20 Games Like The Binding of Isaac
Our assorted list of games like The Binding of Isaac features other deeply satisfying adventures that combine RPG, rougelike mechanics and plenty of randomisation.
Released in 2011 to incredible success The Binding of Isaac follows your adventure as Isaac with an adventure that is based on the biblical story of the same name along with a number of dark adult themes. Jumping into a trap door in an attempt to escape from their mother who seeks to cleanse Isaac of evil by killing him you'll be challenged by a strange randomised game world.
Playing in a similar manner to a top-down dungeon crawler players control unlockable characters through randomised dungeon levels that offer you a number of mechanics to upgrade your power level. At the end of each floor players will have to face a boss monster in order to advance down into the next dangerous level. Between the start of the level and the eventual boss monster players will face various monsters, find items, unlock special treasure rooms, visit shopkeepers and unlock power ups. With all of these elements being randomised The Binding of Isaac offers unlimited replay value as you face endless combinations of strange dungeons.
The games like The Binding of Isaac that we’ve put together below focuses on other quirky adventures where roguelike and randomised elements are at the heart of the experience.
Teleglitch: Die More Edition
Teleglitch: Die More Edition is an enhanced version of the original Teleglitch game with more levels, items, weapons and improved AI to take this challenging roguelike action game even further. Initially released in 2012 this free content expansion was released in 2013 with both available for Windows, Mac and Linux. Set in a dark future that has seen the human race expand out into the stars on behalf of the mega-corporations that dominate it players find themselves alone on a small planet at the...[Read Review]
Rogue Legacy
Create a legacy of children in Rogue Legacy, a roguelike experience where you’ll have to explore a dangerous castle, defeat bosses and deal with the poor gene pool of your family. Requiring careful platforming and combat Rogue Legacy is one of the few video games that allows players to literally watch their descendants tackle the same challenges with slight upgrades in between that allows each to delve deeper. Your ultimate goal in Rogue Legacy is to unlock the golden door that appears at...[Read Review]
Dungeon of the Endless
Fusing the genres of strategy, RPG, rogue like and even tower defence is Dungeon of the Endless a game where you’ll lead a group of heroes after they crash land deep into a facility on a strange alien planet. Hoping for survival and striving for more than that as you discover the truth about the planet Auriga Dungeon of the Endless is a game enjoyed solo and through online co-operation for 4 players. While originally launching on Windows and Mac Dungeon of the Endless was released for iOS and An...[Read Review]
Overture
Overture is all about chaotic gameplay in a roguelike shell where you’ll command one of the two dozen unique character variants as you slay monsters that stand in your way and grow your arsenal of loot. With familiar mechanics that draw inspiration of the big franchises in the same genre Overture incorporates a range of ideas into a single Windows slaying based adventure. It’s all about dungeon crawling in Overture which takes place in a pixelated game world and requires players to b...[Read Review]
Card Dungeon
Combining rogue like elements, card collecting and turn based role playing is Card Dungeon, a uniquely entertaining experience for your mobile device. With a crusader under your control, thousands of cards at your disposal and hordes of enemies in the dungeon before you Card Dungeon will keep you engrossed for hours and hours. Mixing the card and board game genre into one is never an easy feat but Card Dungeon manages to do so while keeping the core mechanics simple but still offering a level of...[Read Review]
Spiral Knights
Spiral Knights is a co-operative game that draws inspiration from the likes of Zelda while also offering a MMO inspired experience focused on co-operative play. While Spiral Knights was originally available to play in your browser this has been retired given its reliance on Java limiting the game to the downloadable client through the official website or Steam. In Spiral Knights players control their own knight which belongs to the Spiral Knight Order as they explore the planet Cradle and its va...[Read Review]
Don’t Starve
Don’t Starve is a single player survival game that has many unique features and a dark art direction that makes it a stand out open world survival experience. The game was released in April 2013 by Klei Entertainment with a standalone expansion pack released in 2016 under the name Don’t Starve Together which introduces multiplayer to the Don’t Starve universe. While this review here does not cover this expansion in particular the mechanics discussed below are all applicable to the ba...[Read Review]
Rampage Knights
Rampage Knights opts to mix the action of the side scrolling beat’ em up genre with rouge like elements to create a challenging fast dungeon crawler where exploration and quick thinking are rewarded. Built on the foundation of randomised dungeons Rampage Knights also ensures it provides a wealth of content and variety as each run will play completely different to your last. Designed to be playable alone and with friends co-operatively players take on the role of hero trapped in a dark magi...[Read Review]
Nuclear Throne
Nuclear Throne is an intense top down shooter that uses roguelike elements to deliver a fast paced game that offers plenty of difficulty. The game takes place in a dark world in which humanity has been obliterated by nuclear events which heavily altered the life on the planet. The reasons behind the apocalypse have long been lost but the new inhabitants that find themselves calling this home do know about an ancient legend based on the Nuclear Throne which is said to be able to restore the world...[Read Review]
Lost Castle
Employing cute graphics that hide a difficult RPG is Lost Castle, a game with randomised dungeons to conquer and the typical range of rogue-like features to provide a dungeon crawling worthy challenge. You’ve got beat’ em up gameplay, hand drawn environments, lovable characters and a retro vibe in a single role playing package. Surrounding this game package is your standard story of darkness that sees Castle Harwood once governed by wise nobles and the centre of happiness in the land now overcom...[Read Review]
Delver
Delver is a dungeon crawler with randomised levels and rogue like elements where you’ll explore dungeons as you hunt for loot to improve your chances of survival. Available for Windows, Mac and Linux Delver was in development from 2012 as an Android game (since discontinued) before a final 2018 release on the Steam platform. Delver is played in a first person perspective in a relative simple game environment that is reminiscent of the original Doom and other 90 first person shooter titles ...[Read Review]
Anodyne
Anodyne is a fun adventure that will send you on a nostalgic trip back to the days of your Game Boy Colour. The game is a very Zelda style experience and features a unique world for players to explore. Anodyne was originally released at the start of 2013 on Windows and Mac with Android and iOS releases coming sometime after. The games best experience is definitely on a computer though so if you have the option to play on a computer don’t pass it up. In Anodyne players will explore a quirky and s...[Read Review]
Magicite
Mixing elements of crafting, rogue-like and platforming together to offer a 2D survival game Magicite is a challenge that can be enjoyed in shorter gameplay bursts and with friends while exploring underground dungeon challenges. Set in randomly generated dungeons Magicite will have players collecting resources from trees, ores and enemies in order to craft better equipment to survive and advance through the increasing threats that the game world throws at players. Ultimately you end up with a ga...[Read Review]
Moon Hunters
Live out the legends of the stars in Moon Hunters a game that lets you explore a mythical world of mystery with between 1 and 4 players. While a single game of Moon Hunters will take only a few hours it’s the legacy that you create in each adventure and the hidden secrets that encourage you to start a new journey again and again. It’s a game full of so many mysteries that aren’t apparent at first glance and will require many hero adventures to fully appreciate the gravity of th...[Read Review]
Streets of Rogue
Opting to give players a large array of choice and freedom in completing game objectives and wrapping it in a procedurally generated city is Streets of Rogue, a game that takes inspiration from a wide range of titles and attempts to blend them into one. It’s got stealth, bullet shooters, co-op, RPG and rougelike amongst near endless choice in it’s core design. This unique offering means that Streets of Rogue ticks a range of gamer boxes and thus attracting a broad spectrum of players...[Read Review]
Sword of the Stars: The Pit
Sword of the Stars: The Pit has you as the last hope for your world as a deadly plague ravages the entire population will an alien facility hold the cure? With 30 randomised floors of rogue like goodness to conquer in Sword of the Stars: The Pit is a game that you will be dying often as you try to make it deeper and deeper into the facility. For those that are truly dedicated you’ll have a total of 6 different difficultly levels to attempt and potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay. Swo...[Read Review]
Hammerwatch
Hammerwatch is a fast paced and simple pixel adventure where players challenge themselves to adventure from the base of Castle Hammerwatch all the way to the top. Stopping your progress are hundreds of different enemies and four unique game biomes that each hold their own variation of traps, puzzles, secrets and foes to conquer. Released in 2013 for computer gamers Hammerwatch has since expanded to console platforms and an eventual sequel (Heroes of Hammerwatch) that features similar gameplay a...[Read Review]
Solomon’s Keep
Solomon’s Keep brings the basic fundamental mechanics of the action RPG genre and implants them on iOS and Android devices. Offering a simple and free to play adventure with a range of skills and bosses you’ll fight your way to the top of the dark tower of Solomon as your magical mage acquires randomised skills and items through the equally randomised level layouts. While this free mobile game doesn’t ever reach the heights of the top tier mobile titles in the genre it offers ample e...[Read Review]
Bastion
Bastion is a unique action role playing game developed by the small independent game company of Supergiant Games and released in 2011. Taking players to a colourful fantasy world where you’ll fight your way through a floating city landscape as the hero known as the Kid as your actions are narrated on your path through the aftermath of the Calamity event. This Calamity event happens just prior to players stepping into the 2D isometric game world of Bastion and has resulted in the island cit...[Read Review]
Spelunky
Spelunky is an action adventure game that has you exploring the depth of various randomly generated caves. On your journey you’ll encounter countless enemies, impressive treasures and much more. The game received a rebirth between 2012 and 2013 with an enhanced edition making its way to various platforms that greatly improved the original gameplay and visuals. Players can still access the original for free from the official website. In Spelunky you control an unknown adventurer with the goal of ...[Read Review]