6, 2012
    9
    Amazingly well done game, together with great controls, music, and art. I love the inclusion of the guest art in the Steam release and guest levels to keep things good. The fluid animations and fast paced gameplay keep it a very exciting experience as well as the quick ramping up of difficulty after the prologue. I find that no matter how frustrated I get at dying I keep at it knowing thatAmazingly well done game, together with great controls, music, and art. I love the inclusion of the guest art in the Steam release and guest levels to keep things good. The fluid animations and fast paced gameplay keep it a very exciting experience as well as the quick ramping up of difficulty after the prologue. I find that no matter how frustrated I get at dying I keep at it knowing that if I do it properly I can beat it. With many collectables and points to gain, along with the time record it's easy to keep going back to old levels and try to get better giving this an easy re-playability recommendation to it. With the ability to create checkpoints ANYWHERE you need them so long as your sigil meter is full, it really eliminates going back to annoying parts when you die most times like we had to in games like Castlevania or the beginning of the level like Meat Boy. It's the best $10 you'll spend on steam, in my opinion. I have a few cons about the game, however. The basic enemies of the game, those weird hunched over guys, seem a little overdone. The addition of a few different enemies could have been done as well as a change to the platforms rather than leaving them just black. It seems like it could be changed.

    Gameplay shown on my channel; http://www.youtube.com/hshroom    … Expand
  18. TheBadGamer
    Sep 25, 2012
    8
    They Bleed Pixels is a 2D puzzle/platform game on Steam. It was released on the 29th of August. Why did it take me so long to post a review, you ask? Lets just say I like to finish games before I write about them. I pushed and pushed my way through this game and still haven't finished it. It is insanely hard and insanely frustrating and insanely fun.

    The premise is simple enough. You    They Bleed Pixels is a 2D puzzle/platform game on Steam. It was released on the 29th of August. Why did it take me so long to post a review, you ask? Lets just say I like to finish games before I write about them. I pushed and pushed my way through this game and still haven't finished it. It is insanely hard and insanely frustrating and insanely fun.

    The premise is simple enough. You play as a young girl who has gotten a hold of a book that turns her dreams into Eldritch horrors. Her hands turn into Wolverine-like claws that allow her to slice and dice her way through enemies as she jumps, slides and climbs her way through puzzles and platforms.

    Neither the premise or gameplay are unique. However, it all comes together for a rather engaging experience. The two button control scheme is simple enough to allow anyone to pick it up, but still allows for some complex abilities and moves. The combos are visceral and satisfying. The only knock is that sometimes the controls are slightly unresponsive, especially when doing timing based jumping sequences. I would repeatedly die while jumping over spike-filled chasms because the analog stick wasn't as precise as I needed it to be. The game recommends an X-Box controller and I couldn't agree more. Playing this without some sort of analog stick would be a total nightmare.

    By the way, this game is hard. Be prepared to get extremely angry at your computer. The good news is that besides the occasional hiccup in the controls, the majority of deaths are the players fault. Many times I would die because I couldn't make a jump and then proceed to try to make that jump 20 more times, spraying my pixeled blood everywhere.

    The graphics are in a classic pixel style that a lot of indie games have been employing lately. The short cutscenes between levels add some nice plot elements to the game and are really well done. The copious amounts of pixelated blood adds a lot of color to the sometimes dreary backgrounds.The main character is adorable in a kind of horrifying way.

    The music is adequate, even though it can get repetitive at times. I did like how it would fade out as I lost more life, as this adds even more tension to the already frenetic pace of the game.

    The length of game makes it a very nice value at 10 bucks. It uses a ranking system with achievements to add some re-playability to the levels. Each level also contains difficult to reach collectibles. My only complaint on this front is that sometimes the levels feel a little longer than they should be. Granted, you can start the game at your last checkpoint, but finishing up a level before quitting a playthrough feels much more natural.

    If you are looking for a challenging platform experience at a bargain price, this is the game for you. It has enough variety to keep it interesting. It is also an excellent game to play on your TV if you have an HDMI setup and Steam's "Big Picture" service.    … Expand
  19. The_Doc
    Nov 6, 2012
    4
    The game itself is quite fun, the levels and platforming are well designed, and the enemies are nice to kill. My biggest problem with the game is the xbox360 controller compatibility only. It may seem like a small issue, but the game can only be properly played with a joystick, and having to resort to applications like JoyToKey to use another gamepad is ridiculous. On top of that, manyThe game itself is quite fun, the levels and platforming are well designed, and the enemies are nice to kill. My biggest problem with the game is the xbox360 controller compatibility only. It may seem like a small issue, but the game can only be properly played with a joystick, and having to resort to applications like JoyToKey to use another gamepad is ridiculous. On top of that, many jumps feel unresponsive, but I am unable to determine if it's because of the game or the fact that I have to use a program to be able to play with my Logitech gamepad, the point is that in a platformer as deadly as this one, controls should feel tight (as tight as they do in MegaMan for example). My final issue with this game is the fact that it has many abilities at your disposal yet you only use 2 buttons when you have 8 to choose from. "Holding X down" mechanics should only be used when you are short on buttons.… Expand
  20. AWG
    Jul 21, 2013
    5
    They Bleed Pixels is nothing but just another average indie platformer with "retro" graphics and short memory: in fact it can't remember it's a PC game and it keeps recommending to use an Xbox controller. Meh.
  21. Radiant999
    Sep 11, 2013
    9
    TPB is not revolutionary, it looks a lot like Super Meat Boy, but it adds enemies and small puzzles, whereas SMB is all about jumping and reflexes.
    It's not as difficult as it appears, but you will need to spend a few hours practicing double jumps, balancing on icy platforms, dodging attacks and maybe restart a few levels, because your checkpoints ended up in the wrong place.
    The    TPB is not revolutionary, it looks a lot like Super Meat Boy, but it adds enemies and small puzzles, whereas SMB is all about jumping and reflexes.
    It's not as difficult as it appears, but you will need to spend a few hours practicing double jumps, balancing on icy platforms, dodging attacks and maybe restart a few levels, because your checkpoints ended up in the wrong place.
    The learning curve is very steep, but if you persevere and become better, you will finally start enjoying the game.
    The music is brilliant, bleak and moody, and fits the game atmosphere very well.    … Expand
  22. DME
    Jul 23, 2016
    8
    A well put-together platform game with some intricate mechanics and a high skill ceiling. Levels that initially seem very long and difficult will seem shorter and easier with each re-run. An excellent choice for speedrunners.
  23. Doglady77
    Oct 31, 2013
    5
    Overall appealing visual style and soundtrack, but the gimmicks employed in the levels get repetitive and frustrating quickly. It controls very much like Super Meat Boy, but adding enemies slows down the gameplay a bit. If they refined the controls and improved the level design, it would have been perfect.
  24. ThePCGamer101
    Jun 24, 2015
    6
    A game that will surely make you rage! The game is not a bad game and its worth every penny. But be warned! This game is really frustrating and it made me brake my stuff, and unfortunately it seems like the game wants to punish you every single time! And it made me remove it from my PC and never play it again
  25. dolphan
    Jun 21, 2014
    10
    It's difficult but interesting as well. Challenging because of the low health you receive and hard-to-unlock achievements. No glitches or issues. Definitely worth buying though if you like 8-bit games.
  26. Sandweech
    Mar 9, 2015
    9
    This wonderful platformer reminds me of two of the greatest video games of all time; 'Super Smash Bros' and 'Super Meat Boy'. Now, that's a lot of 'super' for one game, I know. And you may be asking yourself how one game can have so much super in it. Well, the single button combat system is very reminiscent of 'Super Smash Bros' even though it's nowhere near as complex, while the levelThis wonderful platformer reminds me of two of the greatest video games of all time; 'Super Smash Bros' and 'Super Meat Boy'. Now, that's a lot of 'super' for one game, I know. And you may be asking yourself how one game can have so much super in it. Well, the single button combat system is very reminiscent of 'Super Smash Bros' even though it's nowhere near as complex, while the level design and character controls seem to have been taken directly from 'Super Meat Boy'. And while we're talking about it, if you thought that 'Super Meat Boy' was a difficult game, then look out for this one because it's much, much, much harder. Now if that isn't the recipe for a fantastic game then I have no idea what is and quite frankly, I don't want to know.… Expand
  27. Platformbaby
    Jan 20, 2021
    0
    The best way describe they bleed pixels is like this: you know when you go to a fusion restaurant and your like hey this isn’t great but it’s serviceable to both origins (and if it’s cheap enough it’s justifiable) that’s not this game, this game is a Thai salad at McDonald’s: it’s not Thai and in reality it’s not really a salad. This would be forgivable if it was simply trying to be aThe best way describe they bleed pixels is like this: you know when you go to a fusion restaurant and your like hey this isn’t great but it’s serviceable to both origins (and if it’s cheap enough it’s justifiable) that’s not this game, this game is a Thai salad at McDonald’s: it’s not Thai and in reality it’s not really a salad. This would be forgivable if it was simply trying to be a platformer and a beat em up, but this game wants so badly to be a precision platformer and a hardcore combo based beat em up and quite obviously neither work let alone work together to make a sensible game.
    (Ex the first enemies you encounter need to be combo’d between kick and stab attacks but to stab attack you need to move forward and because this is a precision platformer enemies are of course right on the edge of most platforms and will lead you to your death trying to stab attack them. Personally it got me to the point where I wouldn’t bother to attack enemies that didn’t directly block my path)

    All and all a game that will constantly make you ask yourself: have the devs ever played a platformer or a beat em up before? And Have they heard of play testing to any regard?

    Don’t say this often but if you dev’d this game maybe step back and consider a different career path.
    Ps. if you’re the sound person who put the scream in the game over screen I wish you nothing but the worst in life.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. GameOver.gr
    Feb 12, 2013
    80
    They Bleed Pixels arms the player with tight controls and a wonderful checkpoint system in a frustrating yet high challenging, dark-themed platformer that will put your skills to test.
    Read full review
  2. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    72
    Super Meat Boy fans will relish the insane challenge, while the rest will have their temper and keyboards destroyed. [December 2012]
  3. Edge Magazine
    Nov 6, 2012
    70
    Control can be an issue at times – the one button combat system relying on the distinction between taps and holds makes it easy to muddle attacks – but challenge seekers will find plenty to get stuck into, impaled on and cut to shreds in this macabre, frenetic onslaught.
    Read full review
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