Deal | Steam Summer Sale: 97%-positive roguelike hit falls below $1.50 for the first time

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth tells the story of young Isaac, who flees into the basement of his home to escape his fanatically religious mother. What follows is a dark descent through procedurally generated dungeon floors filled with grotesque monsters, disturbing nightmare imagery and bizarre items. Isaac fights back in a rather unusual way: by firing his tears at enemies, with hundreds of collectible items transforming them into increasingly powerful and often completely absurd weapons over the course of a run.

Released in 2014, Rebirth is a full remake of the 2011 indie hit The Binding of Isaac and was developed by US studio Nicalis in collaboration with series creator Edmund McMillen. The roguelike normally costs around $15 on Steam. As part of the Steam Summer Sale, however, it is 90% off until July 9, bringing the price down to just $1.49. According to SteamDB, the previous best deal was 67% off during the 2024 Winter Sale, while discounts have typically ranged from 40% to 50% since then. The current offer therefore undercuts the previous lowest price by a considerable margin.

The Binding of Isaac is widely regarded as one of the games that helped define the modern roguelike genre. Every run is procedurally generated and ends permanently upon death. At the heart of the experience are more than 450 items whose combinations can dramatically alter Isaac's abilities. Simple tears can turn into lasers, flying knives or explosive projectiles, while countless item synergies ensure that hardly any two runs play out the same way. All of this is presented in a distinctive pixel-art style that blends cute visuals with grotesque horror and dark humor.

German gaming magazine GameStar reviewed The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth at launch in late 2014, praising its exceptional replay value, powerful item synergies and highly varied runs. The reviewers also highlighted its unique atmosphere and memorable enemy design. Criticism focused on the unconventional pixel-art style and the genre's inherently punishing nature. In addition, the game explores disturbing themes such as child abuse and religious fanaticism, meaning its morbid atmosphere may not be suitable for everyone. In the end, GameStar awarded the roguelike a strong 85 out of 100.

Metacritic lists a Metascore of 88 alongside a User Score of 8.2. The most striking verdict, however, comes from Steam: 97% of more than 400,000 user reviews are positive. That makes The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth not only one of the most influential roguelikes ever made, but also one of the highest-rated games the genre has ever seen. The title is also Steam Deck Verified, meaning it runs without issues on Valve's handheld.

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