The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

It took me FOREVER to defeat mom but the game mixed up every round. Sometimes you got trash but sometimes you got the perfect setup. This game does take time and skill but in the long run this game is a 10/10 no question. ;)

Quality game. High level of difficulty, but you get better as you play so just gotta stick with it for a bit

"Dead, rotting child in a chest dreaming about a horrid basement" simulator. Got to love creativity of games and the absurd amount of content this game has about a dying child :3

Highly recommend if you love roguelikes with a lot of replayability and synergies, because ohh boy... this game is probably the best when it comes to stuff like that. It's hard to top it.

usually when i play this its with a gun to my head because i dont know anyone who isn't diagnosed with at least one mental illness who plays this but overall its a very wholesome game for the entire family about issac's mom just not quite understanding him and going on a lovely adventure together and learning the true meaning of family after they find issacs long lost twin. too much poop though

To say The Binding of Isaac hasn't been a big part of my life would be an enormous understatement.

At the time of writing this I have achieved Dead God with 970 hours on steam and I promised myself that I would write a review of how impactful it was to me. No matter how unorganized it may be. I found out about Isaac from two Youtubers. Northenlion and Bisnap. I watched Northenlion for Super Meat Boy and Bisnap for Spelunkey. None of their playlist compared to the number of episodes they made for the Original Binding of Isaac. I was HOOKED. The game's art style was infections that a young me would draw the characters on sticky notes to make them stand up, I didn't stop there In 6-8th grade I'd draw them next to the notes I'd write for Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts. I bought Rebirth according to steam on:Jan 31, 2015 and also bought Isaac on the PS-Vita, My Phone,and Nintendo Switch. I played the HECK outta rebirth it is a major upgrade from flash. I'd download mods so I could reskin them beacuse I had no idea how to extract the sprites from the game nor did I know that was even a thing at the time. I only had ms paint so when I did reskin them they would always have a white background which lead me down to finding paint-dot-net a program that I still use to this very day! Anyway I think that's all I wanted to say about Isaac that I can think about on the top of my head. Lastly I'd like to thank Edmund and his team over at Nicalis! Thanks for reading my messy ""review"" of The Binding of Isaac.

Beware : this game is a legal drug !!! you can easily become an addict, so play with care

The game story/lore is really dark btw but that's peak

great indie game that's been alive for about 15 years+. wish they would push out updates more for repentance + but i understand they're working on their new game.

If there's an uncontested face on the roguelike Mt. Rushmore, it's The Binding of Isaac (Repentance). It is genre defining in many aspects and still a good game even if you have nothing to compare it to. I've often seen the game described as an ungraceful and messy game that's fun anyways, but I think that's only true as far as Edmund's delightful habit of trolling his player base goes. In most regards, what makes Isaac timeless is the fact that many of its mechanics are simple but provide endless room for the most defining trait of any good video game: ZANINESS.

Almost every character in Isaac has a simplistic, projectile-based basic attack that can undergo any ridiculous set of modifiers from the game's ludicrous item count. It can do anything from carpet bombing bosses to shooting jelly donuts that fly outside the bounds of the map and then wrap around to shooting reflective bullets that hurt you. It is simple, it's funny, it's timeless. The less appreciated aspect of Isaac is the resource game, to me. Isaac is uniquely interesting as a roguelike because it offers a way to utilize every type of resource the game offers you in a plethora of ways. Cards, health, bombs, keys, coins, all of them have a plethora of use cases and Isaac offers perhaps the most proactive options for Risk vs Reward to try and control the outcome of your runs I've seen in any game. Maybe not the most effective - Isaac still feels uniquely privy to just terrible runs in a way that many other Roguelikes you can rock a >90% winrate on don't have, but to me that's not a bug, it's just a feature. Getting Bob's Brain as The Lost is a hazing ritual all of us have to go through.

There's plenty else to appreciate. Isaac's aesthetic is often off-putting to newcomers, but kind of charming in its cartoony and grotesque way, and many items and bosses from this game have become famous for a legitimate funny or cool factor that you can't dispute. The game is ripe with unlockables - frankly, too many of the fucking things, but you can unlock everything relevant to accessing all the major parts of the game fairly easy and after that it's an enjoyable game to slowly chip away and and accumulate a wealth of funny items and modifiers to the game.

The only real critiques of Isaac I feel as though I could possibly make all stem at earlier expansions which made a lot of flawed or weird choices, but most of the serious ones are addressed or optional by the current state of the game with Repentance. Honestly, as far as actual options for this game go, either Vanilla or Repentance are very enjoyable, so whatever you get you're in for a time that's worth recommending the game to me.

had 250 hours in this game and it came out with an online mode. i wanted to play it so i signed up for the beta. backed up my game as well. flash forward to now. lost all notepad progress, lost anything showing me what ive done. how am i supposed to remember what ive beaten with who. and to make it worse the videos ive looked up to get it back tell me to go into something i dont even have. and now i cant even use online mode anymore. hate this game which is sad because i used to enjoy it. seeing that blank notepad makes me want to never play it again

Fun game. Every run feels like a brand new game.

One of the things I love the most is how, by the end of each run, the items make my character look like the most miserable toddler in human history, fitting.

Man where to start...

The Binding of Isaac seems to be a pretty classic game - i wouldn't know though, having not played it. However, there is something I can comment on here, and that is the Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. After a quick look at some gameplay of the older version, this game, no pun intended, is a godsend.

Not only is the base game great, but for around $50 Australian, you essentially get an entire revamp of the games mechanics, tons of brand new items, features, bosses and endings. The replayability of this game simply cannot be overstated. As someone whom, at the time of writing is probably about a 3rd of the way through, I must say I am so impressed with this game. The sheer amount of just... Stuff is so insane. The game takes 100s of hours to complete, and from what i know is made by a small developer.

Initially, I must admit I did not like this game. As someone who plays a lot of competitive games, all the luck based features annoyed me, but I have now grown to love them. That feeling of getting a gold in counter strike is replaced by getting Brimstone or any of the Seraphim items. This game is truly a work of art. Great story, and great gameplay. I have enjoyed my many ours playing, and cannot wait to siink in many more hours.

Incredible amounts of very polished content even without DLC (though I would recommend getting all of them). Incredibly chaotic and guaranteed to keep you occupied for a hundred hours. It also tells you absolutely nothing, would recommend using the External Item Descriptions mod. Still, if you like experimenting and figuring things out on your own, there's plenty for you here, and if you don't, you've already looked up the wiki.

In conclusion: It's fucking bad this trash game

Never thought running around while crying and sh1tting everywhere could be so much fun

This is a classic and I heavily recommend this game to anyone.
Playing with controller usually is a better experience.

i dont play demonic azael i play christian azael by only doing angel deals also game is torcher and i would rather go be a cow on a trash farm instead of doing the solar system challenge

PS funky tumors bully you
PS fun
PS flys are really good
PS please take little brimstone out of devil deal i wanna be christian azael with lil brimstone
PS dont create game unless u wanna be a cow on trash farm
PS like this game
PS uhhhhhhhhh i dont know what to write anymore
PS the trash farm is coming run

This is one of my favorite games as every run is different.
There are so many items and synergys for the items.

Definitivamente um dos melhores jogos roguelike de todos. O jogo casa perfeitamente com a brincadeira e a religião, tendo personagens como Azazel, judas, Lazarus e outros de referência religiosa.
Isac é um ótimo jogo, mas realmente acho que se você quer ter A MELHOR experiência com ele, compre junto das dlcs.

this game is a great introduction to dungeon crawling games, although there is 3 DLC's with the game it's not forced to play the game, the DLC's just add's even more content to its already massive content pool like new items, new bosses, new endings and lets you download mods EXC. i haven't even finished the game and i'm only about 35% done might even be less that's how much there is to do i can not but recommend this game worth every penny

From the humble beginnings of a flash game to mass popularity.

Amazingly well thought out game with very passionate devs. Lots of items and synergies to explore and endless amount of runs to have fun with. The progression is nice with a good amount of difficulty, along with being a great time killer.

Definitely one of my highest rated games I've played, anyone who loves indie games and rouge-likes should give this a try. you won't be disappointed.

probably my number 1 favorite in the roguelike genre. there's so many synergies and paths you can take when you put enough time into unlocking them. and the themes of the levels and enemies are super cool too. so i enjoy playing this game on PC and my nintendo switch when i leave to go somewhere.

its a good game, ive played it to the womb on my xbox but on pc it was HELL even trying to get it open on here, i tried 3 diffrent times to get it open and they all didnt work untill the 3rd time which was DISABLING THE FREE DLC THAT I DIDNT EVEN KNOW I HAD BECAUSE THAT FREE DLC COULDN'T RUN BECAUSE IT NEED YOU TO BUY 30+ DOLLARS OF OTHER DLC FOR IT TO WORK!! so i essentially had a broken game that didnt work because of a stupid dlc....i know its not the devs fault but dude- how was i supposed to know that it automatically added a free dlc i didnt know of on here that breaks the game? good game, just steam fucking sucks times mates.

The King of Roguelikes. So many unlocks and secrets to discover, even after 400 hours. Progression feels great, and you naturally improve so much that you hardly notice the game's difficulty increasing as you get better. Great developer and community support, I don't know that this game will ever lose relevance.

Having seen how many hours some others have put in, I realise I have only reached the tip of the iceberg for this game. However, I did manage to finish it a few times and it really felt like I never saw the same item twice. Rebirth is the pinnacle of the Isaac games, where you can easily get lost in the addictive life-death cycle. If you enjoy roguelikes and haven't played this, what are you doing?!?!

Top notch. Fun game that doesn't treat you like a moron or feels the need to spoon-feed you the story.

One of the best indie games and a cornerstore of roguelikes, what more needs to be said?
This game got a grip over me ever since I was in high school and never truly let go, it has been in development for over 10 years and it shows with the insane amount of variety and content.

If you want to play Isaac for the first time I definitely recommend buying every DLC for the best experience!

The Binding of Isaac: Repentance+ is the ultimate roguelike experience. With endless replayability, insane synergies, and challenging yet rewarding gameplay, it perfects everything that made the original great. The new content adds fresh mechanics, bosses, and items that keep every run exciting. If you love roguelikes, this is a must-have. 11/10

This game is the peak definition of being brutal, difficult, and an absolute RNG-fest, but at the same time being incredibly fair.

Most of the time, you won't feel "cheated" by losing runs, as the game is naturally difficult to begin with, but unlike most other difficult games, it's actually a fair difficulty, as you can grow more powerful to match the game's difficulty 1-for-1.

I don't really like rouge-likes too much, but TBoI is a HARD exception to that rule. It's balanced, it's fair, and it's not utter BS.

Highly, highly recommended, without a shadow of a doubt.

I like how you can become literal god withing just a few seconds in a run, and then get killed by a spider. Simply 10/10.

So this game is my favorite game ever. I don't even know where to start, with the endless amount of replay-ability, and the synergies that have been fleshed out throughout development. I would buy all of the expansions with it, but if you're worried, you could buy just Rebirth first and realize how addicting it fundamentally is. I've sunk plenty of time in it on steam with tons more on playstation. But yeah, best game ever 10/10. (download external items description)

great addictive and fun gameplay and i could play for hours without getting bored, it tells you basically nothing other than how to move and attack which makes the game feel so fresh and makes me feel like a genius when i unlock something new or start to understand how a section of the game works.

"Isaac is the best roguelike I have ever played. It has a lot of synergies and an incredible level of complexity you could never imagine.
10/10 ❤️

I love Isaac more than my own children, even if mine don’t cry as much when I put them in the chest without food for a decade. Nice."

There's not enough words in the English language to convey just how good, how ADDICTING, this game is. I got it November 2024, as online came out, to play it with a friend. His pc died so I ended up playing it on my own. It is now March 2025 and I have gotten every single achievement in the game.

I PUT ALMOST 600 HOURS IN 4 GODDAMN MONTHS. And it's not stopping. I AM getting Dead God on all three save files.

If you like roguelikes, please get this game. You can even mod it and it won't disable the progress at all (If you beat the game once without mods first)

You WILL get frustrated at getting the worst items ever conceived. But you will also feel joy at seeing how you melt the boss when you DO get that one god run.

If you've got the time to sink into this game, give it a try. It's worth it.

Its a Classic all the way, solely depends on its great gameplay and endless features to give you the best time possible!!! A game that has chosen the correct path and hold its own in the charts against the big titles who rely on skins and passes and advert and so on to keep gamers!

I bought this game like 13 days ago and i think im addicted. I literally cant stop playing, so i recommend you should also buy this game if you dont want to touch grass anymore

Not much else to say about this game that hasn't been said before. A true cornerstone of the roguelike genre. Near flawless DLC expansions (Afterbirth+ being the sole exception, but is required to get to the cream of the crop, Repentance) which will greatly enhance your experience whilst playing.

Gameplay/Progression: 10/10

Difficult, but not impossible, with an insanely high skill-ceiling. All inputs being restricted to one of four cardinal directions leads to both simplistic gameplay and a huge amount of tech to learn (huge bonus if you don't have a decent mouse or are on a laptop). Casual players have more than enough of a challenge presented to them, but true die-hards will enjoy the fact that the game doesn't necessarily get "easier" the more you play it. Instead, the game's progression (and everyone's obsession with getting all 600+ achievements) forces you to adapt and consistently raises the bar of difficulty in an intriguing way each time you get comfortable (we don't talk about Ultra Hard). Wildly entertaining/interesting items and synergies lead to near endless experimentation and variety present in each run. Some items reference other media, some foreshadow the plot, and some are just plain creative. Characters can be either slight variations of the default or change the gameplay entirely, making the thought of the game ever getting "stale" seem impossible. Multiple difficulties and rugpulls lead to false senses of confidence; just when you think you can't get any better at the game, it introduces a new element or challenge to sit you right back down. Dangerously addictive and rewarding to progress/improve, even after hundreds or thousands of hours. Virtually bug-free, so there are very few "unjustified" deaths (a.k.a. skill-issue).

Visuals: 10/10

Sublime, basically perfect for a game in this genre. Models for characters, enemies, items, and environments are beautifully tied into the plot and hauntingly dark when needed. The artwork does an amazing job at appearing innocent upon first glance, but contains ludicrously intricate detail to remind the player of the dark themes present.

Plot: 11/10

If you have quite literally any interest in or prior knowledge of biblical/religious themes, this game will absolutely blow your top off. Even if you don't, the meta-commentary is enough to carry the game on its shoulders. Without spoiling anything, it is clear that the creator (who has stated that the game is partially based on his childhood) has a deep, deep understanding of religious themes, references, and stories and uses his knowledge in a mind blowing fashion. If you have experienced any of the games core themes whilst you yourself were a child, the story will pull on your heartstrings ceaselessly.

Soundtrack/Sound Design: 10/10

Mesmerizing. Not much to say besides it is very dynamic and reflective of what you are doing in the game. Builds tension when it has to, matches each environment perfectly.

Final Thoughts

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a nearly flawless game. Barring a few questionable decisions by the creator (again, Ultra Hard), there is almost nothing negative to say about the game aside from the annoyance of needing to purchase a "mid" DLC (Afterbirth+) to play what is essentially "The Binding of Isaac 2" (but everyone and their mother has wrote home about this). So many elements come together to create a game that is mind-numbingly addictive, rewarding, and alluring--Just don't forget to check on your loved ones when you've been playing for 12 hours straight.

[10/10]

PLS FIX DESYNC PROBLEM Big turn of rn for the game PLS, I love the game but I want to be able to play with my friends without having to desync every 2 runs and specially if it happens on Mom's foot Floor with broken items :/

It's my comfort game. I play it whenever I want to relax as its pretty much the same with a few different variations due to the nature of the game. I recommend it if you need patterns in your life as it helps me cop with that.

played for more than 800+ hours and still not half way done with the game. very good game 10/10

The Binding of Isaac is the holy grail of Roguelike games. This game essentially revolutionised the genre's placement in the modern gaming sphere and has held its place there for over a decade while getting large content releases that pad out the game even more.

It has a gameplay style similar to old Legend of Zelda overworlds. You walk around a top-down procedurally generated dungeon and collect money, items and trinkets to defeat the boss and continue exploring. The gameplay loop is based around replaying again and again. There is progression through the unlocking of new items, characters and other in-game content.

Ultimately, I think it's best to catagorize this as "action solitaire" in the sense of how you just walk again and again into different organizations of the same thing. Will probably still turn this on for a game or two for the next few decades.

I really like this game solo, but extremely disappointed that the multiplayer version does not work ever for my friends and I. We have tried so many troubleshooting issues and nothing seems to fix it. Will gladly recommend once the multiplayer is properly fixed and playable for all.

really fun and interesting but i feel so bad for Isaac :(

This game is endlessly replayable. The variety of synergies with hundreds of items makes it so every single playthrough is unique, not to mention the rest of the randomized game. One of the pioneers of the roguelike and one of the best to do it

after playing flash isaac for years I stepped up and tried this bad boy and its amazing I love both so much

Upon purchase you get like hundreds of possibilities and after you unlock some items they become thousands. If you buy the DLCs you basically get endless possibilities.

I mean its pretty good, not that good graphics, but thats to be expected and the trailer on the front steam page is a little missleading with the graphics but i think the gameplay makes up for it so i would recomend it if you dont really care for the graphics or have a bad computer.

Edmund Mcmiller you little fucker
You made shit of piece with your trash isaac its fucking bad this trash game
I will become back my money I hope you will in your next time a cow on a trash farm
You sucker

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth – 10/10

Introduction

"The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth" is a game that combines everything great about classic roguelikes while bringing something fresh and deep to the table. It’s one of those titles that draws you in for long hours, offering an immense variety and exceptional playability.

Visuals

The first thing that stands out is the dark yet hypnotic visual style. The pixel art is simple but perfectly matches the game’s atmosphere. Each level is packed with details that can evoke both fascination and unease. As time progresses, the visuals become more surreal, making the journey through this nightmare world even more intense.

Gameplay

The gameplay in "Rebirth" is a rollercoaster ride. The game offers an endless combination of procedurally generated levels, enemies, items, and challenges, making each experience unique. You play as Isaac, a boy who must navigate through the hell of his own mind, battling demons from his past and facing monsters in various dungeons. Every run feels like a journey through the unknown, full of surprises and emotions. If you’ve played classic roguelikes before, this game feels like home – no two runs are the same.

Items and Progression

A fascinating aspect is the item system, where you can find different items during your run. Each item changes the way you play – some surprise you, some make the game easier, but others can lead to unexpected difficulties. This variety allows for many different combinations, making each playthrough feel new and fresh. It’s the magic of randomness, which never gets boring.

Difficulty and Challenge

An essential part of the game is its difficulty. "Rebirth" can be brutal, but it’s this high level of challenge that keeps players coming back. It’s a title for those who aren’t afraid of failure and who have the motivation to try again, improving their skills with each attempt. Successes are incredibly satisfying, and failures teach you, shaping your approach for the next round.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is another highlight. It fits perfectly with the dark atmosphere of the game, building tension without overwhelming the player. The music sets the tone for intense gameplay, making every encounter feel more immersive and exciting.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth" is a game that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. With tons of secrets, challenges, and surprises, it’s one of the best roguelikes out there. Tough, rewarding, and offering endless hours of gameplay. 10/10.

Full of bloat and feels more like a chore since ab+ and the balancing in repentance didnt feel like it helped at all and the ending floors are still uninspired and reused content.

this game is great played ones and now im hooked i cant stop after i unlocked T isaac so ya play the game

Honestly, it's hard to truly recommend this game. But I do so anyways, because that's what it deserves.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is incredible, and while I would say it got even better with every DLC, I unfortunately cannot say that is the case. Afterbirth and Afterbirth+ are kind of... mediocre, to say the least...

But Repentance? The game becomes one of the best games in the roguelike dungeon crawler genre I've ever seen. Incredible room, enemy, and item variety, plenty of unlockable content and an incentive to use every character, and the best part of every version, no matter the dlc, is the possible item combinations you can find and (commonly) win with.

I start negative because of the fact that the $20 base game and the $60 dollar full DLC experience are vastly different when compared to each other, but if you do buy everything up to Repentance, it is SO WORTH the money.