Hard mode

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Hard mode changes the gameplay compared to Normal in some ways to make it more difficult. When playing in Hard mode, a small red pentagram (Hard mode only) appears on the HUD, below the pickups.

Differences

  • 2-3 more rooms generate each floor.
  • (except in Repentance and Repentance+) Standard rooms with a difficulty of "1" cannot generate.
    • (in Repentance and Repentance+) Standard rooms with a difficulty of "1" have a reduced chance of appearing.
    • Most rooms with this difficulty are very easy, making difficult rooms more common.
  • (except in Rebirth and Afterbirth) Rooms with a difficulty of "15" are able to generate on the second floor of chapters 1-4.
    • (in Repentance and Repentance+) Additionally, they can always spawn on single floor chapters.
  • (except in Repentance and Repentance+) Enemies have a base 20% chance to become Champions instead of only 5%.
  • Champion enemies only award pickups 33% of the time instead of 100%.
  • (except in Repentance and Repentance+) 66% of Heart drops from completing rooms are removed and replaced with nothing.
    • (in Repentance and Repentance+) 33% of Heart drops from completing rooms are removed and replaced with nothing.
  • (except in Repentance and Repentance+) Only champion bosses will drop hearts; normal bosses will not.
  • Floors are more likely to have curses.
  • Slot Machine.pngSlot Machines are half as likely to pay out.
  • Fortune Telling Machine.pngFortune Telling Machines have an 85% chance to give a fortune, instead of 65%.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) Confessional.pngConfessionals only have a 25% chance to pay out, instead of 30%.
  • Blood Donation Machine.pngBlood Donation Machines only give out one coin per use.
  • Beggar.pngBeggars require a minimum of 6 donations before paying out.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) The ShopShop has a 50% chance of becoming a lower level, regardless of having store upgrades unlocked.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) The drop rate of Soul Heart.pngSoul Hearts from Blue Fire Place.pngBlue Fire Places and Purple Fire Place.pngPurple Fire Places is decreased to 10%, instead of 25%.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) The drop rate of Double Heart.pngDouble Hearts is decreased to ~1.69%, instead of ~4.21%.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) The chance of a (in Repentance and Repentance+) Micro Battery.pngMicro Battery spawning in place of other types of Batteries is increased to 80%, instead of 66%.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) Tinted rocks have a 50% lower chance of appearing.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) Certain enemies and bosses have increased shot and movement speed.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) DogmaDogma does not provide the effect of The WaferThe Wafer.

Unlocks for Hard Mode

Character Mom's Heart (except in Rebirth) All completion marks
Character Isaac icon.pngIsaac Lost Baby Buddy Baby
Character Magdalene icon.pngMagdalene Cute Baby Colorful Baby
Character Cain icon.pngCain Glass Baby Picky Baby
Character Judas icon.pngJudas Shadow Baby Belial Baby
Character ??? icon.png??? Dead Baby Hive Baby
Character Eve icon.pngEve Crow Baby Whore Baby
Character Samson icon.pngSamson Fighting Baby Revenge Baby
Character Azazel icon.pngAzazel Begotten Baby Sucky Baby
Character Lazarus icon.pngLazarus Wrapped Baby Bethany Dripping Baby
Character Eden icon.pngEden Glitch Baby Cracked Baby
Character The Lost icon.pngThe Lost -0- Baby Godhead
(except in Rebirth) (except in Rebirth) Character Lilith icon.pngLilith Goat Head Baby Dark Baby
(except in Rebirth) (except in Rebirth) Character Keeper icon.pngKeeper Super Greed Baby Sale Baby
(except in Rebirth and Afterbirth) (except in Rebirth and Afterbirth) Character Apollyon icon.pngApollyon Smelter Apollyon Baby
(except in Rebirth and Afterbirth) (except in Rebirth and Afterbirth) Character The Forgotten icon.pngThe Forgotten Marrow Bone Baby
(in Repentance and Repentance+) (in Repentance and Repentance+) Character Bethany icon.pngBethany Wisp Baby Hope Baby
(in Repentance and Repentance+) (in Repentance and Repentance+) Character Jacob and Esau icon.pngJacob and Esau Double Baby Solomon's Baby
(in Repentance and Repentance+) All non-Tainted characters Mega Mush
(in Repentance and Repentance+) All characters Death Certificate

Trivia

  • Before update 1.03, the reduced drop-rate affected all pickups (not just Red Hearts).
  • Most Hard mode unlocks are co-op babies, with the notable exceptions of GodheadGodhead, (except in Rebirth and Afterbirth) SmelterSmelter, (except in Rebirth and Afterbirth) MarrowMarrow, (in Repentance and Repentance+) Mega MushMega Mush, (in Repentance and Repentance+) Death CertificateDeath Certificate and the character (in Repentance and Repentance+) Character Bethany icon.pngBethany.
  • GodheadGodhead's unlock requirements were extended in later DLCs due to the addition of more completion marks, but it can still be unlocked in the base game using the same method.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) The Repentance chances for max level shops and tinted rocks were initially much more sparse. These chances were increased in update 1.7.1 a few days later.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) None of the tainted characters have unlocks tied to getting all completion marks, apart from Death CertificateDeath Certificate.