The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on 10 September 2019,[3] with Warp Digital handling the console ports.

Numerous upgrades can be acquired at various points of the adventure, which include increasing the Penitent One's maximum health, Fervor and amount of Bile Flasks carried, and unlocking new abilities for world exploration and combat.

The player can rest in these checkpoints to fully replenish their health and refill any used Bile Flasks, save their progress and equip certain abilities, but doing so will also cause all previously slain enemies (excluding bosses) to respawn.

The game is set in Cvstodia, a land of religion, highly influenced by Roman Catholicism, its iconography, Holy Week in Spain and Spanish culture, particularly that of Andalucía.

His sword originated when a woman, praying for punishment to ease her guilt, repeatedly hit her chest with an effigy of The Twisted One, who is in turn considered the First Miracle.

During his pilgrimage, the Penitent One meets characters such as Deogracias, who is found in several key moments of the story and acts as a narrator for the game; Redento, a pilgrim who walks with his back bent and his hands tied as a form of penance; Candelaria, an old merchant who sells various items; and Viridiana, who offers assistance to the player in boss battles.

After defeating the Warden of the Silent Sorrow, he finds Deogracias, who tells him about the Cradle of Affliction, a sacred relic that the Penitent One seeks, and the Three Humiliations he must perform to be deemed worthy to reach it.

The Penitent One travels to different locations in Cvstodia, including the decaying town of Albero, the snowing hills Where Olive Trees Wither, and the underground Desecrated Cistern.

By helping the Exiled Visage regain its eyes, the Penitent One is given the ultimate Sword Heart of the Mea Culpa that enables it to wound a soul, and knowledge that Crisanta was being enslaved by the High Wills, the true masterminds behind the Miracle.

With nothing standing before them, the Penitent One and Crisanta confront the High Wills, a trio of human faces with a single mind that constantly weep tears of gold.

Kept alive only by the Miracle's whim, the Penitent One finally passes away as the Mea Culpa crumbles into dust, with Deogracias and Crisanta laying his body to rest.

Finding Jibrael in different locations will allow him to play his bugle, releasing the crystal sarcophagi of the Amanecidas, four women created by the Miracle from the immense passion of Laudes, a devotee of the Twisted One.

For revering the Twisted One more than the Miracle, the High Wills punished Laudes by sealing her and the Amanecidas away as undead warriors to be awakened only with the Saeta played through Jibrael's bugle.

In the Strife and Ruin DLC, a crossover event with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the Penitent One encounters Miriam, the game's protagonist, trapped in Cvstodia on the Miracle's whim.

Unable to return to her realm, the Penitent One has the option to aid her by finding crystal shards scattered throughout Cvstodia in order to repair the portal that will send her back.

Creative director Enrique Cabeza has cited the religious art and iconography of Seville, Spain, as a major influence on Blasphemous' story and design.

According to developer Enrique Colinet,[9] the creators of Blasphemous had always wanted to have the game's voices recorded in Spanish, but limited budget allowed for dubbing in only one language.

The update also features a crossover with another indie Metroidvania, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, where the main character Miriam needs the help of the Penitent One to complete the Challenge Rooms in order for her to return to her world.

[14][15][16][17] it received praise for its visual style, combat, boss battles and interconnected world while criticism was reserved towards its level design, difficulty and pacing.