I’ve been playing a lot of excellent roguelikes in 2024. Game of the Year nominee Balatro has taken over my life, while the launch of Hades 2 and the last update for Dead Cells have kept me coming back as well. Between all of these games, though, I’ve been waiting for The Binding of Isaac to debut its online co-op update, and I’m more than happy to report that it’s here. Isaac is one of the roguelike genre’s most formative games, and now the free Repentance+ update makes it even better.
The biggest addition to The Binding of Isaac with Repentance+ is the online co-op, which is now available after closed testing earlier this year. You can play through the roguelike horrors in a group of up to four in any game mode including Normal, Hard, Greed, Greedier, and Challenges. These seeded runs can be tackled with friends or strangers, and every single-player unlock can also be earned online.
Developer Nicalis explains that there are some key differences between solo and online play, though. For instance, defeated bosses will drop a separate item for each player, and if you join a run mid-session you’ll be given a handful of items to catch up, depending on how far along the other players are. If an ally dies, you can also revive them using a machine in the starting room of each floor, but the coin cost of bringing someone back goes up every time the machine is used.
If that wasn’t enough, Repentance+ also makes a slew of changes to items while implementing some bug fixes. Loads of the roguelike’s items have been buffed and improved, so escaping the basement is easier than ever.
We’ve been waiting a long time for Isaac’s online co-op update, and I’m incredibly glad it’s here. Nicalis did do a closed alpha for the game mode at the start of the year, but The Binding of Isaac co-op test had to be canceled thanks to a hacker who ended up “ruining it for everyone else.”
The Binding of Isaac’s free Repentance+ DLC is now available, with the new online co-op feature included. If you’re a new player, remember that you’ll need all previous DLC to run the new content. You can find the expansion here.
If you want to play even more great games like The Binding of Isaac, we’ve compiled a list of the best co-op games and best indie games available on PC right now.
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