Overview
Where to find the pages of the Book of Claws in They Bleed Pixels. This guide assumes you’ve beaten the levels before and have a rough idea of their layouts. It’s complete for all the chapters of the story, but if anything isn’t clear you can leave a comment and I’ll see if I can improve it.
Prologue
You’ll spot the first page in the game as you approach this tower. Once you’ve climbed the inside, don’t kick the switch above the metal gate until you’ve explored this alcove. There are two shamblers to dispatch, and the first page.
Here’s another page that’s right in your path. Just run off the ledge here, then use your double jump as soon as you collect the page to get back to safety.
A little later, after some high altitude platforming, you’ll come to an area with one shambler in a small tunnel. After you beat him, it looks like you have to drop down because you’re surrounded by spikes. Instead jump up and left to this step, then grab the outside of the claw shape and climb into it for the third page.
Immediately after returning from the last page, you’ll see this one. grab the wall on your right after you drop, slide to the bottom and then maneuver over to the bottom of the wall on the left of the page. Climb up to get it, and then go back the way you came.
Not too long after the fourth pages, at the bottom of a drop, you’ll find a choice of routes. There’ll be shamblers on the floor, and bomb imps on raised platforms. Jump to where the first bomb imp is, kick him forwards to kill some shamblers, then continue to the right, always kicking the imps right too. The last imp was on the left platform in this image, so once you find the wall, jump to it, then over the top of it to get the fifth page. The floor below you is mostly safe, but touch the wall on your way down to reset your double jump just in case.
This last page is right above the end of the level. You’ll know you’re near the end when you have to kick a switch to raise a blade to get into a winding tunnel. Instead, climb the slope above the switch, carefully hopping between the few steps that aren’t spiky, then up and over the outside of the claw to get the last page of the level. Wall jumping from the top of the claw and holding left should take you to safety, but once again save your double jump.
Dream 2, Chapter 1
You’ll find the first page of chapter two part-way up the wall in the first big room of the level. Use your dash attack to cross the spikes, and to return.
You can’t miss spotting this one as you move through the level. If you’re not confident enough with your double jumps to just casually grab this one, try using the alternate route that starts above the stalactite on the left of the sawblade, placing a checkpoint once you get to safety, and coming back for this page. Jumping from below means you don’t have to avoid the buzzsaw, collect the page and reach a wall in the same double jump.
Straight after the second page, you’ll have to get past more buzzsaws coming in and out of gaps in the floor and ceiling. But the last gap in the floor goes a lot deeper than the rest, and holds the third page.
Soon after the after the last page, you’ll find some moving platforms. Jump onto the second one as it’s moving left, then up and over the spiky block to get the fourth page.
You won’t have to wait long to see the fifth page. If you hadn’t noticed earlier, the growths on the ground here protude spikes. Make sure you jump high as you ride the third platform to avoid them. Kick this bomb imp to the left to blow up the growths and trigger the rest of the bomb imps, who are by the switch that opens the blade in front of the fifth page.
The last page of the level is directly above the exit. After you’ve released and defeated all of the squidy things, you’ll be able to climb to the top of the room and get the last page.
Dream 2, Chapter 2
You’ll see the first page of this chapter as you slip around the starting area. Drop to the ledge on the right of the image, run up and double jump to the little underhang area, and climb up to the page. To save yourself a headache, weave back down to the underhang so you have more headroom for your jump back.
Start climbing the slippery, floating platforms upwards, and when you get to the fourth one, look over to the right to see the second page. Walljumping to get it isn’t too hard, just be careful not to slide into the spikes while you’re getting ready to jump.
Jump left from the fifth floating platform to reach this area. Quickly run left and high-kick the bomb imp after a few ticks. This should send it up in time to flick the switch by detonating. Then the third page is yours for the taking.
A while later, you’ll be swarmed by squiddy things. After you’ve taken them out, there’s nowhere to go but down. On the way, hop to this area above the saws, holding left as you land so you keep some momentum. Crouch to slide under the spikes, collect the fourth page, and let yourself bounce off the wall and slide back to relative safety.
A bit after that, you’ll be leaping across mushroom-shaped blocks. It looks like you have to start going up after the fourth one with buzzsaws rolling around it, but first jump right to find a fifth. Then climb this wall to find the fifth page.
When you reach the exit, jump over it. Jump out to the right to grab the last page.
Dream 2, Chapter 3
You’ll be attacked by a gang of knife imps not long after the start of the level, and another group here. The page is in plain sight after the second gang.
You might have seen this page by looking up in the first kinfe imp room, but you couldn’t reach it then. After a Z-shaped tunnel with spikes on the ceiling, you’ll find some more floating lanterns. Slide down them to here. Push off the side of this lantern to get the second page. Getting back up from here is pretty tricky, so I won’t judge you if you want to drop down and roll around the level again.
After you get back to that room, there’s a S-shaped tunnel filled with slippery stuff. Once again, slide down the sides of the lantern to find page number 3. Once you get it by leaping from that left wall and back, you’ll need to climb the wall I’m on in this image to continue with the chapter.
A while after that, you’ll be attacked by multiple wraiths at once, in a field of lanterns that seems to go on forever. Pro tip – it doesn’t. First, lure the wraiths back to somewhere you can bust them more easily. On the way left again, pick the lower lanterns where you can, and you’ll see that a row near the bottom has two smaller, solid blocks in it. On the left of each of these, you’ll find the fourth and fifth pages.
Here’s the other one.
You see where the lanterns tell you to head down? They’re lying to you. Keep going left to find this final page.
Dream 3, Chapter 1
One of the first towers you’ll climb down through has this gate at the bottom. Drop into the hole to the right, then run away from the buzzsaws. When you get a chance to escape the buzzsaws and continue, instead jump over them and flee them in the other direction. This will lead you straight to the first page of the chapter. High kick the switch to open that first gate and get out.
Climb the left wall immediately after leaving the buzzsaw hallway. Jump on top of the thin, slippery platform a little further left, then leap off it, back towards the tower you climbed through before getting the first page. Climb up the outside to get the second page on top. Jump to the left for some more blood, if you don’t mind retracing your steps a little. It is possible to climb over the top of the tower from the other direction, but you’d take 2 damage from the spikes. Try it for speedrunning!
Climb that left wall again. Instead of going onto that thin lip at the top, jump to the right and grab the floating platform. Fight off the shambler and bomb imp on the next couple of platforms, then jump to the third platform. You could slide into the next tower from here, but since the other side of the gap has some spikes just below it, I’d recommend dropping back down on the left and riding the rising platforms from the bottom. You could have got this one second, it doesn’t matter.
Straight after that next tower is an area with pairs of buzzsaws sliding horizontally above wide, passable floors. Don’t go play in the saws, no matter how fun they look, without first jumping up from the lip on the left of the saws and double jumping up and left into the room above them. There are a few ledges with long spikes and shamblers to fight through, and the fourth page is at the top. Dropping down shouldn’t be too much of a problem, just aim for the middle of the ledges and don’t blow your double jump too soon.
After another buzzsaw chase section, you’ll climb out into a pit. Instead of continuing right, jump off the first ledge to the left and climb the wall. Fight off the wraith, then jump between these sawblades, starting your jump just as they’re coming apart to give yourself plenty of wiggle room. Grab the left side of the buzzsaw-holder and jump to the left ledge, boot the bomb imp away then jump back between the saws.
The fifth hill after that second buzzsaw chase has a tiny tunnel in it, with spikes that are way too big for it. Drop down between the fourth and fifth hills to get here, then drop though the passable floor, grab the last page of the chapter, then double jump back on top of the floor. Climbing back out the way you came is easy, as long as there aren’t any enemies still following you.
Dream 3, Chapter 2
You can see this first page as you start the chapter, but you can’t get to it straight away. Play through the level, then drop down through this platform to collect it.
The second page is also shown to you before you can reach it. Climb to the top of the chain once you do, then drop off the other side of the platform and use your double jump below the small chain. Grab the wall shown in the image above and slide down to reach the page. Your double jump will have reset, so use that below the large chain to get back to relative safety.
Not too long afterwards, there’s an infuriating section where you’ll have to climb a chain, while being chased by buzzsaws and harried by squidy things. Wall jump from the top link of this chain and fall as far right as you can go, to get the third page.
The fourth page is probably the trickiest to collect without taking damage. Once you see the only wraith of the level, fall between the two sawblades at the top of this image. The transparent platform below the page will rise once touched, so you can use that to kill the shamblers quickly and leave some stable footing to fight the wraith.
The fifth page will be staring you in the face almost immediately after you get the fourth. To get it, cling to this wall until one sawblade is in the bottom left of its path, then slide down, double jump to where it just was and cling to the second stalactite. Once that sawblade is in the top centre, you can jump over to the first wall, collecting this page in mid-air.
After the stalactites, you’ll come to the switch with the green mark that you can see on the left. The sixth page is just off the bottom of this image. Kicking the switch lets you into the lower area, but closes off the room with the page. Instead of doing that, just dash as shown in the image to get below the spikes alive, then drop through the platform and collect your prize.
Dream 3, Chapter 3
You should spot the first page as you progress through the chapter. Continue over it, fight or avoid the shamblers around the small spike trap, and drop down to the other side. Kick away the bomb imp, and then jump to the left to grab the page. Getting back is the hard part – try wall jumping from the third chain link from the top, using your double jump before the middle saw, aiming to land on the tiny platform at the base of the torii. (Just below this screenshot) You can then climb back to where you started.
The second page isn’t as obvious. There’s a vertical tunnel above the area to the right of the first page. Climb it, and then continue to the right. If you’re good at wall jumping, you should be able to grab this one easily. If you’re not going for a Full Harvest, you can leap to the right here to skip to the large chain. (Disregard the timer, apparently F11 brings it up).
Third page is back in easy-mode. At the start of your ride of the moving platform, three shamblers drop on you. Jump into the cell the middle one fell out of.
Near the end of the ride, there’s a membrane you have to cut through with another easy page below it.
This is the one I was stuck on. After the ride there are several chains. You have to go under the first , but jump back from the second and climb it to the celing to find an alcove with the fifth page.
Later, you’ll find an area with a lot of saw blades popping out of the floor, and a switch after it to enter the final stretch. Jump up the slippery exterior of the building, avoiding bomb imps, squidy things and saw blades to find the final page.
Dream 4, Chapter 1
After you leave the dragon’s mouth that you start in and kill the first few squidy things, jump left from the second platform to reach the top of the dragon’s head. The first page is about as far to the left as you can go.
A short while after the first wraith of the level attacks you; you will find this trap. I think it’s supposed to be dinosaur with gates for teeth. Use your high kick and mid-air attacks to juggle a shambler into its mouth. This will let you get to the page below. Don’t put a second in there or the gate will close again.
Later you will find a tall, narrow tunnel with saw blades down the inside. Once you make it through, there will be a small platform with some enemies on it. Underneath it is the third page. Be careful on the return journey, you can only wall jump from the bottom block.
After you cross the scarab-shaped saw blade launchers, the fourth page is underneath the solid ground ahead of you. Drop off the last scarab and fall to the right, double jumping to reach this page and grab the wall. Climb the stalactites to the left, and jump back on the scarab to get the height you need to continue.
As you pass though the level, a moving platform will drop you off above an arena, full of shamblers, knife imps and squidy things to fight. Fall to the left instead, and land on the statue bordering the arena. Drop down, and hug the right wall to reach this page. You can also jump to the left after you’ve fallen out of the bottom of the arena, if you’re also going for a Full Harvest. This jump is a bit tricker, however.
Straight after this, you’ll fall onto a snake-shaped platform. The final page is just to the right of its tail.
Dream 4, Chapter 2
The first page in this chapter is quite a way in, but spotting it isn’t the tricky part – getting it out alive is. Kick this switch, then run to the right. As soon as you hear the collection noise, lunge to the left. Simple enough, so far.
This one is a bit trickier. Soon after the first page, you’ll be heading left and see a blade trapdoor opening and closing quickly. Look up to see three of these trapdoors and the second page. Start your jumps when the gates are closed from underneath their centre, and make sure your double jump isn’t high enough to hit the blade above you. Jump again as soon as you land, and repeat the process. When you grab the page, use your dive attack to avoid getting caught in the blades on the way down.
The last four pages are all in quick succession. You’ll know this hellish corridor of spikes when you see it. In this screenshot I’m in a pretty terrible position, it’s much easier to jump over the second buzzsaw from one wall to the right. When you’re above the third page, use your double jump to slow yourself down and grab the wall it’s next to.
See what I said about quick succession? I’m right above the third page here. Kick the switch as usual. The fourth page is probably in the best place to jump off from to continue left.
And immediately arrive here. Repeat the process to get the fifth page.
I hope you can make a checkpoint here, because you deserve it. Even if you’re going for a no-checkpoints run, it’s going to be easier to get the timing right if you jump from this spot rather than the last buzzsaw-covered rock. Jump when the buzzsaws are at about 2 and 8 o’clock, and use your double over the lower wall. Grab the wall and the last page, then wait for a saw to pass over your head before jumping back to the left.
Dream 4, Chapter 3
As you exit the tunnel after the first climbing section of the level, keep moving left. Climb this wall too, and you’ll reach this little puzzle. Wait until a translucent platform appears from below the left switch, then jump to it and lunge over to the switch on the right. Wait until that platform is about to come back out, then kick the switch, dash back, kick the left switch and jump up to the platform in this picture. Ride it to the first page of the chapter.
A ways through the level, you’ll be thrown into a small room with one of each enemy in the game (except knife imps, there are a few of those). You’ll know it’s the right room because you have a choice to go up or down – choose up first. Climb the shaft above to reach the second page. Mind the buzzsaws – they’re quick, but you should be able to work out the pattern easily.
Just to the right of that shaft is another, with another page! You’ll have to go the long way round, though. These buzzsaws seemed faster than any others, but I might be wrong. I avoided them by waiting until one reached the bottom of the left wall, and then following it around as best I could. Jump over the other saw at the top of the spiral, then let the first one pass back out before going for the page.
After the second climbing section of the level, just keep going up. To avoid the saws, jump to the first wall, then hold on for a while. Let the saws start to come apart so you have more room to double jump, then just keep weaving around the outside. If the saws are moving apart when you get fourth page, use your dive attack to drop to safety, otherwise climb back down the edges.
It’s not long before you find some large, interlocking cogs with lots of saws running along the outside. you’ll be attacked from knife imps as you go up from there, then shown a path going right into a slippery tunnel. Don’t go this way, but up again (noticing a theme yet?) past where the imps came from. You should be able to see some tiny walls with buzzsaws hovering opposite them, above you. Climb these, it’s not as hard as it looks. The fifth page is at the top.
After those slippery tunnels, don’t head right into the horde of shamblers. Once again the page is above you, so grab the wall where it isn’t slippy. Jump to the left wall, then back, making sure the first part of it is small enough not to hit the saws. Then repeat to get the last page! Don’t worry about climbing back, stay near the right wall and they’ll fold back around you!
The End
There isn’t a lot of advice I can give for The End, except “practice more”. The pages in this level are all unlocked by completing sections quickly, so if you’re struggling you could look for speedrunning videos for help.
