The Binding of Isaac

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1122 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 898 out of 1122
  2. Mixed: 148 out of 1122
  3. Negative: 76 out of 1122

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  1. zazziik
    Jul 19, 2023
    9
    not that much to say, the game is simply amazing and worth every cent - however it was made in flash, which isnt too good of a game engine. its laggy as hell
  2. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    8
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  3. 3ls0ul
    Mar 7, 2023
    9
    Este juego aún no lo eh jugado o completado, así que pondré una reseña y nota diferentes cuando lo haga.
  4. LeFlatBear
    Mar 13, 2022
    8
    a classic that pushed the limits of flash.( **** the eternal difficulty)

    .....................................
  5. Freshinate
    Jun 22, 2021
    10
    The Binding Of Isaac, One of the best indie games I've ever played in my life. I just found out that this game has a Metacritic so, here's a crappy review.
  6. 7ut7ut
    Jun 21, 2021
    8
    Binding of Isaac. Love it forever and always. It's a fckin classic, how can't you love it? X)
  7. Estro
    May 29, 2021
    9
    I had a lot of fun playing this game, and honestly all bugs and lag issues it's really good! there's so much to do in the game and even after completing all the achievements the game still is really entertaining
  8. Andromeda707
    Apr 4, 2021
    8
    7.8/10
    Своё знакомство с Айзеком я решил начать с самой оригинальной игры безо всяких дополнений и ремейков, к которым я прикоснусь позже обязательно, но сейчас мне хотелось узнать, с чего же всё начиналось. После 13 часов игры и 17 прохождений начинаешь понимать, в данной игре всё-таки не хватает контента (данная проблема, насколько я знаю, с лихвой компенсируется позже), и каждый новый    7.8/10
    Своё знакомство с Айзеком я решил начать с самой оригинальной игры безо всяких дополнений и ремейков, к которым я прикоснусь позже обязательно, но сейчас мне хотелось узнать, с чего же всё начиналось. После 13 часов игры и 17 прохождений начинаешь понимать, в данной игре всё-таки не хватает контента (данная проблема, насколько я знаю, с лихвой компенсируется позже), и каждый новый ран почти не удивляет тебя чем-то новым, а чтобы удивил, необходимо ещё добиться множества факторов. Тем не менее на мой взгляд это прям эталонный рогалик, или рог-лайт, если на то пошло, с невероятным уровнем аддиктивности и реиграбельности. Радует не столько достижение цели, сколько сам процесс игры, который каждый раз отличается от предыдущего (правда, ближе к финальным "утробным" уровням этот процесс может вовсе наскучить, когда на уровнях происходит абсолютная дичь, и ты уже вовсе не понимаешь, где находится Айзек с десятком своих улучшений и предметов). Но и больше всего лично меня радует то, как мало (в техническом плане) нужно в игровой индустрии для того, чтобы создать настолько прекрасную и глубокую игру, затрагивающую множество очень важных аспектов вроде вреда от религии в семье, жестокого обращения к детям и так далее. Спасибо гению Эдмунда МакМиллена (которого я действительно очень сильно уважаю в последнее время) за воскрешение ещё и жанра рогаликов для множества разработчиков и игроков в 21 веке. И отдельное очередное спасибо Дэниэлю Барановски за прекрасный саундтрек, который также обязательно хочется выделить. Думаю, пришло время включить Wrath of the Lamb.    … Expand
  9. RagingPoet
    Apr 24, 2018
    8
    The Binding of Isaac is a very oldschool top-down roguelite shooter with RPG elements that has it's own style and feel while paying homage to a lot of older games. Main flaw of Isaac is randomness: itis too high even for procedural generated permadeath game.
  10. nilsy
    Mar 16, 2017
    9
    Think this game is a brilliant execution of randomly generated perma death game were you slowly unlock more and more randomly element each play through.

    It has a strong comedy horror theme for enemies and items which is humorous and a nostalgia towards many early game classics like super mario and zelda which i can only assume the creators has grown up with as it permeates the whole    Think this game is a brilliant execution of randomly generated perma death game were you slowly unlock more and more randomly element each play through.

    It has a strong comedy horror theme for enemies and items which is humorous and a nostalgia towards many early game classics like super mario and zelda which i can only assume the creators has grown up with as it permeates the whole game.

    Think a large part of its success isnt just how good mechanically it is but also the nostalgia effect it has, but it has a solid game as its basis that gets deeper and more random the longer you play and the more you unlock.
    It is very hard though and even after hundred of games im hardly even likely to finish the game each time through no matter how serious i try.

    If i had a hat id want to take it off and give a bow to the developers for making this with a tiny resources im not big on indie games but this one blew me away.    … Expand
  11. Smatt--
    Nov 12, 2016
    10
    This game is addictive as hell. For a simple concept and a simple idea the amount of fun you can have with this game is extraordinary.

    It has lovable characters and a soundtrack (by Danny Baranowsky) which quickly became one of my favourites, There is a lot of replay value in this game and theres a lot of collectibles to discover which will help you get through the game. And as for    This game is addictive as hell. For a simple concept and a simple idea the amount of fun you can have with this game is extraordinary.

    It has lovable characters and a soundtrack (by Danny Baranowsky) which quickly became one of my favourites,

    There is a lot of replay value in this game and theres a lot of collectibles to discover which will help you get through the game. And as for the story, as simple as it is, it has a charm to it which makes it rather unforgettable.    … Expand
  12. Camu_Camu
    Jun 16, 2016
    9
    Ok, this game Is So Awesome to take dark, twisted subject's and have people that just think it smack's Christianity upside the head and tell it to furiously lick windows. But it is not! And I love it for being a different, unforgiving, bomb of love to old Zelda fans! This game is fun but also hard, it has aged like bleu cheese but it is good bleu cheese none-the-less!!!!
  13. tupungato
    Jan 31, 2016
    8
    Small dungeon crawler with roguelike elements. You play as a small child Isaac in nightmarish semi-random basement levels fighting some really disturbing monsters. You can develop Isaac's speed, health and damage by finding various power-ups (there is A LOT of these).

    Beware, the game is difficult, but very addictive. A full playthrough takes about 30-45 minutes, but usually you get    Small dungeon crawler with roguelike elements. You play as a small child Isaac in nightmarish semi-random basement levels fighting some really disturbing monsters. You can develop Isaac's speed, health and damage by finding various power-ups (there is A LOT of these).

    Beware, the game is difficult, but very addictive. A full playthrough takes about 30-45 minutes, but usually you get killed before you reach the final level. It took me almost 10 hours to complete the game for the first time.

    Side note: game features child abuse and a lot of disturbing gore/violence including blood, intestines, urine, feces.

    But to sum up, it's really worth playing (especially at sale prices below $0.99). It's addictive, has a spooky atmosphere and completing the game is rewarding.

    GRAPHICS: 8/10
    AUDIO: 8/10
    GAMEPLAY: 7/10
    STORY: 8/10    … Expand
  14. DaimyanReviews
    Nov 12, 2015
    10
    So this game is the binding of Isaac. this game is a dungeon explorer RPG about a young boy named Isaac who would do things like any boy would playing with his toys while hi mother watched Christian broadcasts on the television. Until one day his mother heard the voice of god from above and told her that Isaac had grown impure so he must be sacrificed, peering through a hole in his wall heSo this game is the binding of Isaac. this game is a dungeon explorer RPG about a young boy named Isaac who would do things like any boy would playing with his toys while hi mother watched Christian broadcasts on the television. Until one day his mother heard the voice of god from above and told her that Isaac had grown impure so he must be sacrificed, peering through a hole in his wall he urges around his room racing to find a way to escape his doom. he finds a small trapdoor that leads to the basement. he dives in but neither you or him know about the dangers that emit from the depths bellow. After being thrown into the darkness you soon discover that this game has a simplistic art. your first steps are both terrifying and exciting as you battle deformed remains of both you fallen brothers and sisters. you walk through dungeons battle these deformed monstrosities and you discover different power ups as you explore these levels delving deeper into the pits of despair. The way you control the character is pretty simple by using wasd to walk and the arrows keys to control your tears. But adding these controls with the everlasting process of dodging enemy projectiles can lead to some sticky situations if you are not ready.

    - so overall I think this is an amazing game with great art and greater gameplay I rate this 10/10    … Expand
  15. Add1cted
    Nov 12, 2015
    9
    £3? Bargain of the year. Basic, but great fun the game is weird and challenging in perfect amounts. Not one for the kids (even though poo wee and sick are the main themes)
  16. Matseb2611
    Nov 7, 2015
    9
    A pretty addictive rogue-like dungeon crawler. This game doesn't look like much at first, but you'd be wrong to judge it on first impressions.

    You play as Isaac, and your goal is to make way through numerous dungeons and slay nasty monsters dwelling in them by shooting tears at them. Each dungeon floor has a boss at the end, which is randomly chosen from a batch of half a dozen of    A pretty addictive rogue-like dungeon crawler. This game doesn't look like much at first, but you'd be wrong to judge it on first impressions.

    You play as Isaac, and your goal is to make way through numerous dungeons and slay nasty monsters dwelling in them by shooting tears at them. Each dungeon floor has a boss at the end, which is randomly chosen from a batch of half a dozen of possible bosses for that dungeon area. After every 2 floors, the dungeon area changes and you meet new enemies. And of course all along you come across a massive variety of items and upgrades, some have a passive effect, like increasing your damage, others require to be activated, and some can even act as pets. With so many items to find, every new dungeon run is guaranteed to feel different.

    Most of all I enjoyed the boss fights (from those I've faced so far). Each boss has a unique design, personality, and battle strategy, and I always get positively psyched every time I come across a boss room, wondering who is going to try and mash me into the floor this time.

    The game has many unlockables, such as playable characters for example. You can even unlock new bosses to spawn in the game by meeting certain criteria, like by beating the basement level 25 times, or completing the game, and so on.

    Unfortunately, just like most rogue-likes, this game is heavily dependent on luck - whether you find good stuff, what sort of enemies you come across, what is the design of the room you fight them in, and so on. You even find differently coloured pills as items frequently, and they always have a random effect, sometimes a harmful one. So that luck aspect of it can be a little annoying.

    But in general this is one of those fun, "just one more try and then I'm done" games that's easy to jump into. I'd easily recommend it for fans of rogue-like dungeon crawlers.    … Expand
  17. mijxero
    Apr 3, 2015
    9
    I love the gameplay and weird style that this game has. The story is either very deep or the creator threw a bunch of random things together and knew we would try to analyze it and pick it apart. Either way I really enjoy how easy it is to turn this on and have a quick play-through.
  18. flametail23
    Mar 15, 2015
    8
    This game is a dark but very fun time. It has a lot in common with the first Zelda game, which is a great thing. The game doesn't only sound great, it plays great too and I would recomend it to anyone who enjoys challenging games.
    8/10
  19. fishmanbr
    Jan 16, 2015
    9
    I don't understand how could this game be so nice. It's a simple walk and shoot using the keyboard, but I spend many hours playing it.
    It have a rogue like style, that means you will learn what's the best way to play according you play.
  20. killabody
    Jan 10, 2015
    10
    Amazing game! Got 200+ hours in it and I can still enjoy it. If you like a challenge, this is your game. It won't disappoint.

    At first the game can be quite frustrating, but once you get into it you can be so satisfied with your results.
  21. Visko
    Jan 6, 2015
    10
    Simply an amazing game. Everything from the "Story" to the Gameplay had me enjoying the entire experience from beginning to end. I took this game on the road with me everywhere I went if I could, simple small and fun.

    Randomized dungeons every play. Randomized items with a huge variety, changing the overall experience with each play through. Aesthetic preferences aside, this game    Simply an amazing game. Everything from the "Story" to the Gameplay had me enjoying the entire experience from beginning to end. I took this game on the road with me everywhere I went if I could, simple small and fun.

    Randomized dungeons every play. Randomized items with a huge variety, changing the overall experience with each play through. Aesthetic preferences aside, this game delivers. Difficult and challenging for a beginner perhaps, but it's a game that requires some skill. Refreshing to see in this day and age of ours. Worth the very very very miniscule price tag that completely undervalues the product.

    I'm pretty sure I've bought this game more than twice.    … Expand
  22. Violett
    Jan 4, 2015
    8
    Nevermind me, when I rated this game "zero" I was probably just in bad mood. Actually this game is awesome. Awesome and hard. For indie game this is masterpiece. Such games as this one and Super Meat Boy really ignites indie game industry.
  23. SavageSalamence
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    Do NOT listen to debigman, he is very wrong.
    And I find it kind of funny saying that barely anybody could get the achievements, yet Steam owners of Half Life 2 only 35% of them have beaten the first level. Anyway, here's my Steam review copied and pasted because I'm too lazy to type it all out again:
    The Binding of Isaac is a great example of a game which can both be simple and highly    Do NOT listen to debigman, he is very wrong.
    And I find it kind of funny saying that barely anybody could get the achievements, yet Steam owners of Half Life 2 only 35% of them have beaten the first level. Anyway, here's my Steam review copied and pasted because I'm too lazy to type it all out again:

    The Binding of Isaac is a great example of a game which can both be simple and highly enjoyable. The game is very easy to get into and you'll be kicking butt right from the start, due to what weapons you'll get. The control is pretty straight forward, but not as good as it could be since I may accidently use items when I want to move. The difficulty from this game depends on which items you'll pick up along the way. With the Wrath of the Lamb DLC, it's even better than before. Gameplay wise, it sort of depends on which character you like to use. I use Cain for nice speed, having one of the better ingame attack stats and decent HP. The downsides for this game is the fact you can get bad items and how annoying it is trying to unlock some other items in the game. But the good outweighs the bad a lot and I would definitly pick up Wrath of the Lamb DLC to increase the amount of content.
    Graphic wise, I enjoy looking at the 16-bit style of this game and it looks pretty clean. And the music just kicks ass. I still can't get it out of my head!

    The game is definitly worth $5. Probably one of the best $5 you'll ever spend, I actually wouldn't mind paying $10 or $15 dollars for this game! Or for free. I got it as a gift from my friend HonestCharlie. But seriously, the game is THAT good that you wouldn't care how much it costs. I would have given this a 9 if I was counting the DLC, but the normal game isn't quite as good without it so it gets a slightly lower score. Ready for my final verdict?

    Gameplay: 9.0
    Control: 7.5
    Graphics: 9.0
    Music: 10.0
    Replayability: 10.0
    Unfairness: 4.0 (the lower the unfairness, the better)

    FINAL SCORE: 8.7/10
    FANTASTIC    … Expand
  24. MrFoo
    Oct 25, 2014
    10
    This game is so unique, and yet so hard. It angers me every time I lose but the thing is, I always come back for more. This is one of the best games I ever played, and I even stole it for $0.89, I should be charged with theft.
  25. Keeby358
    Sep 22, 2014
    9
    I love this game. It packs a Roguelike and Dungeon Crawler in one, with an insane difficulty. Sounds like my kind of game. The enemies, the bosses, and the items are just PERFECT. It really can't get any better. If you like LOZ, PLAY THIS GAME. If you like FTL, PLAY THIS GAME. If you don't like difficulty, DON'T, I mean DON'T play this game. It can take you 20 hours of gameplay to beat itI love this game. It packs a Roguelike and Dungeon Crawler in one, with an insane difficulty. Sounds like my kind of game. The enemies, the bosses, and the items are just PERFECT. It really can't get any better. If you like LOZ, PLAY THIS GAME. If you like FTL, PLAY THIS GAME. If you don't like difficulty, DON'T, I mean DON'T play this game. It can take you 20 hours of gameplay to beat it for the first time. You will get frustrated often, but all the new unlocks and secrets make up for it. You WILL want to beat it as soon as you touch it.
    BUY THIS GAME.    … Expand
  26. EremitaJ
    Aug 7, 2014
    9
    A lot of companies should learn form this game. First lest have biblical references, mix it with dark humor in a childrish style of graphics, an awesome dungeon crawler gameplay and BOOM you get TBoI. Also the DLC is amazing and such references to the original sin, king Midas, Satan, the hangwire reresenting blasphemy... this game is so sinful and disgusting that I love it.
  27. Bacondoughnut
    Aug 5, 2014
    9
    This game is the most re-playable game that is made and will ever be made. I love this game so much. Sadly, achievements don't work on mac. So much content, that even me, with hundreds of hours of gameplay, have not completed this game 100%.
  28. ReviewBros
    Jul 10, 2014
    9
    this game is so cool. the first 1 hour of playing it like me you will have no idea what is going on. but after 3 hours of gameplay the game becomes unique. and its only 5 pounds. must buy.
  29. LordFoortwenti
    Jul 8, 2014
    9
    This is a great game, that can give you hundreds of hours of varied gameplay, for a low price of admission. I would best describe this as a Rogue-like meets the original Legend of Zelda, but it really goes way beyond that simple description. Basically, you play through randomly generated dungeons reminiscent of the dungeons from LoZ using a choice of six different characters, w/ eachThis is a great game, that can give you hundreds of hours of varied gameplay, for a low price of admission. I would best describe this as a Rogue-like meets the original Legend of Zelda, but it really goes way beyond that simple description. Basically, you play through randomly generated dungeons reminiscent of the dungeons from LoZ using a choice of six different characters, w/ each character playing like a traditional RPG "class" like the Warrior, Druid, Cleric, etc. There are a total of six "chapters" for each play-through, and each "chapter" contains two floors. On each floor you will find at least one treasure room, 2 secret rooms, and one boss room, w/ a lot of other possible "bonus rooms" thrown in like the Shop, Arcade, or Library. The general idea of the game is to battle your way through each floor collecting power-ups that do things like give you a different type of shot (for example homing shots, or turning your regular "bullets" into missiles), increase your stats (Health, Speed, Damage, Shot Rate, and Range), or give you other items that alter the way you interact with the world and the enemies. This is what some of the other reviewers here don't seem to get, this game is all about finding, and using, all the really neat and widely varied power-ups with the different characters to complete the game in different ways. It's easy to see that some of the other reviewers did not spend a lot of time with the game b/c the true genius of this game isn't apparent after just an hour or two, or even a play-through or two. Since the game features randomly generated rooms, strung together to form new dungeons every time you play, when you mix that with the literally HUNDREDS of items, and power-ups that significantly alter game play, you will never play the same game twice.

    I can understand not everyone "getting" this game, it IS quite difficult until you really get a hang of the feel of the controls, and there are certain points where the game actually makes itself harder (after defeating certain bosses, or completing the game a certain number of times) and for the longest time I played w/ the browser open in the background so I could look and see what a certain item did. Then there is the story...which is a bit, weird (to put it mildly). The story is loosely based off of the Biblical story of Abraham and his son Isaac, whom god ordered Abraham to sacrifice as a show of faith, fear and obedience. I don't see why anyone would take offense, but then again, I'm not a very religious person. But, imho, all these are very minor quibbles with what I have found to be one of the best values for my gaming dollars EVER.

    If you ever see this game on sale during a Steam sale, do yourself a favor and grab this game, you can get both the original + the xpac for like $3 when they have it up at 75% off. At that price, this should be a no brainer.    … Expand
  30. mooker19
    Jun 13, 2014
    8
    I am conflicted about what to say about TBoI. On the one hand, I have played it obsessively and found it fun and frustrating in equal turns. Of course, that is how I felt about Edmund McMillen's other smash-hit PC game, Super Meat Boy, and that is one of my favorite independent games. Isaac has a similar sense of humor, though it is even darker, and that could certainly turn some peopleI am conflicted about what to say about TBoI. On the one hand, I have played it obsessively and found it fun and frustrating in equal turns. Of course, that is how I felt about Edmund McMillen's other smash-hit PC game, Super Meat Boy, and that is one of my favorite independent games. Isaac has a similar sense of humor, though it is even darker, and that could certainly turn some people off (but, hey, if you look for two seconds at the game you're purchasing, you should know what to expect). I found most of the grotesquery pretty amusing, but certain things still managed to turn my stomach. The art design and music are both absolutely perfect (I suggest a soundtrack purchase, honestly), and the game feels like a cohesive piece of morbid art. Where it has issues is in the gameplay. Isaac is a rougelike, meaning you progress through randomly generated levels with little foreknowledge of what to expect, little idea of what to do, and when you die, you come all the way back to the start. One of the hallmarks of the rougelike is the typically insane difficulty, and this is due in part to the lack of information given about items, enemies, and the like. I love rougelikes (this game is among the three best on Steam, in my opinion, with Dungeons of Dredmor and FTL filling out the list) for these very elements--it's great, for instance to equip an item, only to learn that it has a high risk-reward factor, and say, "So it's going to be one of THOSE runs"--but I can understand that the high difficulty would again turn some away. Isaac's issues don't come with the randomness, but rather, with the controls. Isaac feels too slippery, especially when you receive speed boosts, and this can lead to many, many "cheap deaths." Also, the game is set in mostly confined rooms, and Isaac's sprite is just too large; his hit box can even grow with certain items, making his life extremely difficult to save. Also, after beating the main boss for the first time (I'll leave them nameless so it can be a surprise), I felt a rush of achievement and exhilaration...only to not get the achievement. I looked it up--certain achievements are a bit glitchy, meaning they could come the next time you open the game, or maybe you might have to just re-achieve them. Oy vey! I purchased the DLC for the game as well, which is a great expansion, but I suggest getting used to the base game first because the DLC is even harder. For what it's worth, if you're ready for the challenge of your life, pick this game up and revel in its silly, macabre humor. Good luck. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, you ought to back away slowly, and pretend you never stumbled into this game.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Best PC Game of 2011
25
#25 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
21
#21 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. GamingXP
    Mar 19, 2012
    83
    The Binding of Isaac looks like an old school game like the original Zeldas, but with a dark scenario and dark humor. It has the typical difficulty of a McMillen game, which is not found anywhere else these days. This game will motivate you to try and try again in such a simple way – just brilliant. If you like the style and the old school gameplay of The Binding of Isaac, you'll have a lot of fun with it.
    Read full review
  2. GameCritics
    Mar 10, 2012
    90
    One may play for an hour or two, but they're constantly tempted to go back in and uncover the scads of remaining secrets. It's a style of game that really intrigues me, and one I want to see more of
    Read full review
  3. 4P.de
    Feb 28, 2012
    87
    Zelda meets Robotron: Isaac celebrates old school topdown action in randomly generated dungeons.
    Read full review
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