The Binding of Isaac

Outdated, outclassed... and still worth finishing

With Rebirth and especially Repentance having vastly improved on almost every aspect of the original, there’s no doubt that this version of The Binding of Isaac has been left in the dust in terms of gameplay, balance, and polish. And yet, after finally completing it, I’m genuinely glad I did.

Yes, the framerate is choppy. The controls can be sluggish. The RNG occasionally throws you into hopeless situations just for the hell of it. But there’s a raw, unfiltered charm here that still manages to shine through. Even the Hard mode, with its wildly overpowered Eternal enemies, has a certain chaotic appeal.

One thing I found surprisingly enjoyable was the soundtrack. It’s quite different from the remake, and while the transitions can be jarring at times, some tracks really grew on me. There’s a grittiness to the sound design that fits the Flash-era aesthetic.

This game may have been outclassed by its successor, but it laid the groundwork (and for what it is, it still holds up better than you’d expect).

Worst and hardest game of my entire life and I have played a lot of hard games if I could I would refund this shit 0/10 dont recommend at all

There is a lot of charm to this game. Its simple, has a lot replay value, and has good music artwork. However, I really can't recommend it over sequel/re-imagining. Controls are slow and clunky, enemies are very fast and always have like 1 more shot of health then they should. Enemy movement is unpredictable and many have on death fast moving bullets that have unpredictable tracking. Shots could go straight or perfectly lead themselves into your movement. To many enemies explode and are fast. Room design is primitive and many have unavoidable damage unless you can either fly or clear the room instantly. Even then you can still easily take damage. Its also very obvious they're aren't that many rooms as you can enter duplicate rooms one after the next. Boss while varied and having some interesting mechanics are bulky and usually have fast moving attacks or annoying boss room layouts.

TL;DR: Play Rebirth this hasn't aged well

The game despite being 14 years old at review time is a masterpiece very replayable and super fun.

Plot
Gameplay
Demon girl at half a heart

10/10 mom tried to kill me instead i killed myself.

Bought this because of nostalgia from 12 years ago but its pretty shit ngl. Game runs incredibly poorly compared to its new version, white enemies are unfairly balanced, popping up every single room isnt a good design for a difficulty spike and they make progression genuinely frustrating when you dont get good items. Many combinations of items are missing that are in repentance and a couple of other things. Just buy the new game.

Fun for a few sessions, but too repetitive, too fast.

The Binding of Isaac is a weird game with a twisted art style, story and enemies. You fight your way out of your mother's uterus, while fighting against bleeding anuses, cysts, headless people, tape worms and other vile creations. The goal is the same every time, fight your way through various levels and eventually break free of your prison.

This game is hard as balls. It is part of its charm and is on par with games like Super Meat Boy. I like a good challenge, although some deaths are a little cheap.

In terms of graphics, the game looks simple but nicely animated at the same time. The gore is detailed the environments are nicely done.

The music is excellent. For some reason it captivates the weird and disturbing aesthetic of this game in a flawless way.

The controls are fluent, are easy to understand and just work.

In my own personal taste, I have a dislike for games that reset completely when you die, after collecting a lot of items, gear and coins. This is one of the reasons that I do not care for this game too much.

My problem with this game is that it is too repetitive and boring. Sure, this can be a certain charm, but with The Binding of Isaac, I had enough after a few games. Sure, the enemies, items, environments and crazy stuff all around you changes every time you play, but the principle is still the same and gets kind of boring.

Every playthrough is also a gamble. Sometimes you get overpowered items that obliterate everything in your path, other times you are stuck with a debuff that messes up your playthrough.

In the end, the repetitiveness and pricing of The Binding of Isaac makes me not recommend this game. It is simply not for me.

super fun always something new no matter how many times I play

great game for being made with flash
actually impressive. the only major flaws are dogshit performance (flash being absolutely god awful) and no controller support (joy to key is kinda janky to use). i would love to see a remake of this game (not rebirth and repentance by extension) that runs at 60 fps and has joystick compatibility. no grafical improvement.

It's super difficult and gross, but it has incredible depth and variability. In other words, it's a perfect rogulelike.

Difficulty from this game stems from the lack of guidance/information this game gives you. Items have no descriptions. Making online guides required in order to know what certain items do (every time you play).

Pretty dark weird game and fairly gross but whatever.

They should add some more DLC to the game, like one you are reborn, then another where you play with your afterbirth, then you play with your afterbirth again, probably one where you repent, and then an online one where you repent online.

I like this game. It's cute it's simple and not trying to do too many things at once. At its price, it is absolutely worth it and would recommend but the gameplay is simple and doesn't have all that much variance, but enough cool cute features to keep it worthwhile.

Very fun but I died a lot and I hate the little laser dudes they can all go die

i love the game! starting cutscene is very sad and really builds up the world, also i love the references to mythology and overall lovely

this game is unnecessarily more difficult than rebirth. get repentance instead but get this if you like pain and like repentance.

ima be honest this version really isn't that good the frame rate is pretty bad and I wouldn't say the game itself is bad I do love isaac but this version of isaac just isnt worth it unless you really want a 100% game since its shorter then rebirth but just go for rebirth honestly

This game makes me wanna crash out but its hella baller (Cain is the issue)

Even if you have rebirth i think this game is amazing and worth buying if you want that nostalgic feel. The game is a little janky which is funny (for example finding brimstone in the curse room). And the music is amazing. Some people complain about how the game is choppy and low fps but i personally don't really care about it

pretty featureless, old supported resolution (stuck on 1200xsomething), no much configurations, only one game mode and yeah not really funny..

Rating: 9/10

The Binding of Isaac is a brutally challenging, endlessly replayable roguelike that combines disturbing themes with addictive gameplay. The randomly generated dungeons, countless item synergies, and unpredictable runs make every playthrough feel fresh, ensuring no two games are the same.

The controls are simple, but the difficulty is unforgiving—boss fights, tricky enemy patterns, and RNG-heavy item drops can make runs feel either godlike or absolutely miserable. The dark, grotesque art style won’t appeal to everyone, and the story (if you can call it that) is disturbing, with heavy religious symbolism and unsettling imagery.

While the base game is solid, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and its expansions (Afterbirth, Repentance) turn it into one of the best roguelikes ever made. The only major downside is the reliance on RNG—some runs feel unfairly bad, making progression frustrating. But for players who love challenge and experimentation, Isaac is a masterpiece in the genre.

fun but so, so hard

Got brim and dead cat on the first devil deal
Cannot make this shit up lmao

I've restarted runs more than runs I've actually played the game itself

10/10 would use R key again and again

That intro brings so many feels (looking at you Newgrounds)

Watched my brother play this majority of the time. I always thought I pick this game up too at some point and it became one of the greatest decisions ever when playing video games. You can tell this gem is absolutely a masterpiece even on the flash engines. I must thank my brother for allowing me to spectate him playing this game.

An undisputed cult classic of the roguelike genre. Would undoubtedly recommend to almost any kind of gamer, and for good reason. 10/10.

Better buy "The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth". With this one you might face:
1. Broken fullscreen
2. Inability to change controls or sound
3. Low FPS
And overall, "The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth" includes this game and is better at everything.

buy the real one too

пиdeростическая, нечестная игра для ноулайферов
спустя бл9дских 4 часа дошел до конца 1 главы и игра зарандомила мне отправку в таверну вместе с удалением игры

Banging soundtrack. Kind of a trash game though.

A Roguelike Masterpiece with Endless Replayability
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

The Binding of Isaac is one of the most addictive and rewarding roguelike games out there. It masterfully blends challenging gameplay, dark humor, and an absurdly deep item system that keeps every run fresh and unpredictable.

What Makes It Amazing:
✅ Endless Replayability – No two runs are the same, thanks to procedurally generated dungeons and a massive variety of items, enemies, and bosses.

✅ Satisfying Progression – Unlocking new characters, items, and secrets makes every run feel meaningful.

✅ Challenging but Fair – The difficulty can be brutal, but it rewards skill and strategy. The more you play, the better you get!

✅ Unique Art Style & Soundtrack – The creepy yet charming visuals, combined with a haunting soundtrack, create an unforgettable atmosphere.

✅ Insane Item Combinations – The synergy between items can turn you into an unstoppable powerhouse… or make you suffer in hilarious ways.

If you love roguelikes, twin-stick shooters, or games that constantly surprise you, The Binding of Isaac is a must-play. It’s the kind of game that keeps pulling you back in for "just one more run"—which inevitably turns into hours of fun (and pain).

💀💖 Highly recommended!

I can't really recommend it nowadays because there is no reason to buy this game over its sequel, but fans of The Binding Of Isaac who have never played the original should definitely try it just to see what the origins where.

Also, the soundtrack in the flash version is full of bangers.

Honestly, with Rebirth out, this game is a bit rough.

Visually, the game doesn't do well. Isaac and many monsters look funky. Transitions are very static and objects have little response. The audio sometimes doesn't work correctly nor does it sound great. We also get some very limited and unbalanced item that, mostly, could use some tune ups.

Honestly, it's not a bad game and it's success helped us get Rebirth. However, with Rebirth out there isn't much reason to go for this.

Have you ever played The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth before?

A. Yes, and I enjoyed it and want more --> Consider getting this, you'll probably like it.
B. No --> Do not get this, go buy Rebirth instead.

As someone who played Rebirth before, I am having fun experiencing the older and clunkier version of the game. That being said, this is an inferior experience to the remake in pretty much every aspect, and I absolutely do not recommend this as a first experience or if you didn't like Rebirth.

amazing game, i prefer this than rebirth ( i know, shocking :mindblown: )

its worse then rebirth but better than fartnite

Solid game. Twin stick shooter style for you old heads. No two games are alike, which really ups the replay value. Not for the feint of heart, as this game can be extraordinarily brutal. The power ups can be hit and miss and that can determine how far you can make it before the game inevitably kicks you in the teeth. I highly recommend this for those of you looking for an addictive yet challenging game, especially if you catch it on sell. Great 2 dollar buy!

Is this game good? I certainly believe so. They didn't remake it in another engine because someone felt sorry for it.
That's the one thing that prevents me from parading in the streets, telling everyone who cares to listen to buy it, though. I consider Rebirth a better experience, especially with the DLCs. Unless you're really frugal, I'd buy Rebirth and it's DLCs first.
That being said, for fans of Rebirth that might want to give the original a try? I'd actually still recommend it. The game feels different, a bit janky, but the fundamentals are still there.

I started with Afterbirth+ on PS4, it was great to go back to the original flash version and see the differences.
The original vibe, visuals and soundtrack make it worth it to check out if you're a fan of Isaac and started later on like me.

From the gameplay point of view this game is outstanding. Rogue like with dozens of random items with various unusual effects and multum of enemies. Each run is different I mean seriously, levels, items and monster placement are random generated. Controls are simple but works as they should. Big negative for repulsive visuals that resembles some terrifying doodles from abducted by monsters child that wanted to tell the story of his life.

If you are wondering if u should buy this game:
Dont buy it if u want to play isaac buy rebirth

Theme, story and goal are terrible.

great game i love it i used to think that flash games were dumb now i don't

I'm literally fucking crying; this game is a bullethell on crack compared to rebirth. 10/10

A fun, classic, well ported to steam roguelike, difficulty is 8/10, a bit hard due to the lack of characters and how decently difficult it is to unlock them, gameplay is a 9/10, very fun but a bit repetitive once your good at it, art style is a 10/10 Very unique and appealing to me and many other people. So in conclusion my total rating is 8.75/10. TLDR very good game 8.75/10.

Es algo que todo jugador de Isaac tiene que jugar, uno esta acostumbrado en Rebirth o Repentance a ser un dios, pasas por todas las salas y haces mierda a los enemigos y jefes.
Aca es distinto, te hacen mierda en cada sala y las batallas contra jefes son un dolor de huevo. La batalla contra Satan es una locura, y el corazon ni se diga. Juego de mierda

i love this game, dont get me wrong. it did all it needed to for the time, and that's cool.

its just really REALLY fucking boring to play compared to rebirth.

personally, no but my friend is really into it for some reason so id reccomend it to like anybody but me lmao

I used to play this for a while, it was very fun. I liked the amount of upgrades available and the plethora of possibilites, of dungeons and of upgrades.

And remember, love your child, or he'll go dungeon crawling