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About Touhou Blooming Soul
Touhou Blooming Soul is a pixel-art side-scrolling action game with Rogue-lite elements from developer 二色幽紫蝶. Released on January 30, 2026, it’s available on PC and Mac. Playing as Hata no Kokoro, you navigate procedurally generated levels, blending emotional states, like joy, anger, or sorrow, to shape combat. The game leans into the Touhou Project’s lore but stands as its own story about self-discovery. It’s a pick-up-and-play title with tight mechanics and a focus on fluid, dance-like battles. Fans of challenging action and narrative-driven indie games might find it compelling.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around emotional combos: each emotion unlocks a unique skill tree, altering attacks, speed, or defenses. You switch between these states mid-fight, requiring quick thinking to counter enemies. Bosses force you to adapt strategies, as their weaknesses align with specific emotions. Between runs, you collect fragments to upgrade permanent stats or unlock new moves. The side-scrolling levels mix platforming and combat, with tight controls that prioritize precision over brute force. Runs last 30-60 minutes, balancing exploration and risk due to permadeath. The Rogue-lite structure rewards patience, but the learning curve can be steep for newcomers.
What Players Think
Community ratings are 89% positive, with 72% completing the base story. Average playtime is 12 hours, though 28% play over 20. Players report feeling accomplished (78%) and curious (65%), but 22% cite frustration with late-game complexity. Reviews highlight the “rhythm-like combat” and emotional depth but critique unclear UI for skill builds. Critics on Destructoid praise the “fresh take on soulslike difficulty” but note pacing issues in later chapters. The 120 achievements focus on run completion and hidden item collection, with 43% of players hitting full clearance.
PlayPile's Take
Touhou Blooming Soul is a solid pick for fans of action games with deep systems. At $19.99, it’s fairly priced for its replayability and 120 achievements, though the $5 discount on Mac might sway some. The emotional combat system is inventive but has a steep learning curve, be prepared to die a lot early on. If you enjoy methodical progression and don’t mind grinding for upgrades, it’s worth a try. Skip if you prefer linear stories or hate permadeath.
Game Modes
Single player
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