Bloodless

About

⛩ Bloodless is being developed by Point N' Sheep game studio, scheduled to release for PC in 2024. ⭐️ Add Bloodless now to your Steam Wishlist! We're also on Twitter and Instagram, follow us to stay tuned with Bloodless development updates. ********************************************************************************* ABOUT The project was born at Ludum Dare 45 game jam in October 2019. …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 58 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

stability1 negative mentions

Bloodless features a unique parry-based combat system that is both challenging and rewarding, encouraging players to learn enemy patterns and timing.
The game's art style is beautifully crafted, with a distinct visual aesthetic that enhances the overall experience, complemented by a fitting soundtrack.
The story, while not groundbreaking, is engaging and well-executed, with relatable characters and themes that resonate with players.

The game suffers from difficulty spikes and can feel unfair at times, especially during encounters with multiple enemies and overwhelming attack patterns.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as the stamina system and hitbox inconsistencies, can disrupt the flow of combat and lead to frustrating experiences.
The economy system is poorly designed, with scarce resources and ineffective item drops that make progression feel tedious and unbalanced.

gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The gameplay of Bloodless is characterized by its engaging and polished parry-based combat system, which rewards timing and strategy, making it a standout feature among indie games. While some players find the mechanics occasionally clunky and the difficulty level high, the overall experience is enhanced by fluid controls, a variety of combat options, and a compelling art style. Despite some criticisms regarding pacing and randomness, many reviewers appreciate the depth and challenge of the gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “Bloodless engaged me with its fluid combat gameplay, rewarding exploration and progression, manageable collectibles, and witty writing.”
- “Innovative gameplay, a beautiful art style, interesting and compelling characters, and a fantastic soundtrack make for a great experience and an awesome twist on the souls-like genre.”
- “The controls and animations play and feel very good, with fighting game players finding themselves right at home with Bloodless's parrying and combat mechanics.”
- “They're ways to reduce your stamina costs and you can get a longer bar, but none of that changes the fact that this mechanic just kills the flow.”
- “The primary mechanics don't constantly work; it uses randomness in all the worst ways and thinks hard = filling the screen until you can't move.”
- “Gameplay: this area is where all my problems lie and where I just had to stop since I wasn't having fun.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
47%
10%
The story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging characters, unique presentation, and the way it complements the gameplay. While some found the narrative to be somewhat rushed or unremarkable, others highlighted its emotional depth and surprising twists, particularly in relation to the game's themes of violence and guilt. Overall, the combination of art style, music, and storytelling creates a cohesive and enjoyable experience, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and engagement.
- “The characters are believable, and neither does the story overstay its welcome nor does it try to be at the center of your attention, anyway.”
- “Absolutely gorgeous presentation, with some beautiful backgrounds, use of color and dithering, great score and quite an engaging story; this is a demanding, but rewarding experience that has been criminally overlooked.”
- “The story really gets the point across about how hard it is to point out the guilty once a cycle of violence begins.”
- “The story is overall not that mindblowing, but the characters and dialogues are quite nice.”
- “The story is about what one would expect given the premise and it is executed well enough to serve the gameplay, with the finale being a high point.”
- “It's not that often and the main story is mostly clear of these things, but in trials and some long battles it's quite frustrating and infuriating.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
39%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful art style, innovative use of color, and nostalgic pixel art that enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the aesthetic appeal, noting that the visuals effectively complement the story and gameplay, despite some initial reservations about their simplicity. Overall, the art direction is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's charm and atmosphere.
- “Graphics: gorgeous, the art style is beautiful; it's one of the best aspects of this game.”
- “The art style works really well, especially the use of color filters that add to each area's identity.”
- “Amazing game with very challenging gameplay and pixel art visuals that make you nostalgic about old-school games.”
- “To be clear, this is purely aesthetic; it does nothing and it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure this out.”
- “I love the art style, music, characters, and story, but it's just such a broken mess.”
- “At first, I was put off by the simplistic graphics from the screenshots, but after playing the demo a whole bunch of times, I immediately purchased the game when it released.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall experience, fitting seamlessly with the game's art style and narrative. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as both beautiful and engaging, effectively setting the mood for different regions and combat scenarios, while also contributing to the game's immersive atmosphere. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the gameplay and enhances player enjoyment.
- “The music fit very well: it drew you into the world of the game, set the mood of the regions and combat, and never got tiring.”
- “Soundtrack: very well done too, the tones fit the areas and encounters quite well, boss themes getting faster tempo with how deep in the fight you get makes for a thrilling encounter.”
- “I love the art style, music, characters, and story, but it's just such a broken mess.”
- “The writing and music, while not standouts, are competent and do not detract from the rest of the game, which is a win in my book.”
- “It's a real meaningful and enjoyable gaming experience in a beautifully crafted environment and with a killer soundtrack.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by beautiful pixel art and engaging locations, complemented by well-paced dialogue with NPCs. Players find the combination of challenging combat and light exploration to create a captivating and enjoyable experience.
- “The parry/dashing focused combat is tough but very fun; light exploration of the very atmospheric locations and dialogue with NPCs breaks up the pace just right.”
- “The pixel art is beautiful, and I love the atmosphere.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report a high level of stability, with no glitches or technical issues encountered during gameplay.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find "Bloodless" to be a heartwarming experience, highlighting its emotional depth and ability to evoke strong feelings.
- “Bloodless is such a heartwarming game.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters left me in tears.”
- “I felt a profound connection to the story that resonated with my own experiences.”