Penny Blood: Hellbound

About

In "Penny Blood: Hellbound," play as six powerful anarchists trying to escape a surreal prison controlled by the Celestial Rainbow. Gain malice and form alliances to learn new skills in this action-packed roguelike. This title, featuring art by Miyako Kato and music by Yoshitaka Hirota and Noriyuki Iwadare, is a prequel to the upcoming game "Penny Blood."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+20

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features engaging combat and a unique bloodsurfing mechanic that adds a fun twist to gameplay.
The artwork, character designs, and music are top-notch, creating an immersive atmosphere that fans of the genre will appreciate.
The game has a captivating story and interesting characters, drawing players into its dark historical fantasy setting.

The game suffers from significant bugs, including crashes and issues with stage rewards not spawning, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Progression feels overly grindy, with many upgrades locked behind rare item drops, making it difficult to fully level characters even after extensive playtime.
The difficulty curve is steep, especially at the beginning, which may deter new players from enjoying the game.

story
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The story of "Penny Blood: Hellbound" is set in a high fantasy horror version of the 1920s, following an amnesiac woman named Clara as she navigates a world filled with morally grey characters and intriguing backstories. Players express excitement for the narrative, which serves as a prequel to the main title, "Penny Blood," and appreciate the worldbuilding and character development, despite some frustrations with the game mechanics. Overall, the storytelling is highly praised, with many eager for the full release of the main game.
- “You've got a time setting of the 1920s in a high fantasy horror spin of a story where you play as an amnesiac woman given the name of Clara.”
- “I cannot wait for Penny Blood to come out in full when it's ready, and I love the prequel that helps you be introduced to the universe and story of the game to come. This has so much more love and care than I expected, and it makes me more excited for what is to come.”
- “I'm already pulled into the worldbuilding and plot and have only stopped to go to bed, and am instead writing this review at 3 AM.”
- “The story is simple enough - a group gets trapped in a dungeon that infinitely loops when you die, and they have to fight their way out.”
- “The plot is set in stone, and you cannot miss anything.”
- “It can be quite difficult because you're dead after a couple of hits, but there's a 'story' difficulty for those who don't enjoy dying all the time.”
gameplay
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
36%
7%
The gameplay is generally praised for its fun mechanics, engaging character designs, and captivating music, with many noting its addictive roguelite loop and unique features like the bloodsurfing mechanic. However, some players criticize the combat balance, citing issues like lack of hitstun and floaty controls that detract from the experience. Overall, while the game shows promise with interesting mechanics and a rich aesthetic, it still requires further refinement to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay is fun, the music is great, the enemy designs are visually cool, and the writing is interesting.”
- “It's a very fun game with unique mechanics and interesting characters.”
- “The world and setting of a slightly darker 1929 is a really fun time and the gameplay is excellent and polished.”
- “Incredibly weak gameplay; no hitstun means enemies can attack you while you're attacking them mid-combo, and you die in two hits.”
- “It feels floaty; enemies ignore all your attacks, so it feels like an arcade mobile game when it comes to the actual gameplay.”
- “The leveling up mechanics and premise are all badass, but for me, it's the combat that just ruins it all.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
25%
11%
The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting that it is memorable and enjoyable, even if not overly dramatic. It complements the game's fun mechanics and character designs, contributing significantly to the overall experience. However, there is a mixed review with one user rating the music a 5/10, suggesting that opinions may vary.
- “The music is also quite a masterful selection even if it isn't all that over the top - you feel the atmosphere and enjoy it whether you're focused in on it or not.”
- “I love the music because it sets the game's atmosphere so well.”
- “Music: 5/10”
- “Then there's the music.”
- “The music will be stuck in your head for a very long time.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their top-notch artwork and captivating dark, eerie aesthetic, reminiscent of the 1920s. The character designs are engaging and contribute to the unique lore and world-building, although some balance adjustments are suggested due to the game's early access status. Overall, the visuals enhance the game's appeal, making it a standout in the roguelite genre.
- “The artwork and style of the game is top notch.”
- “The visuals have a nice dark, eerie vibe and the characters certainly feel like they crawled out of some back alley from the 20's.”
- “Pennyblood is more than just your typical roguelite, offering a great cast of characters driven by unique lore, a captivating aesthetic, and gameplay inspired by board games.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, with many upgrades locked behind rare item drops that require significant time investment to obtain. Despite the game's rich content and challenging gameplay, the grind can be frustrating and may prevent players from fully experiencing everything the game has to offer.
- “An action roguelite that has a ton of content...that I will never see because even after sinking 44 hours into the game and fully completing it, a lot of the upgrades are stuck behind very grindy elements that rely on certain items dropping multiple times (which is already rare) for a single upgrade.”
- “Feels like Hades with more options and grinding; yes, the difficulty is there.”
- “An action roguelite that has a ton of content...that I will never see because even after sinking 44 hours into the game and fully completing it, a lot of the upgrades are stuck behind very grindy elements that rely on certain items dropping multiple times (which is already rare) for a single upgrade.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character development for its engaging designs and strong integration with the game's world and music, highlighting a fun and immersive experience reminiscent of "Hades" within the Shadow Hearts universe. The overall tone and plot contribute positively to the characters' appeal, making them memorable and enjoyable.
- “Surprisingly fun 'Hades-like' set in the Shadow Hearts universe, with the engaging character designs, music, and plot/tone you would expect from those creators.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is significantly enhanced by a masterful selection of music that, while not overly dramatic, effectively immerses players in the experience. Reviewers appreciate how the music complements the overall ambiance, allowing for enjoyment whether or not one is actively focused on it.
- “The music is a masterful selection that enhances the atmosphere, allowing you to enjoy it whether you're focused on it or not.”
- “I love the music because it sets the game's atmosphere so well.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the humor in the game to be particularly enjoyable, with many highlighting the abundance of hilarious lore unlocks that add a comedic touch to the overall experience.
- “The game is filled with hilarious lore unlocks that keep the experience entertaining.”
- “The humor in the game is top-notch, with clever writing and funny character interactions.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and absurd situations throughout the game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users consistently highlight the game’s high replayability, indicating that it offers numerous opportunities for players to enjoy it multiple times.
- “This game offers a lot of replayability.”
- “There are numerous ways to experience the game, making it highly replayable.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes ensures plenty of replayability.”

Buy Penny Blood: Hellbound

Penny Blood: Hellbound
$24.99
See offer on Steam

20h Median play time

20h Average play time

20-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

93%45.9kreviews

Dead Cells

2018

Casual Hack and Slash

+18

82%881reviews

Trinity Fusion

2023

Role Playing

94%6.8kreviews

Windblown

2024

Hack and Slash

93%6kreviews

Ember Knights

2022

Hack and Slash

90%6.3kreviews

BlazBlue Entropy Effect

2024

Platformer

87%12.1kreviews

Ravenswatch

2024

Role Playing

81%531reviews

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate

2024

Hack and Slash

88%1.3kreviews

SWORN

2025

Role Playing

86%5.7kreviews

Heroes of Hammerwatch

2020

Hack and Slash

84%8.6kreviews

Have a Nice Death

2023

Arcade Platformer

+10

Penny Blood: Hellbound Tweets

Penny Blood: Hellbound

Platforms

About

Buy Penny Blood: Hellbound