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The Binding of Isaac vs Rebirth: Differences explained and which should you buy
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- Alex Raisbeck
Published: Friday, 3 July 2026 at 11:47 am
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The Binding of Isaac is one of the best roguelikes ever made, but what's the difference between the original and Rebirth?
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Perhaps you bought the original back in the day and want to know if Rebirth is worth it, or maybe you're new and wondering what to buy.
With The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth currently only £1.09 on Steam – that's 90% off – here's what you need to know about which version to buy.
The Binding of Isaac vs Rebirth: Differences explained and which should you buy
To put it simply, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a complete remake of the original game.
The base for both games is the same, but Rebirth adds a huge number of modernisations and upgrades that make it the definitive version to play.
Unlike the original, which was build in Adobe Flash, Rebirth was remade in C++, which fixed issues like frame lag.
It also has improved graphics, with better lighting and particle effects, and introduces local and online co-op for the first time, available with the Repentance DLC.
Perhaps most important of all, however, are the gameplay changes.
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Rebirth adds a huge amount of content, with hundreds of new items and rooms to explore, all new monsters and bosses to fight, and even challenge runs to test yourself with.
And all of that is just the base game – The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth also has three major DLC updates: Afterbirth, Afterbirth+, Repentance and Repentance+.
These four updates have added even more content. As well as more items, rooms and enemies, they have also added things like Greed Mode, Daily Runs, alternate chapters, new playable characters, quality of life updates, and even the integration of the hugely popular Antibirth community mod.
Basically, if you were wondering what reasons there were for playing either game, the only reason you would want to play the original Binding of Isaac is if you're particularly interested in the retro vibes.
In almost any other scenario, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the definitive version of the game, and the version you should be picking up in the Steam Summer Sale (or at any other time, really)!
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Authors
Alex RaisbeckGaming writer
Alex Raisbeck is a Gaming Writer at Radio Times, covering everything from AAA giants to indie gems. Alex has written for VideoGamer, GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, PCGamesN and more.
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