8 Hardcore games like The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ that you should try

Same family as The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+: punishing difficulty, procedural generation and melee combat. To that it adds single-player focus and pixel art. They part company on game mode and setting: this one brings ranged combat and a medieval setting.

Shelved next to The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ for good reason: punishing difficulty, procedural generation and melee combat. Both also lean on fantasy world and single-player focus. The distance is in combat and setting — its own ground is ranged combat.

It shares the essentials of what The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ does: strong narrative focus, procedural generation and melee combat. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and an isometric view. Where the two diverge is game mode and setting: a mythological setting.

Shelved next to The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ for good reason: punishing difficulty, procedural generation and melee combat. Both also lean on 2D presentation and fantasy world. The distance is in combat and setting — its own ground is ranged combat.

What brings it close to The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is punishing difficulty, procedural generation and melee combat, and the two track each other on genre, game mode and world. The common ground extends to 2D presentation and fantasy world. Where the two diverge is setting and combat: magic-based combat.

If The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ worked for you because of punishing difficulty, procedural generation and melee combat, the same is here. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and single-player focus. Where the two diverge is combat and setting: magic-based combat.

On paper it is what The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is — punishing difficulty, procedural generation and melee combat — though the resemblance is mostly at that level. To that it adds single-player focus and pixel art. They part company on combat and visuals: this one brings ranged combat and a top-down view.

It comes from the same genre as The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ and shares punishing difficulty, procedural generation and melee combat. The common ground extends to single-player focus and 2D presentation. Where the two diverge is setting and game mode: a casual, approachable feel and ranged combat.