It’s no secret that when it comes to build diversity and replayability,The Binding of Isaac: Rebirthgoes above and beyond other roguelikes and offers players virtually endless variety and fun. This is partly thanks to the seed function, where every run is assigned a string of eight letters and numbers unique to that run, allowing players to replay a run they discovered or to try one with aspecific set of powerful itemsor modifiers.
With over four billion seeds to choose from, no two runs are the same. Some may offer overpowered setups early on, while others drastically alter how the game functions on a basic level.
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The God Mode
It doesn’t get much simpler than this. For anyone who has ever wanted to enjoy theIsaacexperience while being completely untouchable, this is the perfect run. The run does not come without its quirks. For instance, sacrifice rooms become completely non-functional, as while Isaac will flash indicating he has taken damage, no health points will be deducted, which makes some items uselessand others outright broken.
Activating this seed will also display the Easter egg prompt “Dog Mode”, an amusing play on words which is another staple of the Isaac franchise.
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Instant Brimstone
How does starting a run with one of the most powerful tear mods sound? Turns out it’s pretty good. Brimstone completely alters Isaac from a crying child to an unstoppable force, allowing for rooms to be cleared in a matter of seconds and bosses to be deleted from the basement. The best parts about Brimstone are the items players can pair with it. Make it heat-seeking, bounce off of walls, or turn into a moving death ring. Having this much power so early on makes the rest of the run a breeze and there are plenty of items along the way that make this seed even more ludicrous.
And to cap it off, the seed also comes with a free HP up in the treasure room, mitigating the lost health from the devil deal/sacrifice room and allowing the build to really start rolling. Simply spawn in, enter the sacrifice room below, and take the left chest to be transported straight into the waiting arms of brimstone.
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A Respawning Challenge
Sometimes killing Mom once isn’t enough or perhaps a later boss is proving to be a challenge. C0MEBACK allows players to have a sandbox-style experience while keeping the core gameplay intact.
This seed is particularly enjoyable as it can act as a practice tool for difficultend-game bossesand for replaying the more fun and exciting fights without the need to restart the run. The downside is the respawning of regular rooms as well as bosses, but the thrill of defeating bosses like The Lamb over and over more than makes up for this.
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Damage Overload
A nice simple run that starts with a hefty damage spike. Cricket’s head comes with a flat damage increase as well as a decent multiplier, which means any damage added to the build becomes outrageous.
While other seeds can be flashy or funny, sometimes all it takes is a nice damage buff to get theIsaacexcitement going. The run also has the benefit of a shop room early on, allowing a soul-heart to be collected, which makes Isaac tankier and hit like a truck. This one is found in the treasure room to the left of the spawn.
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Utter Hell
A hidden, grueling challenge that is as much horror as it is hilarious. Eden as a character always comes with their ups and downs. Either the game decides to gift the player with a potent starting combo or to ruin the entire run from the start.
This seed chooses the latter, setting all of Eden’s stats to incredibly low numbers and forcing the player into five-minute-long encounters in rooms that would normally take 30 seconds, Even clearing the first floor is an achievement in itself, as despite having a few additional black heart containers, the lack of damage output and kill power makes it one of the hardest runs inIsaac.
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This Seems Familiar
A nice crossover in both genres and styles, by slowing down the game itself,Isaacgoes from afast-paced rogue-liketo a top-down tactical shooter. Superhot is a fan favorite in the VR/Shooter genre and bringing the core gameplay element over completely alters how the game is played.
Players can experiment with using the modifier as a tactical tool for dodging incoming shots or can hunker down and remain stationary for extended periods, allowing damage to be dished out and heart loss to be effectively impossible.
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The Speedrun
Playing fast has always been a great way to pick up some extra items from the boss rush or take downchallenging foes like Hush,but never this extreme. Choices have to be made between sticking around and exploring the whole floor in hopes of becoming stronger or moving on to save those valuable seconds.
Later on, there are a few treats that turn the run from a mad dash to the finish, to a godlike build of pure destruction which eliminates the worries from the ever-ticking clock.
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An Inverted Nightmare
Get ready to flip the controller over, as this seed is a challenge for even veteranIsaacfans. Though it sounds simple, undoing hours of muscle memory is significantly more punishing than it may seem. Another Easter egg seed, this modifier adds another level of difficulty on top of the diverse set of problems that the player must overcome to triumph.
While the built-in andmodded challenge runsprovide their own unique difficulties and challenges, DRAWKCAB will take several attempts to master and will have players questioning which way is up.
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No Pain No Gain
Sometimes a seed has a few hidden treats for the player to find. In this case, it’s 4 times the damage, six full hearts, homing tears, and a boatload of cash to cap it off.
Crown of Light is a very interesting item as it gives the player a greater incentive to remain untouched for as long as they can. That being said even if things get a bit hectic, a handy bomb buddy will help take care of any remaining enemies in the room.
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NES Style Pixelation
A purely cosmetic seed but a unique nostalgic experience for any fans of NES aesthetics.Isaachas always been praised for its art style, direction, and design, having a unique hand-drawn style that offers both a cute and horrifying experience. Add a retro filter and all the existing enemy and item designs, and it’s a recipe for a gorgeous twist on the already flawless experience
The seed also gives players an almost analog horror-style playthrough, as there are certainly some unsettlinghorror-inspired aspects of the gamethat are only elevated by a more primitive and simplistic setting.
