Challenges

Challenges are unique runs in the game. Isaac typically starts each challenge with one or more specific items which makes normal play more difficult. With few exceptions, Treasure Rooms are not available during challenges. Challenges are all set in normal mode except for I RULE!. Each challenge unlocks new content for the game, such as runes, when completed. Players, with the advent of modding, have created their own Custom Challenges too.

General Strategy

Most challenges are designed to increase the difficulty of the game in a unique fashion. This doesn't mean all challenges are especially difficult. Challenges like Computer Savvy can be quite easy to beat, other challenges compensate for this by being especially punishing; Solar System being a good example of this. Each challenge has certain strategies that can be employed to make the run easier. However, there are a few strategies that can be applied to most challenges.

• Challenges can be played in co-op, allowing a second player to contribute to the run without being hindered in the same way Isaac is. This is especially useful in any challenge where Isaac is Blindfolded, as the second player will be allowed to fire tears normally.
  • If other players join the game in the first room for true co-op, they will not get to select a character and will be forced to play as the character the challenge has you play as, ex. for Blue Bomber, all players will be forced to play as ??? no matter what. (This excludes untrue co-op because of co-op babies.)
• Due to the lack of Treasure Rooms, Devil Rooms become much more valuable. Some challenges can be made much easier by making just one deal, however many challenges reduce Isaac's health to the extent that Devil Deals become too risky.
  • Some rooms (including Crawl Spaces) may have Treasure Room items by default. Since these items are random, results can vary from run to run.
    • Makes We Need To Go Deeper! useful, since it can open Crawl Spaces each floor.
  • Because locked Treasure Rooms don't spawn, keys can be used far more liberally. Also, trinkets and items that generate more coins, along with upgraded Shops, can help Isaac acquire a greater range of powerful items.
• The Bible instantly kills Mom and Mom's Heart / It Lives!. All challenges require defeating Mom, and most require defeating Mom's Heart or It Lives!, making this an extremely powerful item, especially in challenges where Mom or Mom's Heart / It Lives! is the final boss.
  • Pandora's Box will spawn The Bible if used in Womb/Utero/ Scarred Womb II, making it a reliable way to acquire The Bible.
  • XV - The Devil? can also do The Bible's job.
• Curse Rooms can spawn items, making them valuable.
• In some challenges, Dice Rooms and the D4 are very useful, allowing that challenge's starting items to be rerolled, thus removing most of the difficulty. NOTE: This changes depending on the challenge. Most challenge pages contain details on the results of rerolling.
  • Butter! can also remove starter items.
• Blindfolded challenges are arguably the most difficult challenges due to Isaac's inability to fire tears. There are several methods to work around this.
  • Familiars can provide an alternative method of dealing damage. Powerful familiars like Lil Brimstone, Succubus, Incubus, and Twisted Pair are therefore highly useful items.
  • The Boomerang, The Candle, and Red Candle are also useful for blindfolded challenges, as they recharge based on a timer, rather than an amount of cleared rooms.
  • Golden Bomb also provides a powerful damage output method for a floor.
  • Clicker can allow Isaac to change into Lilith, whose Incubus overrides the blindfolded effect by default.
  • Some active items like Tammy's Head can be really helpful, providing an alternative method of dealing damage.
  • Maw Of The Void, Revelation, and Montezuma's Revenge can be charged and fired even while Blindfolded, giving you very powerful attacks when you're not supposed to be able to shoot.
  • Most useful items while blindfolded gain no benefit from the Tears, Range, or Shot Speed stats. As a result, items like False PHD can be used to make gains in other stats at effectively no cost.
• Chaos is a powerful item in challenges, as it can allow powerful items to be found more commonly, such as in the Shop or after defeating bosses.
• Defeating a boss beyond the specified end of the challenge (e.g. defeating Mom's Heart when the goal is to defeat Mom) will still spawn the trophy.
  • In some longer challenges (e.g. XXXXXXXXL), using a Sacrifice Room until it teleports Isaac to the Dark Room is a viable strategy. Once in the Dark Room, the trophy can be spawned by defeating The Lamb.
    • In a similar vein, all runs can be completed by killing Delirium, meaning that the player can beat a challenge through an alternative method such as defeating Hush then traveling to The Void; however, this is generally extremely difficult given the restrictions challenges place on the player.

Notes

• Apart from the achievement related to beating the challenge, all achievements are locked. Also, no Donation Machines will appear in any challenge.
• Challenge rewards will not be unlocked unless the trophy is picked up. If a Devil Room, Angel Room or Black Market appears allowing Isaac to go to Sheol or the Cathedral, the unlock will be forfeited.
  • If Isaac goes to the Cathedral using Genesis, the unlock will also be forfeited.
• Isaac does not start any challenge with The D6.
• Items with tag nochallenge are excluded during challenges.
  • Lazarus' Rags, Judas' Shadow, Ankh, and Clicker are excluded, preventing Isaac from changing to other characters.
    • Broken Ankh is still available.
  • R Key is also excluded.
  • Excluded items are considered as if they have not been unlocked, making it impossible to get these items by Spindown Dice, Bag of Crafting, or Death Certificate.
  • It is, however, possible for Aprils Fool (challenge #32)'s effect on active items to cause Clicker to activate.

Challenges List

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Achievements Challenges Completion Marks Items Trinkets Characters Chapters Rooms Transformations Attributes Bosses Monsters Pickups Modes Curses Objects Seeds Effects Endings
Collection Item Pools Version History Modding Music