Binding of Isaac is one of the best Roguelike games ever. Even though the original came out over a decade ago it is still loved by players. The game is difficult, but the player can make it a little easier for themselves with a few tricks
Tip 1: Play as Magdeline
Magdaline is unlocked by having 7 hearts in a run of the game. This is typically easy to complete just by going through the game.
Magdeline is the most forgiving character for new players to start with in order to gain their ground. This character starts off with an active item called the Yum Heart that lets you restore an empty heart every 4 rooms. Besides that, the character also starts off with 4 hearts.
The character is slow but has good stats all around. The high health and active item really help you learn how to play the game. Not understanding attack patterns or accidentally getting hit are not as big of a deal.
Tip 2: Utilize Devil and Angel Rooms
Some of the best items in the game are in these rooms. Taking an item from an Angel room typically has a very little cost. However, the devil rooms are the hardest for new players to understand.
Paying from your health seems like a bad play, but some of the items are well worth the trade. Brimstone and Mom’s Knife are both really good, and I think the two hearts are worth it. Despite this, if you are struggling to stay alive then I would hold off on utilizing it.
Tip 3: Always look for Pickups
Getting new hearts, keys, and bombs is a hard thing to do when you are starting out in the game. However, as you become savvier in the game this becomes less of a problem.
Destroying piles of poop is a good source of money and hearts. Getting around 15-20 coins means that you are able to buy new passive or active items in stores. However, the better thing for you to worry about is getting hearts to stay alive
The keys and bombs are going to be helpful for you to gain access to new items to make the later bosses and floors beatable.
Tip 4: Learn attack patterns
The enemy AI in this game is not that complex. Each boss or enemy only has a couple of attacks that they can do. However, these patterns are hard to learn on your first time playing. I would argue that every boss has a “trick” or strategy to easily beat them.
Despite this, the only way to learn this on your own is by trial and error. Gurdy for example is a hard boss the first time, but once you learn the tricks he is one of the easier to encounter.
Tip 5: Keep on Trying
The game does have a factor of RNG that can make your build so good that the final bosses become easy. Learning is one of the biggest parts of roguelikes, and it is where a lot of the fun is derived. The Binding of Isaac is a fantastic introductory roguelike, but finishing it is going to be the hardest part of the game.
The game also has 22 endings if you are playing with the full DLC, so you have a long road ahead!
