The Binding of Isaac

2011 roguelike video game

Original description from the source, not translated.

YEAR 2011

GENRE Action-Adventure

PLATFORM Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS

ABOUT THE GAME

The Binding of Isaac is a 2011 roguelike action-adventure game designed by independent developers Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl. It was initially released for Microsoft Windows, then ported to OS X and Linux. The game's title and plot are inspired by the Biblical story of the Binding of Isaac. In the game, Isaac's mother receives a message from God demanding the life of her son as proof of her faith, and Isaac, fearing for his life, flees into the monster-filled basement of their home where he must fight to survive. Players control Isaac or one of the 6 other unlockable characters through a procedurally generated dungeon in a roguelike manner, fashioned after those of The Legend of Zelda, defeating monsters in real-time combat while collecting items and power-ups to defeat bosses and eventually Isaac's mother. The game was the result of a week-long game jam between McMillen and Himsl to develop a The Legend of Zelda-inspired roguelike that allowed McMillen to showcase his feelings about both positive and negative aspects of religion, which he had come to discover from conflicts between his Catholic and born again Christian family members while growing up. McMillen had considered the title a risk, but one he could take after the financial success of Super Meat Boy, and released it without much fanfare to Steam in September 2011, not expecting many sales. The game soon gained popularity, partially as a result of various Let's Play videos showcasing the title. McMillen and Himsl released an expansion called "Wrath of the Lamb" in May 2012, but were limited from further expansion due to limitations with the Flash platform. They had started working with Nintendo in 2012 to release a 3DS version, but Nintendo later backed out of the deal, citing controversy over the game's religious themes.

Source: Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0 — The Binding of Isaac (video game) · retrieved October 19, 2026

Text is shortened from the original article; the full version is linked.

PROVENANCE

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