Blasphemous for Mac: A Detailed Walkthrough Guide

II. Complete Walkthrough: From Start to Finish

1. Launch and Main Menu

After double-clicking the game icon to launch it, you will enter the main menu. Use the arrow keys (↑↓←→) or WASD keys to navigate, and press Space or Enter to confirm your selection.

1. Start New Game: After selecting this, you need to choose a difficulty (such as “Penitence” mode), then enter the opening animation and the initial scene, the “Sleeping Canvas.”
2. Continue Game: Load progress from the latest autosave or manual save point.
3. Settings: It is strongly recommended to adjust the following when entering for the first time: Controls > Keyboard Settings to familiarize yourself with or customize key bindings; under Video, you can set fullscreen/windowed mode and resolution.

2. Basic Movement and Exploration

The tutorial begins right from the initial scene. Default key bindings (can be changed in settings):

• Move: A (left), D (right).
• Jump: Spacebar.
• Crouch/Slide: S. Press S at an edge to grab the platform ledge.
• Attack: J key. Press repeatedly to perform combo attacks.
• Block/Parry: K key. Blocking at the moment of an enemy’s attack triggers a “Perfect Parry,” stunning the enemy and restoring mana.
• Interact/Confirm: E key. Talk to NPCs, open chests, and operate mechanisms.
• Map: Press M to open/close.
• Inventory: Press Tab to open/close.

Gameplay Flow: Follow the game’s guidance, defeat the initial enemies, and reach the first “Dream of Atonement” (save point and fast travel point). Interact with it (press E) to save your game, restore health and mana, and use it later for fast travel.

3. Combat and Progression System

1. Combat Basics: Combine normal attacks, jump attacks (press J while jumping), and downward thrust attacks (press S+J in midair). Master the use of blocking (K) to deal with powerful attacks.
2. Use Prayers (Spells):
   • Equip acquired prayers on the “Prayers” page in the item menu.
   • During combat, press the corresponding number keys (1, 2) to consume mana and cast them.
3. Equip Rosary Beads: On the “Rosary Beads” page in the item menu, select up to 5 beads from those you have collected to equip, gaining attribute bonuses.
4. Upgrades and Donations: At the “Dream of Atonement” or specific NPCs, you can use “Tears of Atonement” to upgrade your health/mana flask capacity, or donate to the “Brotherhood of the Holy Chalice” to unlock global rewards.

4. Map Exploration and Boss Fights

The game features a non-linear interconnected world, but the recommended early-game route is: Sleeping Canvas > Dream of Mercy > Albero.

• Press M frequently to view the map; blank areas represent unexplored territory.
• Defeating area Bosses usually grants key relics (such as the “Linen Banner,” which allows mid-air dashes), thereby unlocking new areas.
• Before Boss fights, be sure to save at a nearby save point. During combat, observe their attack patterns and make good use of blocking and dodging.

5. Final Stage and Export (Completing the Game)

1. Collect enough key items (such as the “Trinity” sculpture), defeat the main Boss, and finally head to the “Basilica of the Holy Wing.”
2. After completing the final battle and story, the game will enter the corresponding ending animation based on your completion conditions (such as collection rate).
3. After the ending finishes playing, the game will automatically return to the main menu. Your save file will be marked with a cleared status, and you can start “New Game+” mode (if unlocked) from this save.
4. Note: The game progress is automatically saved in the system-designated directory; there is no need to manually “export” saves. Steam Cloud saves (if purchased through Steam) will automatically sync your progress.

III. Advanced Tips for Common Features

• Fast Drop Attack: Press S+J at the edge of a platform to quickly drop down and attack enemies below—a safe and efficient scouting technique.
• Cancel Parry with Dash: After a successful perfect parry (K), immediately follow up with a dash (after obtaining the relic) or jump to quickly close the distance and finish off stunned enemies.
• Mana Management: Landing attacks restores mana. When facing powerful enemies or bosses, use normal attacks first to build up mana, then use high-damage prayers.
• Quick Bead Switching: For different situations (such as poison resistance or curse resistance), pre-configure several bead combinations and quickly switch them by opening the menu (Tab) in a safe area.
• Map Markers: On the map screen (M), move the cursor to unexplored passages or suspicious locations and use the Interact key (E) to place custom markers, reminding yourself to return later.

IV. Common Issues and Solutions

• Issue 1: The game crashes on startup or won’t open.
  
  Solution: Make sure your macOS system has been updated to the minimum version required by the game (usually a relatively recent macOS Catalina or later). Check whether all necessary system components are installed. If you purchased it on Steam, try verifying the integrity of the game files.
• Issue 2: Keyboard controls feel laggy or unresponsive.
  
  Solution: This is a common issue with action games. First, in the game’s Settings > Video, enable “Fullscreen Exclusive Mode” (if available) and try disabling Vertical Sync (V-Sync). The most effective solution is to connect a Bluetooth or wired controller (such as an Xbox or PS controller), which will greatly improve the gaming experience.
• Issue 3: Stuck in a certain area and can’t find the way.
  
  Solution: Review the key relics you recently obtained. Many new abilities (such as double jump, air dash, wall jump) are the key to unlocking paths. Open the map (M) and carefully observe areas with special symbols (such as short gaps, high walls) that you currently cannot pass through—these usually require abilities you’ll gain later.
• Issue 4: Repeated failures in Boss fights; difficulty is too high.
  
  Solution: Leave the Boss area and explore other areas to collect more “Life Vial” fragments (increases maximum health), unlock more powerful “Prayers,” or upgrade weapon attack power. Change your Rosary Bead combination and choose beads that increase defense or resistance to that Boss’s attributes.
• Issue 5: Game progress lost.
  
  Solution: The game only saves manually at the “Dream of Atonement” (statues), or auto-saves when switching areas. Make sure that before exiting each time, you have interacted with a save point and seen the save icon. If using Steam, check whether Cloud Saves are enabled.

V. Summary of Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

The following are the game’s default keyboard controls (customizable in Settings):

Function Category	Action	Default Shortcut (Mac Keyboard)
Movement & Combat	Move Left	A or ←
Move Right	D or →
Jump	Space
Crouch/Slide Down	S or ↓
Attack	J
Block/Parry	K
Interaction & System	Interact/Confirm	E
Open/Close Map	M
Open/Close Item Menu	Tab
Pause/Game Menu	Esc
Quick Item Bar	Use Quick Item 1 (Prayer)	1
Use Quick Item 2 (Potion)	2
Use Tears of Atonement (Currency)	3 (in front of specific NPCs)
Map Navigation	Move cursor / Place marker	WASD / Arrow Keys / E (place marker)