The Binding of Isaac

By: Derek Yu

On: September 28th, 2011

10 months after the release of Super Meat Boy, Edmund McMillen has put out his next game, The Binding of Isaac, a horror-themed top-down shooter that takes its name from the Biblical story where Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son. The game features short, randomly-generated levels with 100 items, over 50 monsters, and 20 bosses. The soundtrack is by Danny Baranowsky.

Note: Isaac is not a Team Meat release. The programmer for this one is Florian Himsl, who previously collaborated with Edmund on Cunt and Twin Hobo Rocket. Team Meat has purportedly started work on their next project.

TIGdb: Entry for The Binding of Isaac

Posted in Action, Steam, Unique / Bizarre, Windows | Tags: DannyBaranowsky, EdmundMc, FlorianHimsl

Arrr

Adam jensen gets a new mirror, lol
http://profiles.google.com/johnevanscs John Evans

What? I…How do you get from the Binding of Isaac to this Meat-ish top-down shooter? I…What?
Phubans

Indie Game Legend ripoff
Phubans

^ Not me
Phubans

^Not me but oh so true.
DemonLizardman

Man this game is difficult and addicting. Loving the freaky enemy designs though.
DemonLizardman

Man this game is difficult and addicting. Loving the freaky enemy designs though.
Phubans

^ Not me but I’d suck his cock.
Phubans

I wish I could reach, only a few belt sizes to go guys.
Phubans

Hi guys how is everyone. I like that this game is about piss and shit (relevant to my lifestyle) but where’s the sperm? Are you all looking forward to my game about semen? I SURE HOPE SO!
Phubans

^ Me.
Hdkajewk

You should add that the game is also available for the Mac.
Eljay

Why is this game getting so much attention? It looks like something that shouldn’t even exist and somehow they can afford to be advertised on steam and now here too
Dookieboots

This has got to be the best $5 I have spent in my life. This game is a blast and very addictive. Be careful, it will suck you in and you can’t stop.
Ido Yehieli

Why shouldn’t it exist?

I bought the game today and am really enjoying it.

It’s not an *Epic Game* by any meaning of the words but it is well made and fun.
YetanotherguyIam

Really? I’m not convinced… for the looks of it, I think I wouldn’t stand it for more than one minute, then I’d delete it from my hdd like it’s a freebie
I rather play zelda again or something else than this… Explain to me what’s good about this game.
YetanotherguyIam

What’s with the amateur film bit of the trailer? It’s humor right? Why would they add that to the trailer?
http://newogame.posterous.com owen

Its not bad for a NES game with pretty graphics
jay

the weird design makes this one really stand out! nice!
Fewafwe

boring
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jacob-Bauer/100002700940956 Jacob Bauer

I love it when indie games have such a dark theme. I find a morbid and unpleasant style so much more interesting, as it gives the game a very intense and immersing athmosphere. I am thinking of something like suteF right now, but while I write this the Binding of Isaac is downloading… and I’m so looking forward to playing it!
Anonymous

You’re right, its not that good. You can tell some good ideas went into it, and it has great art, but as a game the end result is pretty blah
http://hcsoftware.sf.net Jason Rohrer

It reminds me a lot of and old NES Zelda TV ad. “Isaac! Isaac! Isaac!” instead of “Zelda! Zelda! Zelda!”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42_Ue5C8kIU
Arucard

Basically this, the atmosphere of sadistic humor gives it flavor. The game itself is a roguelike crossed with a shmup, complete with collectible abilities. It’s very short, and full of sophomoric humor, so no it’s not for everybody. But the people it’s for, get it, that’s how indie goes right?
Lexas

It’s like having your head ‘immersed’ in a bucket of feces. So morbid. So unpleasant. So interesting. So intense. I’ll do what I want, mom.

Hail Saten.
The man from old times

i just bought this one on steam for a very descent price! its downloading right now…. and i cant wait to lay my finger on the keyboard!!!!! (or joypad if possible with some xpadder help!)
The man from old times

that’s right! ‘indie games with dark theme’ are always welcome
Commentator

The game seems to be rather basic and ‘bleh’. Definitely not my type of game, but for $5.00, I guess you can’t lose much.
The man from old times

downloading the game finished rather fast…. i decided to load the game and check out what is all about first hand….. BUT……… I COULDNT resist quiting! still playing!!….
Matteo Soleri

Take the bad taste out and this is another flash game loaded on old memes.
Kittenthateatbabies

This game is fucking great. I got it last night and LOVE it. I love the storyline. I love the gameplay. I love how Isaac gets progessively more and more fucked up the farther you get in. I love the items you can find. Every game I end up getting this sense of great power, and then get fucked and have to start over. The varied item combinations add really different play styles every time you play. My favorite item was the Pee tears. I liked Isaac when he seemed satisfied to urinate on his oppenents and not so sad about his scary mommy.
YetanotherguyIam

Let me see if I understand, when you talk about the people who gets this game, you mean people who want to play zelda with B+ graphics and cartoony gore?

Yeah, I don’t get this game…
Arucard

I mean the people who like the replay value of roguelikes and not the memorize every jump to pixel perfect accuracy of meatboy. Who can understand gameplay over graphics maybe? Notice the majority of complaint stem from graphics complaints.
woah dude

yo are you FUCKING SERIOUS
Anonymous

I’m sure there is a silent majority of people out there who really enjoy indie games, who really enjoy harsh rogue-like-esque games, and this is one of them. The Binding of Isaac is pretty much as rogue-like-like as spelunky is, but with waaaaaaay more items, and crossed with a schmup and zelda and noir themes with a polish that far outclasses those of “mere” flash games.

Either way, I bought the game, and have been enjoying it a lot, as I did with Super Meat Boy. I just feel that the negative sentiments of some of the replies is rather unrepresentative and that there are many people out there who enjoy playing and supporting indie devs with great ideas.
Pops Mckenna

Edmund and his pal, would you please not release commercial games in Flash anymore? Not interfacing with a controller, having issues with fullscreen, not working with achievements, not working at all…. these shouldn’t be problems at release. Thanks.
Michael

I know this game is getting a lot of hate and I’m surprised to see it (maybe nobody was aware of what Edmund had done before Super Meat Boy?), but I really like it. Sometimes it’s too random and a bit frustrating because luck plays a big part of how successful you’re going to be, but it’s a nicely made game with a very twisted sense of humor part of me enjoys. The fistula might be a little much, though.
Vania

Damn, as with every other roguelike I’ll never be able to win this game… I suck too much.

“Randomly-generated levels” is accurate but it’s very basic, it looks like the game just chooses randomly from several pre-made rooms.
Commentator

You can “feel” all you want, but because people remain silent, there is no way we can say that there is a “silent” majority.
Vania

I hate when people equate indie with retro or nostalgia games.

The game is fun and well made, but not a “great idea”

How can you compare this to Spelunly by the way?
The genius of Spelunky is that it combines very basic mechanics that give rise to wonderful emergent gameplay, this game does nothing like that.
Asdasd

The people that are the “silent” majority might be having too much fun playing this game to bother adding their opinion to all this boring negative banter.
eld

It wouldn’t be tigsource without boring negative banter!
Sorcerian

then play ClaDun X2, it’s only 20 bucks and so far I’ve had over 200 (and counting) hours of play and replay value

why are people so hung on up this whole indie game label anyway? you’re not the only ones making these kinds of games!
Sorcerian

and also indie is more than just guys like edmund making games in flash or whatever

id Software was once indie too. a lot of the so called mainstream games out there are actually self published, etc.

edmund gets too much attention for what he claims himself to be, also that indie game movie thing hes making has to be a joke because its ridiculous
designatedpiledriver

How come Edmund is credited all the time instead of the actual programmer behind the game?

It seems wierd for the artist to get credit for the guy who made the game.
unless

Edmund was the programmer for this game.
unless

Wow, guess I just proved your point. I’m a moron, ignore me.
Mamamoe

The amount of haters is actually what made me buy this game, usually game with alot of butthurted people are the best and this one is not an exception
aspergatory

You’re kidding me. You didn’t read the actual news post did you? It’s even bolded. Florian Himsl, is the man you’re looking for.
aspergatory

“usually game with alot of butthurted people are the best”

So basically every game ever mentioned?
Also I hear Action 52 might be right up your alley.