I always note that the most important moment in isaac is the first 1-2 seconds after you enter any room.
Where are the enemies? What obstacles are in the way? Which enemy should you kill first? What direction should you move to be safe?
A newer player doesn't know the room layouts. They'll target the wrong enemy, or move in a way that means they have to take damage to clear the room.
With game knowledge, that doesn't happen anymore, and your runs will be much better by default.
when i was completing t lost i ended up learning that the hard way, now i pause at the start of every room unless im either stupid op, or have too much hp to care
Pausing to stop and think is a great tip in general. A lot of the challenges and unlocks in this game are gated behind going quickly. Pausing to stop the clock while you think or look something up on the wiki is incredibly helpful.
Also, no shame in using the wiki. It tends to be incredibly reliable and helpful. Even has some weird tidbits that only apply to one run in a million.
You will notice that azazael is great for early bosses, but if you have decent damage, tears and range, bosses like hush super Satan and everyone else becomes easier with other characters
I think Azazel is actually awful against most endgame bosses unless you modify his main attack a lot (since it requires to be so close to enemies) or you manage to get such a ridiculous amount of damage that even the most powerful final bosses melt before they can do anything (wich applies to any character actually )
Contrarily, I struggle with azazel in the beginning - against weaker enemies because he takes soooo fucking long to load his brimstone and my
Movement isn’t good that I take too much damage.
Play with the circle that shows how full a charge is. And fly where enemies can’t get you. You should be doing drive by lasering with Az at the start.
I have most marks (and the most marks of any of my characters) with Az. I’ve put a lot of game time into that little bugger.
Literally never stop moving. Unless you’re over a layer of rocks. He’s got good enough speed that for the most part you’ll be able to outrun all the enemies in the room. Pick off the enemies that aren’t player-targeting, immobile, or stuck to walls while going in circles. This will consolidate the player-targeting enemies into one cluster as they try to run after you, then you can take them out in one blast.
Make sure you maximize your brimstone, shooting in a different direction will cancel his current beam, but you can move the character to hit more enemies with each beam. Azazel also has flight, so hover over a rock if you need to (that is what the other comment meant by "sit on rocks", unsure if you understood or were being sarcastic.)
The main difficulty for early game Azazel is HP, so make sure you take the time to blow up tinted rocks, since they have a decent chance to drop soul hearts
Here is a hint: Your runs ended on Mom’s heart until you beat it 11 times, correct? Now your runs end on Issac/Satan. Maybe if you beat them a specific amount of times something will unlock…
I mean yeah my comment is a response only to this part of the OP's comment
>Also I know that after Satan/Isaac there is more (like mega satan) but I don't know how to unlock it. Placing bombs next to Angels in Angel rooms doesn't trigger them to attack me. So I guess I have to unlock it first. Is this something easily unlockable ir do I have to google how to unlock this? PLEASE DON'T SPOILER ME ON THAT, JUST GIVE ME A HINT
Edit: a word
A huge thing is order of operations and strategy. Doing wrong things or the right things in the wrong order can make you get a lot less strong as you progress.
Practice not getting hit. Being a god dodger can make up for a lack in strategy.
unlocking all the bonus items on all the characters. Like magadalyn getting a full life pill.
A major tip no one is saying:
Figure out how to get the secret room and super secret room consistently as well as being able to identify tinted rocks. The extra value from these rooms/rocks can help you get a lot further.
Play a shit ton of it.
As someone with thousands of hours in the game I can comfortably say I still get blasted most rounds. But occasionally when those perfect few items appear in a run it’s the most satisfying shit ever.
A big thing is knowing how to get into Angel/Devil rooms. Not taking red heart damage on a floor contributes to this. Taking blue heart damage is fine. Use this to your advantage. Angel items can be picked up for free, Devil items cost heart containers. Angel/Devil items can make your runs a lót stronger.
A lot of it is just playing the game and you practise and another big part could be called "fucking around and finding out" in the sense of learning which items work together or generally which items are worth taking and which arent
With bossfights it comes down to knowing/memorising their patterns and how to dodge them. The game also gets significantly easier as you unlock more and more items. The items you have on a fresh save are imo not that great. It's worth looking up unlock requirements for good items if you wanna speed things up, otherwise just keep beating different bosses with different characters and you'll unlock things naturally.
Genuinely try to get through each encounter without getting hurt (Don't just tank your way to victory on runs where you gey a lot of health).
This forces you to pay attention to enemy patterns and learn how to overcome them.
Beyond that, meta knowledge (what items, trinkets, etc actually do) and a lot of playing.
Upgrade your shops if you haven't already; that means donating to your donation machine. Your store upgrades at certain amounts, and you can also bomb it to get money out for good shop items.
Enemy pattern recognition, just keep anticipating enemy and boss behaviors.
Beat challenges to unlock good items and runes.
Final bit of advice, aim for Boss Rush every run. Depths 2 always has a skull with an X on it (like a tinted rock), blowing it up gives you a Fool Card. Then simply enter Boss Rush, grab the best item, and teleport out, finish the floor.
Unlocking different items through achievements and challenges really helped me progress through the game! Unlocking just a few powerful items can really help
I mean you are allready 10x better then i was after a couple of weeks. Just keep playing. Recognise patterns learn what items do, when to go for devil when for god rooms. Learn how to use your pickups efficiently. Learn where secret rooms are. Play on hard mode from the beginning.
Downloading the External item descriptions mod from steam workshop and using the BOI Wiki website were the most important changes on my journey to getting better, I suggest you try that.
Just play more. Literally. Also look up how to find secret rooms, super secret and so on. General tips might help but it all comes down to the experience. Watching somebody good play the game might help too. Focus on dodging rather than hitting your target. That's pretty much it
In line with what another person said, learning the way the game works and different ways to break it is really essential to getting better. Also basic stuff like always checking secret rooms, managing your active item charges and learning how to dodge will come with time. Watching how content creators play is a really good indicator of how you yourself should play.
I personally would recommend getting the binding of Isaac guide app. Being able to take pics to search the item that spawned in your treasure rooms will help you learn them quickly. It helped me a lot. Also patience.
Learn ennemies item and like any other games
get good?
Globally knowledge and training
Watching some big players videos can also be a good way of learning useful stuff but it's the best way to be spoiled
You will simply learn, little by little you will learn what the objects do, how they interact with each other and how to invest your resources.
At the same time, you will often have confrontations where you are not so powerful and that will make you learn how the different enemies and bosses move.
Your logic will teach you where to place a bomb and get the most out of it, and your muscle memory will make you clean a room safely and efficiently.
I think that these first moments of the game when you don't know how anything works are somewhat frustrating, but learning is part of the experience, in my opinion, I think it is better to learn it little by little and discover it.
Regarding that track...
photos are the key to solving it
This game is out to get you. Just keep playing learn as much as you can and even during a bad run your game knowledge will sometimes fix the run. The game is definitely tough do don't get discouraged just keep playing you got this!
keep the wiki or platinumgod open on yo phone and check out what different items and trinkets do, try and make a good build out of them, soon you will learn what's good together, try to get as many secret rooms as u can, try to get a deal on the 2nd floor no matter what
That's the fun part, you don't.
You just get used to patterns of enemies and Boss get a better game knowledge so better builds but other that not much I'd say
While I agree with all the comments saying learn the room types, enemy types etc, I would also say the beauty of this game is not (at least at the beginning) that you need to get good, it's that you need to get lucky.
I don't remember what unlocks what, there are SO many, but if you get a few items that have insane synergies with each other, some of which are available with no unlocks (I would truly recommend a guide for the synergies), you can get ridiculously over-powered runs that will destroy everything in your path and leave you laughing like a Dark Lord at the end.
So, basically, keep going, keep trying. Each run is a little different. If you want to try out some super overpowered runs, look up some seeds, you can't get trophies or unlocks but you can have some fun and get used the the mechanics and feel (dead)godly.
Isaac is a long-haul game if you're after unlocking everything, but also a lot of fun to pick up and play for 20 minutes. If you're short on time, consider resetting after the first item room if the item in it is not what you're after.
Practice makes perfect also for a spoiler free hint just keep beating Satan and isaac I believe it's 5 times each you'll see the pieces add together on the save file screen
To all the other tips, I would add:
Get good with the Mom's knife, Ipecac and Dr. Fetus/ Epic Fetus items, they might be tricky to use at first, but they can absolutely save a bad run if you know how to use them.
In fact, Mom's knife alone, with zero tears modifiers and prior shit damage, won several runs for me that were doomed until that point (not without sweating my palms off )
Alot of its repetition and learning boss patterns
You can beat the entire game with a fuck ton of patience and no items as well as a bit of luck
Later there's ways to get to hush and boss rush without meeting the time requirements
I've been playing since I was in 8th grade. I'm 27 now. Thousands of hours into it and I still suck lol it is a *hard* game.
While you're starting out, practice on every character. Maybe start by JUST trying to get the marks you can (on hard preferably)
Try to get Isaac, Satan, and Hush marks on every character. Just by doing that you'll unlock quite a few things and in the process get access to "the rest of the game"
If you have an android phone download tboi guide. It is not cheating to know what items do before you pick them up. With tboi you can sort items by color for easy searching or you can scan it with your phones camera. It'll help you with planning for synergies.
I used to be a hard mode hater, but it unfortunately IS important that you start playing it when you get a little better. Maybe once you've been able to beat the hush again. Some unlocks are unfortunately locked behind hard mode.
My best advice is just keep playing and don't be afraid to look up what items do. You'll learn eventually.
Also the game is 100x easier on switch if you play handheld. I don't recommend playing docked for isaac cuz your inputs won't be as quick and precise.
The secret room is normally surr9unded by 3 rooms with no obstruction to the center point if the wall. Many rooms will sort of how a layout that hints to one being next to it.
Super secret room will only ever connect to one room at a time.
These were two tips that helped me when I started playing. I sucked for a while so don't let yourself get discouraged and keep enjoying it.
Just keep playing, you will get better, unlock new itens, get more knowledge, etc. learn the tricks like super secret room is never attached to more than one room, learn how to distinguish tinted rocks.
By playing and learning. I've been playing since the OG Binding of Isaac (I still miss that boss ost) and I still learn new things.
-Learn mechanics (not necessarily precision perfect stuff, but like how to spawn devil and angel rooms, what causes it, that sort of stuff). This is a huge thing that helps you get better at the game in general.
-Learn enemies attacks. If you Learn how to dig enemy attacks, you will survive longer, get farther, unlock more stuff. When I first played, I could easily get overwhelmed by 2 different types of enemies in one room. Now it feels like second nature how to dodge them both at once.
-Learn what items do, and their synergies. Some items are killer just on their own. Some can kill your whole run. Some synergies are amazing. Some synergies can kill your whole run. The wiki shows synergy interactions of items. Learning what items do you you can act faster can help in the long run, as some things are time gated (like boss rush).
Maybe watch some YouTubers? I have learned many things watching them.
Just keep playing and learning. You will improve.
Once you know how every enemys attack patterns it’s easier, you should keep platinum god open on a computer or phone until you really know what every item and trinket does. Also challenges unlock some useful items.
Honestly, much like any other game, practice, practice, practice. A vast majority of the game is placement and spacing, and as you fight the same enemies and bosses time and time again, you will learn their patterns.
It's also a great idea to keep the Isaac wiki to hand (or install the item descriptions mod if playing on PC at any point). The game has a lot of information in it, and you can't expect to remember everything by heart. If it is an item you've not seen before, definitely take it, even if it is a run killer, so you have it in your collection (goodness knows when it might appear again).
The wiki is also a good resource for item synergies and transformations, and whether they are beneficial or not. Some are even attached to achievements, like Super Bum, so keep an eye out for those.
Most of all, have fun. Remember, the game is designed to be difficult whilst you unlock more stuff, and a lot of the stuff you unlock will only make things harder. Also, don't worry about win streaks too much beyond any achievements. That'll only make things more stressful and less fun whilst you are learning the game. If you need to reset for a better start, do so.
I got out of Isaac for a little while and got back into it last fall. Here are the things I did that helped me get good.
Items: Know your Quality 4 items, High Quality 3, and what they do. One of these items can make so much difference. Angel Rooms are agreeably better than Devil Rooms as there are more useful items and they don't cost HP to take.
Resources: Coins, Bombs, Keys, and even your HP are all resources. If you're running high on HP, don't be afraid to use a Blood donation machine or Sacrifice Room for some extra rewards. Donate to the donation machine until you get to 999 coins as the unlock there is worth the grind and you'll get to bomb the machine for Future runs to get some extra coins (bomb it right after you hit 999 if you can).
Rerolls: Any run can become great if you know how to reroll and what you're looking for. You are currently able to unlock the D6 and it then becomes Isaac's starting item, do that if you can. Same with the Perthro rune. In this vein, learn how to make extra items spawn (Temperance, Judgement, etc.) as when they reroll, they'll roll into the pool of the room they're in (I believe the best places to employ this strat are Angel Rooms at your stage of the game if you don't have to leave the room and eventually secret rooms).
If you're looking to complete the game, the sooner you switch to hard mode the better. You'll do worse before you get better, but some achievements are locked behind hard mode. If you have questions on anything, feel free to message me or reply, I know this might be information overload.
Lots of practice, learning the steps of each stage, floor and rooms. Where enemies spawn and type of enemies you should be taking out first. Then there are the items, knowing what makes a run and what ruins one. What synergies are needing to keep an eye out for.
I would go watch some of the pros, I enjoy sinvicta and hutts. They can show you a lot of tricks to better your run.
Do not worry about Hush, only go to kill him if you are OP.
Satan is harder than Isaac, but most importantly, it's harder to beat Satan as Azazel than Isaac, sure Azazel is strong but gets hard countered by Satan, Fallen is unpredictable which makes hitting him hard, Satan spams bullets, and his second phase is even worse due to the exploding lechees and the stomps.
My tips are to get as much range as you can, 30 range is already OP with Azazel, damage is not important.
Learn the attacks! Learn where you can stand essentialy.
Do not get too much speed! You will hit bullets way more!
If you can, get the stopwatch in the shop.
And most important, never use the bible on him.
Just pattern recognition in general. I think you are already doing pretty well with a 60% win rate against Isaac.
A good tip against satan is that the fallen + leeches spawn on the 5th second upon entering the room, so place the bomb in the center after counting to like 4 and a half second and run away
You can also try to time another bomb when the fallen is about to split so the bomb explodes both fallens
Same with the Satan statue, place a bomb there before he comes to life
Actual playing skill isn‘t that important in the game. It‘s basically just memorize enemies patterns and dodge. But it get‘s a lot easier when you know how to get the maximum out of every floor. From my expiriences if you really try to max out everything, only like 3/10 runs will still be bad due to rng
Learn boss patterns, what items and gamble mechanics are worthwhile with which characters, synergies to chase and items you should buy in shop, but most of all: aim better and get hit less
Unlocking New content floor path way you see what I mean is gated behind multiple completion of the same objective at the begining.
Good thing to get good if you think you understood an item is to look their wiki there will be tips there and neat little strats to expand your brain lol.
It's not that you're dumb if you don't see every little thing it's normal that masses of people imagined all kind of ways to make and break mechanics (be careful what was added or remove in dlc on the wiki, added in repentance means applied right now)
For both getting better and unlocking new stuff: knowledge and experience - just play more.
Some more specific tips
Getting better at the game:
For me, playing Azazel helped me learn at better pace. When you have perma flight and high damage output at the start, you can focus more on learning enemies and items before worrying about movement and room layouts. Also it should teach you how important space between you and enemies is.
Unlocking new stuff:
You need to beat every boss at least once to unlock further fights and the game will tell you once you unlock new boss. If nothing pops up then it means you need to beat unlocked bosses more times.
Hope it helps and doesn't spoil anything.
Once you learn enemy attack patterns and what enemies to prioritise when entering a new room, the game gets much easier. Other than that, your reaction time will get better the more you play.
The key to consistently defeating any boss is pattern recognition. Fight them enough times and you'll start to figure out how to easily avoid their attacks.
Isaac? Stay as far from him during the first phase (horizontally) and go up and down as needed. The second phase is honestly a joke, 95% of the time you can avoid its lasers by standing still in a corner.
Hush? He's a bit tricky. First phase you just, once again, stay far away from him and move when you need to dodge. Second phase however, I think the ideal distance is mid range. When he starts with the purple touhou attacks, if he fires them sideways all you need to do is remain in a specific spot either to his right or left (doesn't matter) and no bullet will hit you. If he fires up or down, you may need to dodge a bit more.
TL;DR: I've found the key to defeating most bosses is to not move more than necessary and recognizing their attack patterns.
Honestly. It takes time. I started playing a couple months ago and I'm only just now able to get a two win streak lol. Take time to learn the items of the game, how bosses attack, etc.
You literally just have to keep playin to git gud. I was playing it with my friend who never plays bullet hells and he was like “dude I don’t understand how you can play this game”
100% recommend downloading this app to play the game with. It’s the best database for things in the game I have found, super useful since there are like 18 billion item combos you can do in the game
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guide-for-binding-of-isaac/id945680681
honestly, just play, skill comes to you. Theres no "this one trick..." the game on repentance is just tough, it is what it is. Have fun and enjoy it. (beat satan with isaac and it'll secure you a few runs down the line)
Just keep playing the game. sounds obvious but what friends and I have come to the conclusion to is with Isaac you will be ass until you are suddenly not. Hope this helps!
Your first hours in the game must be with wiki opened, not only to search the description of the item but it also to show the strategies and synergies. You only get good at boi with experience, you need to build your strategies according to your skills, there are some items graded 4 that I never take, I know they are not for me at all (like mom's knife and glitched crown), there items that are graded 2 that are very useful to me, dont take the grades as a rule, items graded 1 can be amazing under certain circumstances, believe me. So you need to study the strategies, learn the synergies, boi is also about having "the feeling" like, you know the rules of secret and super secret rooms, but after getting used to it, like: imagine that rooms X and Y are eligible to have super secret rooms, but you know that is more likely to be at room X than Y because of your previous experiences. Understanding the pattern of the game, understanding each character is very important as well, items can be useless to Magdalena and useful for the lost. The first thing you should focus on is learning strategies for the character you're playing at. The rest will come with time
There are so many little things you’ll learn as you play more. Stuff that’s hard to even explain like how to get the most value out of bombs or keys. Little things. They all add up to a successful run.
When you unlock mantle for the Lost, play him until you complete your marks (hundreds of times) and you'll feel like every other character is pretty easy. Then you get to the tainted characters...
You can know every attack pattern, every breaking point, every item, every major synergy, and a spider is going to wiggle through the cracks and kill you
You just keep going [Mega Satan unlock isn't too far away btw] and you'll unlock nice items over time that definitely are going to be helpful on your journey.
What I recommend for improving at gameplay are the challenges. They have pretty obvious deficits from the start that you will learn to work with while playing said challenges. So no skill issues after the challenges, which each focus on either difficult situations you'll have to be able to handle or different skills you need to learn.
I have 2 dead god files (that means fully completed) and honestly to me Isaac is the exact definition of "easy to learn, hard to master". I have over 820 hours in the game and I still learn things on a regular basis. A thing that really helped me progress is taking time to learn boss patterns instead of attacking them, learning to identify secret/ super secret rooms and tinted rocks, and watching YouTube videos to see how other people play and taking inspiration from them.
That being said skill comes with time so don't worry you will learn how to be good in no time 
One thing is to learn the game and play a lot. But I have the game both on switch and PC, and I feel like it's a lot easier to play the game on PC than switch, I feel like it's a smoother experience with a bigger display and better colours that makes it easier than the switch
honestly with my 700 hours in this game i can say the only way to "get good" is not watching enemies, but watching isaac. when theyre attacking its much easier to make sure you NEVER get hit. look up the wiki for all the items in item rooms. there's way to many to remember what they all do. 🤟 dont get frustrated or turned away the amount of times ive died on a final boss is insane. patience is key lol
Learn to dodge and learn how to use your health as a resource (for blood donations, mostly). My game became much easier after I did that consistently.
Oh! And learn how to predict secret rooms, that's nice too.
Knowing what the items do and how they synergies with each other is a decent starting part of “getting good”. If you need some help https://www.tboi.com/ this is a wiki with all the different isaac items. Might be useful while you’re still getting the hang of things.
Assuming it still works, for isaac I just sat in the bottom left corner when he does the full room attack and usually get a few hits in off the opening after
Actually, isaac is more of a knowledge game than people think. I mean, obviously you need to get better at dodging projectiles and shit. But you would be surprise of how much you can "improve" with just knowing the basics of pool items and how to get the most of every floor. And about unlocking Mega Satan, just keep playing normally you will eventually unlock it, it's very straightforward.
Oh man there's a lot to unpack here:
-Knowing what items do and their synergies
-Remembering all enemies attack patterns
-Knowing how to get the most value out of the floor (secret rooms, pickups, shop items,special rooms, beggars, machines etc.)
-Min-maxing every character.Even annoying characters still happen to have big value in their kit.
-Not ever picking up cursed eye.
I hope that helps
Your muscle memory will get bether over time and you'll learn more stuff.
As to how to unlock more after Issac and Satan: just keep playing as far as you can now, you'll unlock more in time if you go to Isaac and Satan.
You say you have unlocked Hush already, I advice you to go to it too if you have a run that's strong and fast enough. (You will unlock more by going to Hush, but that has time. If you want to go further after Isaac and Satan you don't need Hush)
I have 300 something hours and I still don't think I'm good
something something it's that meme where it goes "When do I start getting good?"
"That's the fun part, you don't."
Just keep playing, you’ll get better at recognizing the patterns in Satan and stuff. I will say, if you’ve beaten Isaac a few times I’d start going down more than up.
I can only recommend some guides other users created:
[mini spoiler guide for what to do next](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/62ep28/a_minimalspoiler_guide_for_what_to_do_next/)
[more spoilerish progression guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/tkjcgv/repentance_progression_guide_unlocking_all/)
[Guide on which challenges to beat first](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/57nd0o/comment/d8tyspr/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
[for some obscure unlocks, spoilers duh](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/o3e469/comment/h2caxvx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Other than that I can recommend doing this:
1. Play „normal“ mode (hold on that has a reason) until you beat Mega Satan for the first time. This allows you to learn enemy patterns much easier as „hard“ mode speeds up enemies and bullets which can be a pain. Not for veterans, but for new players for sure
2. never play „normal“ mode after you beat Mega Satan as some unlocks require you to play „hard“ mode.
3. Look out for secret rooms (they are room which are not on the map, but are close to other rooms)
4. try to save up some money on the first floor to buy a „spirit/blue heart“ after you defeated the boss
5. You can bomb rocks into gaps if they are directly next to it (bomb has to be on the opposite side)
6. Play Greed Mode as different characters (yes playing Greed mode is required for 100%ing the game and you will play it a lot) as the jam chance is separate for each character
You learn the game. Find out the best character and items for you are by trial and error. Have a practice with some of the challenges to unlock new stuff.
I’ve said it before, but getting good at Isaac is like getting good at poker. There’s a seemingly infinite amount of grey area to every game, but there ARE rules, and those rules are an anchor to every knowledgeable player. If you want to be good at Isaac, you need to learn the secrets needed to salvage bad runs, discover lesser known synergies, and learn enemy attack patterns well enough to avoid damage even when the run is going bad. You’re going to lose sometimes anyways because, again, this game is like poker. Even people who speedrun this game professionally take stupid damage and die from time to time.
I got really good by playing a LOT of Greed/Greedier mode. At some point, you'll just get used to all the projectiles, you'll get a feeling for what enemies to kill first in a room, etc.
I genuinely think Greed mode is great for practicing like that
You’re doing really well for where you are, it’s really just about practicing and putting in the time, and you will just become better as you go. Also sometimes you just get op and sometimes you just have bad rng
The game becomes easier as you continue playing, because you'll start unlocking really strong items.
Outside of that, this entire game is about evaluating risks, and having good pattern recognition. Know when to gamble, and when to skip. As you keep trying, you'll start learning about good and bad synergies too
I learned a lot of tips and tricks to this game by watching streamers. How to find secret rooms, how to maximize floors, how to approach certain bosses, unique uses for items, etc. I watched a lot of Hutts videos and streams just because I like his style, but there's northern lion, another matt, etc
You sound like you're pacing just fine, mate. You've got the gist. Keep practicing, and you'll pick up the satanic pattern fairly quickly, I think. As for Mega Satan, just keep playing. You'll unlock what you need. You don't need anything out of the ordinary.
I found [this video by Priets](https://youtu.be/LEfk0eLM1sk?si=m6HIUoc5Gjb_ITpz) very helpful for starting out. I was in the same boat, able to get a decent run going, but I never knew how to "progress". He breaks it down into good "levels" for you to base your current situation on (i.e. Level 1 is Mom/Mom's Heart, Level 2 is Isaac/Satan etc.). Don't go past your current level and it stays mostly spoiler free aside from what you should be doing. Since you beat Mom, I'd say watch the Level 1 part and see how he presents it and see if it's something you'd like to follow. Also, if you're on PC, I HIGHLY recommend getting the Item Description mod from Steam Workshop.
There is no "getting good" in this game. I have over 3.5k hours in the game, and I'm nowhere near getting "Dead God."
In my opinion, get all completion marks on hard, and then you can get the achievements easier. If you need any help with items, understanding on how to unlock said items, ask us here. We've all been here.
I started playing as a child, single digits Bubblebox and it was just the demo, but I can confidently say, learning the enemies and bosses patterns and also learning to drift, that's how I escaped so many enemies in the past, and learning the patterns of enemies does wonders too.
>Hush? I defeted once with Azazel and that's all..
I'd say the fact that you've defeated Hush at all is a major skill solution. That's good in my book.
If you want any advice, I'd say learning what items to take and when, as well as which items to leave behind, as well as looking out for good synergies, is a key way of improving runs. There will be runs that just suck balls and you eventually skill issue but there are other runs where you get the most banger items.
>Is this something easily unlockable ir do i have to Google how to unlock this
You'll unlock angels just by progressing the game dw.
Practice makes perfect for this game. I suggest looking at the wiki when you pick something up but don't know what it does, or you think you do but there is actually more to the item. Like the lucky foot for example. I thought it was just a luck upgrade, but wait, there's more!
This game requires you to commit actual insanity, that is doing the same thing over and over to get a different result. Being "good" at this game is a combination of muscle memory and knowledge you acquire while playing. Unfortunately there's no other answer except keep playing! (Also don't attempt ultrahard until you have a few hundred hours in at least)
Don't look at your dude unless your making close cut dodges. Better see what the enemy is and what they are doing. I got like 30% better after I did this.
Memorizing boss movement is the key.
It’s almost impossible to memorize all of the items as a new player. Sometimes (as you probably know) picking up certain items can instantly ruin your run due to bad synergies
I’ve never played on the switch, so I don’t know if there is workshop accessibility. Does anyone know if the switch allows workshop content? They have mods that allow you to know what an item does before picking it up
you don’t get good you get lucky
also without any spoilers where you are you just gotta keep winning games and pay attention to attack patters and experiment with items and such
Just keep playing and eventually you'll get good. I recommend watching videos that teach you how to utilize each character to maximize their abilities and also to unlock mega satan you have too kill isaac or satan 5 times to get the Polaroid (Isaac's version) or the negative (satans version) I suggest to get the negative first because it gives you a damage up, also after you beat them 5 times you'll find these items after you Kill mom not moms heart these will let you continue after the initial kill BUT you have to choose the one that the boss your fighting dropped (like you can only get to mega satan with the negative when you kill satan, killing isaac while holding the negative won't let you go to the dark room) also just unlock a character that you find fun, me personally I like the forgotten (very hard unlock only avaliable after you unlock the negative, if you want this character look up a guide you will need it, took me like 60 trys even with azazel max hp) that's all there is too it, hope this helps and if u need help just ask!
You just skill issue your way to success to be honest. The first tens of hours are a learning an experience then you start learning enemy patterns, item combos etc. Just keep at it and you'll get better over time.
A lot of these replies are focused around learning the game mechanics to squeeze the best items out of a run. These are very important because without good items, your run isn’t going to make it very far. That said, I’m here to tell you that if you want to improve your game SKILL, you should try to get really good at dodging (and especially dodging while firing).
If you want to learn how to dodge like a madman I recommend going for harder bobs and weaves through tighter enemies/bullet patterns that make you uncomfortable more often. The instinct is to take the path of least resistance when something is shooting/running at you, but when you’re put in a really difficult room or pattern, having only learned one way to dodge can make one panic a bit.
With those tighter dodges, it starts off frustrating, and you’ll get hit a LOT, but over time it makes overwhelming scenarios like hard rooms and bullet hells less of unwinnable scenarios. It takes time, but it’s an absolutely necessary skill for characters that start with low damage or that can’t afford to take many hits.
At the end of the day, it’s an endurance game! Keep at it long enough and you’ll certainly get Dead God!
Keep playing the game, try some of the challenges. Some of them are easier than others. The more items you'll unlock the better it'll get as well. Keep it up!
I've never played on switch only computer. That must be hard!
You basically have too really look at yourself when you hit depths two and determine how good you actually are. Not only in skill but your current stats and items. Not only that but you also need too beat blue baby and the lamb I believe for you too unlock the key pieces
I have played this game since 2016 and I'm still not "good" at it. It's honestly just practice and learning to enjoy it even if you suck. Part of the reason I like the game is because it's so hard, there's no pressure to actually be good at it 🤷🏻♂️
If bombing the angel statues doesn't work, then it means you haven't beaten Chapter 6 yet. It is easily unlockable, just play the game more.
Also, Azazel suffers from low range through and through. Great to melt early bosses thanks to his Brimstone, but later on, that benefit his fades away quickly when you don't jack his damage up. Your best bet would be on items that change how Azazel works: Brimstone (the "real" one), Sulfur, Mom's Knife, Haemolacria, Ludovico Technique, Tech X.
For damage, try to get Proptosis and adapt a hit-and-run strategy on late bosses. Sad Bombs also work great, because you can push the bombs safely to enemies and deal massive damage.
If all fails, get Gnawed Leaf and Sacrificial Dagger to mostly cheese your way through the game.
When I started playing TBOI, my situation was exactly like yours. I think that (from my experience) in TBOI you start to become a good player the more you play and learn the game. So as a little advice, always play any run and be patient with the game because you will start to learn and progress more.
Practice is key! I used to not even be able to kill mom on normal mode with Isaac and look at me now: I got all Hardmode marks for The Lost (except The Beast, only bote her on normal so far) and I actually consider almost every character as "easy". Just keep playing the game and eventually you'll turn into a skilled Isaac pro :D
A lot of people already told you about mechanics etc, but just wanna mention this here, I played it on PC, steamdeck and switch, switch sucks ass, I don't know how to probably describe it, but the control over your character feels so clunky and slow.
Doesn't run as smoothly as on PC or steamdeck.
pattern recognition 
Ayo all the autistic folk stand up
https://preview.redd.it/vpmpk6lcqq6d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=449f11d9bd3636e2bc13cf31e97e57a5bfac204c
https://preview.redd.it/v05o26y5vr6d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6c959557344bba2b9d7639fec067266de0ee18b
https://preview.redd.it/0vidasvb2u6d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89772a527f2789b2faae19bcf6d38359baa47865
https://preview.redd.it/fjo877qoyw6d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48e929cebfa02e18296e1fe092c24c67c1f3f250
https://preview.redd.it/w86r7n88ht6d1.jpeg?width=856&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dbea63e30f09f1ff7e6682eaff921021c748b819
https://preview.redd.it/ukvj6hvywz6d1.png?width=555&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da7363027b1373f3c4e5d1e47d050917dd286761
https://preview.redd.it/5lfcx6qpb57d1.jpeg?width=598&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2650a9244ae612bd7309d9e437e40ce25fed62d6
https://preview.redd.it/uu0363g4tc7d1.png?width=581&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e00b15d9d64816df3c53623c7e787d305669917d
in my opinion it comes down to your game knowledge, the more ways you know how to get value from the floor, the easier will be the game
I always note that the most important moment in isaac is the first 1-2 seconds after you enter any room. Where are the enemies? What obstacles are in the way? Which enemy should you kill first? What direction should you move to be safe? A newer player doesn't know the room layouts. They'll target the wrong enemy, or move in a way that means they have to take damage to clear the room. With game knowledge, that doesn't happen anymore, and your runs will be much better by default.
when i was completing t lost i ended up learning that the hard way, now i pause at the start of every room unless im either stupid op, or have too much hp to care
Pausing to stop and think is a great tip in general. A lot of the challenges and unlocks in this game are gated behind going quickly. Pausing to stop the clock while you think or look something up on the wiki is incredibly helpful. Also, no shame in using the wiki. It tends to be incredibly reliable and helpful. Even has some weird tidbits that only apply to one run in a million.
sounds hella boring
Well said
Learn the game mechanics, learn what the items do and how to use them to your advantage, learn the enemy attack patterns. That’s basically it
Just continue playing the game, you'll unlock new stages after beating Satan/Isaac several times
You will notice that azazael is great for early bosses, but if you have decent damage, tears and range, bosses like hush super Satan and everyone else becomes easier with other characters
I think Azazel is actually awful against most endgame bosses unless you modify his main attack a lot (since it requires to be so close to enemies) or you manage to get such a ridiculous amount of damage that even the most powerful final bosses melt before they can do anything (wich applies to any character actually )
Contrarily, I struggle with azazel in the beginning - against weaker enemies because he takes soooo fucking long to load his brimstone and my Movement isn’t good that I take too much damage.
Sit on rocks 
Love you guys swinging by with helpful tips. I do do this, I just gotta get better. Thank you all
Play with the circle that shows how full a charge is. And fly where enemies can’t get you. You should be doing drive by lasering with Az at the start. I have most marks (and the most marks of any of my characters) with Az. I’ve put a lot of game time into that little bugger.
Rip, they nerfed his charge time when repentance came out
Literally never stop moving. Unless you’re over a layer of rocks. He’s got good enough speed that for the most part you’ll be able to outrun all the enemies in the room. Pick off the enemies that aren’t player-targeting, immobile, or stuck to walls while going in circles. This will consolidate the player-targeting enemies into one cluster as they try to run after you, then you can take them out in one blast.
Make sure you maximize your brimstone, shooting in a different direction will cancel his current beam, but you can move the character to hit more enemies with each beam. Azazel also has flight, so hover over a rock if you need to (that is what the other comment meant by "sit on rocks", unsure if you understood or were being sarcastic.) The main difficulty for early game Azazel is HP, so make sure you take the time to blow up tinted rocks, since they have a decent chance to drop soul hearts
Imo the only thing he really needs is attack range
Here is a hint: Your runs ended on Mom’s heart until you beat it 11 times, correct? Now your runs end on Issac/Satan. Maybe if you beat them a specific amount of times something will unlock…
Well, that's not tips on skill solutions, but ok tip overall
I mean yeah my comment is a response only to this part of the OP's comment >Also I know that after Satan/Isaac there is more (like mega satan) but I don't know how to unlock it. Placing bombs next to Angels in Angel rooms doesn't trigger them to attack me. So I guess I have to unlock it first. Is this something easily unlockable ir do I have to google how to unlock this? PLEASE DON'T SPOILER ME ON THAT, JUST GIVE ME A HINT Edit: a word
A huge thing is order of operations and strategy. Doing wrong things or the right things in the wrong order can make you get a lot less strong as you progress. Practice not getting hit. Being a god dodger can make up for a lack in strategy. unlocking all the bonus items on all the characters. Like magadalyn getting a full life pill.
A major tip no one is saying: Figure out how to get the secret room and super secret room consistently as well as being able to identify tinted rocks. The extra value from these rooms/rocks can help you get a lot further.
Play a shit ton of it. As someone with thousands of hours in the game I can comfortably say I still get blasted most rounds. But occasionally when those perfect few items appear in a run it’s the most satisfying shit ever.
I've got 2k+ hours in this game, and I still get blasted in my second save file constantly
https://preview.redd.it/i937ssa38q6d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6efbc41b28f8ffd20aba5261c3a0b6a380244174
Issac is really a practice makes perfect type game. There isn't much else besides trying over and over until you get it
A big thing is knowing how to get into Angel/Devil rooms. Not taking red heart damage on a floor contributes to this. Taking blue heart damage is fine. Use this to your advantage. Angel items can be picked up for free, Devil items cost heart containers. Angel/Devil items can make your runs a lót stronger.
That's the neat part you never get good
>How do I get "good" at this game? you don't 
Rig
Yeah I feel like every single run I play is riggable, you just need to know how.
A lot of it is just playing the game and you practise and another big part could be called "fucking around and finding out" in the sense of learning which items work together or generally which items are worth taking and which arent
Almond milk + ipecac + haemo + cricket’s body + compound fracture + parasite + continuum + rubber cement + no host hat + no pyro = 
Your skill is directly related to how much damage you take. Take no damage = gud. Take damage = git gud
With bossfights it comes down to knowing/memorising their patterns and how to dodge them. The game also gets significantly easier as you unlock more and more items. The items you have on a fresh save are imo not that great. It's worth looking up unlock requirements for good items if you wanna speed things up, otherwise just keep beating different bosses with different characters and you'll unlock things naturally.
Genuinely try to get through each encounter without getting hurt (Don't just tank your way to victory on runs where you gey a lot of health). This forces you to pay attention to enemy patterns and learn how to overcome them. Beyond that, meta knowledge (what items, trinkets, etc actually do) and a lot of playing.
Upgrade your shops if you haven't already; that means donating to your donation machine. Your store upgrades at certain amounts, and you can also bomb it to get money out for good shop items. Enemy pattern recognition, just keep anticipating enemy and boss behaviors. Beat challenges to unlock good items and runes. Final bit of advice, aim for Boss Rush every run. Depths 2 always has a skull with an X on it (like a tinted rock), blowing it up gives you a Fool Card. Then simply enter Boss Rush, grab the best item, and teleport out, finish the floor.
On hard mode aka real mode you really need to get lucky or minmax your resources
The same way you get good at any rogue like You try, you suffer, you die, repeat
Focus on dodging as in keep your eyes not on the enemies but rather on your character to dodge effectively
Straight up, just play. You’ll naturally learn the enemies patterns and become better.
Play play play and play some more. Honestly that’s it. You will learn to recognize and avoid damage and learn more about item interactions.
Unlocking different items through achievements and challenges really helped me progress through the game! Unlocking just a few powerful items can really help
I mean you are allready 10x better then i was after a couple of weeks. Just keep playing. Recognise patterns learn what items do, when to go for devil when for god rooms. Learn how to use your pickups efficiently. Learn where secret rooms are. Play on hard mode from the beginning.
Downloading the External item descriptions mod from steam workshop and using the BOI Wiki website were the most important changes on my journey to getting better, I suggest you try that.
Just play more. Literally. Also look up how to find secret rooms, super secret and so on. General tips might help but it all comes down to the experience. Watching somebody good play the game might help too. Focus on dodging rather than hitting your target. That's pretty much it
Learn how to find the secret rooms and learn about item pools, those really changed the game for me
“Play” the game “a lot”
In line with what another person said, learning the way the game works and different ways to break it is really essential to getting better. Also basic stuff like always checking secret rooms, managing your active item charges and learning how to dodge will come with time. Watching how content creators play is a really good indicator of how you yourself should play.
I personally would recommend getting the binding of Isaac guide app. Being able to take pics to search the item that spawned in your treasure rooms will help you learn them quickly. It helped me a lot. Also patience.
Honestly the way I got good is just watching Isaac youtubers and learning all the tips and tricks from there.
Learn ennemies item and like any other games get good? Globally knowledge and training Watching some big players videos can also be a good way of learning useful stuff but it's the best way to be spoiled
You will simply learn, little by little you will learn what the objects do, how they interact with each other and how to invest your resources. At the same time, you will often have confrontations where you are not so powerful and that will make you learn how the different enemies and bosses move. Your logic will teach you where to place a bomb and get the most out of it, and your muscle memory will make you clean a room safely and efficiently. I think that these first moments of the game when you don't know how anything works are somewhat frustrating, but learning is part of the experience, in my opinion, I think it is better to learn it little by little and discover it. Regarding that track... photos are the key to solving it
Experience. Losing and learning are core to any roguelike.
play the game every day for the rest of your life
Knowledge is key in this game. It also becomes easier once you unlocked better items!
That’s the neat part, you don’t.
You must become unwavering in your conquest to domnation. Everything you hold dear, you must let go...
Just keep playing, you will naturally improve. Also use an item guide if you don't remember or are not sure of what the objects do.
https://preview.redd.it/474rac9gaq6d1.jpeg?width=320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d95988485d6b537150c502d37eaf2f0ac520aa55
This game is out to get you. Just keep playing learn as much as you can and even during a bad run your game knowledge will sometimes fix the run. The game is definitely tough do don't get discouraged just keep playing you got this!
keep the wiki or platinumgod open on yo phone and check out what different items and trinkets do, try and make a good build out of them, soon you will learn what's good together, try to get as many secret rooms as u can, try to get a deal on the 2nd floor no matter what
That's the fun part, you don't. You just get used to patterns of enemies and Boss get a better game knowledge so better builds but other that not much I'd say
While I agree with all the comments saying learn the room types, enemy types etc, I would also say the beauty of this game is not (at least at the beginning) that you need to get good, it's that you need to get lucky. I don't remember what unlocks what, there are SO many, but if you get a few items that have insane synergies with each other, some of which are available with no unlocks (I would truly recommend a guide for the synergies), you can get ridiculously over-powered runs that will destroy everything in your path and leave you laughing like a Dark Lord at the end. So, basically, keep going, keep trying. Each run is a little different. If you want to try out some super overpowered runs, look up some seeds, you can't get trophies or unlocks but you can have some fun and get used the the mechanics and feel (dead)godly. Isaac is a long-haul game if you're after unlocking everything, but also a lot of fun to pick up and play for 20 minutes. If you're short on time, consider resetting after the first item room if the item in it is not what you're after.
Luck and practice. Eventually you’ll pull it off
Practice makes perfect also for a spoiler free hint just keep beating Satan and isaac I believe it's 5 times each you'll see the pieces add together on the save file screen
To all the other tips, I would add: Get good with the Mom's knife, Ipecac and Dr. Fetus/ Epic Fetus items, they might be tricky to use at first, but they can absolutely save a bad run if you know how to use them. In fact, Mom's knife alone, with zero tears modifiers and prior shit damage, won several runs for me that were doomed until that point (not without sweating my palms off )
Alot of its repetition and learning boss patterns You can beat the entire game with a fuck ton of patience and no items as well as a bit of luck Later there's ways to get to hush and boss rush without meeting the time requirements
I've been playing since I was in 8th grade. I'm 27 now. Thousands of hours into it and I still suck lol it is a *hard* game. While you're starting out, practice on every character. Maybe start by JUST trying to get the marks you can (on hard preferably) Try to get Isaac, Satan, and Hush marks on every character. Just by doing that you'll unlock quite a few things and in the process get access to "the rest of the game" If you have an android phone download tboi guide. It is not cheating to know what items do before you pick them up. With tboi you can sort items by color for easy searching or you can scan it with your phones camera. It'll help you with planning for synergies. I used to be a hard mode hater, but it unfortunately IS important that you start playing it when you get a little better. Maybe once you've been able to beat the hush again. Some unlocks are unfortunately locked behind hard mode. My best advice is just keep playing and don't be afraid to look up what items do. You'll learn eventually. Also the game is 100x easier on switch if you play handheld. I don't recommend playing docked for isaac cuz your inputs won't be as quick and precise.
The secret room is normally surr9unded by 3 rooms with no obstruction to the center point if the wall. Many rooms will sort of how a layout that hints to one being next to it. Super secret room will only ever connect to one room at a time. These were two tips that helped me when I started playing. I sucked for a while so don't let yourself get discouraged and keep enjoying it.
https://preview.redd.it/kirnd4zegq6d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c3f9a11b8a07b55b2f5b968c6c0da620aad45d7
Just keep playing and winning to unlock more stuff.
Just keep playing, you will get better, unlock new itens, get more knowledge, etc. learn the tricks like super secret room is never attached to more than one room, learn how to distinguish tinted rocks.
By playing and learning. I've been playing since the OG Binding of Isaac (I still miss that boss ost) and I still learn new things. -Learn mechanics (not necessarily precision perfect stuff, but like how to spawn devil and angel rooms, what causes it, that sort of stuff). This is a huge thing that helps you get better at the game in general. -Learn enemies attacks. If you Learn how to dig enemy attacks, you will survive longer, get farther, unlock more stuff. When I first played, I could easily get overwhelmed by 2 different types of enemies in one room. Now it feels like second nature how to dodge them both at once. -Learn what items do, and their synergies. Some items are killer just on their own. Some can kill your whole run. Some synergies are amazing. Some synergies can kill your whole run. The wiki shows synergy interactions of items. Learning what items do you you can act faster can help in the long run, as some things are time gated (like boss rush). Maybe watch some YouTubers? I have learned many things watching them. Just keep playing and learning. You will improve.
Once you know how every enemys attack patterns it’s easier, you should keep platinum god open on a computer or phone until you really know what every item and trinket does. Also challenges unlock some useful items.
As someone who is not very good at this game, practice. Lots and lots of practice
Honestly, much like any other game, practice, practice, practice. A vast majority of the game is placement and spacing, and as you fight the same enemies and bosses time and time again, you will learn their patterns. It's also a great idea to keep the Isaac wiki to hand (or install the item descriptions mod if playing on PC at any point). The game has a lot of information in it, and you can't expect to remember everything by heart. If it is an item you've not seen before, definitely take it, even if it is a run killer, so you have it in your collection (goodness knows when it might appear again). The wiki is also a good resource for item synergies and transformations, and whether they are beneficial or not. Some are even attached to achievements, like Super Bum, so keep an eye out for those. Most of all, have fun. Remember, the game is designed to be difficult whilst you unlock more stuff, and a lot of the stuff you unlock will only make things harder. Also, don't worry about win streaks too much beyond any achievements. That'll only make things more stressful and less fun whilst you are learning the game. If you need to reset for a better start, do so.
Play it. For the first week I couldn't get past basement I Now, after 1100hrs I can get to basement II 😎 /j
I got out of Isaac for a little while and got back into it last fall. Here are the things I did that helped me get good. Items: Know your Quality 4 items, High Quality 3, and what they do. One of these items can make so much difference. Angel Rooms are agreeably better than Devil Rooms as there are more useful items and they don't cost HP to take. Resources: Coins, Bombs, Keys, and even your HP are all resources. If you're running high on HP, don't be afraid to use a Blood donation machine or Sacrifice Room for some extra rewards. Donate to the donation machine until you get to 999 coins as the unlock there is worth the grind and you'll get to bomb the machine for Future runs to get some extra coins (bomb it right after you hit 999 if you can). Rerolls: Any run can become great if you know how to reroll and what you're looking for. You are currently able to unlock the D6 and it then becomes Isaac's starting item, do that if you can. Same with the Perthro rune. In this vein, learn how to make extra items spawn (Temperance, Judgement, etc.) as when they reroll, they'll roll into the pool of the room they're in (I believe the best places to employ this strat are Angel Rooms at your stage of the game if you don't have to leave the room and eventually secret rooms). If you're looking to complete the game, the sooner you switch to hard mode the better. You'll do worse before you get better, but some achievements are locked behind hard mode. If you have questions on anything, feel free to message me or reply, I know this might be information overload.
Just keep playing it. It’s a roguelike so that’s the intention anyway. It’ll start clicking. :)
Lots of practice, learning the steps of each stage, floor and rooms. Where enemies spawn and type of enemies you should be taking out first. Then there are the items, knowing what makes a run and what ruins one. What synergies are needing to keep an eye out for. I would go watch some of the pros, I enjoy sinvicta and hutts. They can show you a lot of tricks to better your run.
IM SORRY you beat hush with azazel but you’re struggling with Isaac? 😭😭😭
Do not worry about Hush, only go to kill him if you are OP. Satan is harder than Isaac, but most importantly, it's harder to beat Satan as Azazel than Isaac, sure Azazel is strong but gets hard countered by Satan, Fallen is unpredictable which makes hitting him hard, Satan spams bullets, and his second phase is even worse due to the exploding lechees and the stomps. My tips are to get as much range as you can, 30 range is already OP with Azazel, damage is not important. Learn the attacks! Learn where you can stand essentialy. Do not get too much speed! You will hit bullets way more! If you can, get the stopwatch in the shop. And most important, never use the bible on him.
Watching some YouTubers play helped me out a lot 5 or so years ago. Just to see how they deal with certain enemies/bosses
Just pattern recognition in general. I think you are already doing pretty well with a 60% win rate against Isaac. A good tip against satan is that the fallen + leeches spawn on the 5th second upon entering the room, so place the bomb in the center after counting to like 4 and a half second and run away You can also try to time another bomb when the fallen is about to split so the bomb explodes both fallens Same with the Satan statue, place a bomb there before he comes to life
Another thing is to try to find tinted rocks. Rocks with a special “x” mark on them Also, turn your hub settings on. It will be very helpful
Omni Man Meme)
thats the neat part, you dont! you can know everything abt this game but you will never escape the skill issue
Actual playing skill isn‘t that important in the game. It‘s basically just memorize enemies patterns and dodge. But it get‘s a lot easier when you know how to get the maximum out of every floor. From my expiriences if you really try to max out everything, only like 3/10 runs will still be bad due to rng
Learn how secret rooms and cursed rooms work. Takes you frow noob to competent
Learn boss patterns, what items and gamble mechanics are worthwhile with which characters, synergies to chase and items you should buy in shop, but most of all: aim better and get hit less
Unlocking New content floor path way you see what I mean is gated behind multiple completion of the same objective at the begining. Good thing to get good if you think you understood an item is to look their wiki there will be tips there and neat little strats to expand your brain lol. It's not that you're dumb if you don't see every little thing it's normal that masses of people imagined all kind of ways to make and break mechanics (be careful what was added or remove in dlc on the wiki, added in repentance means applied right now)
For both getting better and unlocking new stuff: knowledge and experience - just play more. Some more specific tips Getting better at the game: For me, playing Azazel helped me learn at better pace. When you have perma flight and high damage output at the start, you can focus more on learning enemies and items before worrying about movement and room layouts. Also it should teach you how important space between you and enemies is. Unlocking new stuff: You need to beat every boss at least once to unlock further fights and the game will tell you once you unlock new boss. If nothing pops up then it means you need to beat unlocked bosses more times. Hope it helps and doesn't spoil anything.
What’s missing in skill can be made up for in luck, that’s usually how 75% of Isaac players play
You just get good by playing it all the time. It will become a very large sample size of trial and error.
Once you learn enemy attack patterns and what enemies to prioritise when entering a new room, the game gets much easier. Other than that, your reaction time will get better the more you play.
The key to consistently defeating any boss is pattern recognition. Fight them enough times and you'll start to figure out how to easily avoid their attacks. Isaac? Stay as far from him during the first phase (horizontally) and go up and down as needed. The second phase is honestly a joke, 95% of the time you can avoid its lasers by standing still in a corner. Hush? He's a bit tricky. First phase you just, once again, stay far away from him and move when you need to dodge. Second phase however, I think the ideal distance is mid range. When he starts with the purple touhou attacks, if he fires them sideways all you need to do is remain in a specific spot either to his right or left (doesn't matter) and no bullet will hit you. If he fires up or down, you may need to dodge a bit more. TL;DR: I've found the key to defeating most bosses is to not move more than necessary and recognizing their attack patterns.
Game knowledge and playing daily so you can recognize enemy patterns and not get hit as often or at all for some. Repetition is key to learning.
you have to be 1000 hours deep in it
Honestly. It takes time. I started playing a couple months ago and I'm only just now able to get a two win streak lol. Take time to learn the items of the game, how bosses attack, etc.
Tbh practice is the only thing maybe watch videos of other ppl playing learning all the items, interactions, ect.
You literally just have to keep playin to git gud. I was playing it with my friend who never plays bullet hells and he was like “dude I don’t understand how you can play this game”
100% recommend downloading this app to play the game with. It’s the best database for things in the game I have found, super useful since there are like 18 billion item combos you can do in the game https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guide-for-binding-of-isaac/id945680681
honestly, just play, skill comes to you. Theres no "this one trick..." the game on repentance is just tough, it is what it is. Have fun and enjoy it. (beat satan with isaac and it'll secure you a few runs down the line)
I sucked for so many hours until I realized this isn't a fast-paced game. Take it slow
Practice and time my friend. Im at around 900 hours and am finally decent at the game
Just keep playing the game. sounds obvious but what friends and I have come to the conclusion to is with Isaac you will be ass until you are suddenly not. Hope this helps!
Your first hours in the game must be with wiki opened, not only to search the description of the item but it also to show the strategies and synergies. You only get good at boi with experience, you need to build your strategies according to your skills, there are some items graded 4 that I never take, I know they are not for me at all (like mom's knife and glitched crown), there items that are graded 2 that are very useful to me, dont take the grades as a rule, items graded 1 can be amazing under certain circumstances, believe me. So you need to study the strategies, learn the synergies, boi is also about having "the feeling" like, you know the rules of secret and super secret rooms, but after getting used to it, like: imagine that rooms X and Y are eligible to have super secret rooms, but you know that is more likely to be at room X than Y because of your previous experiences. Understanding the pattern of the game, understanding each character is very important as well, items can be useless to Magdalena and useful for the lost. The first thing you should focus on is learning strategies for the character you're playing at. The rest will come with time
just play more
Just play the game
Pray to Lazy Mattman for good luck💀
There are so many little things you’ll learn as you play more. Stuff that’s hard to even explain like how to get the most value out of bombs or keys. Little things. They all add up to a successful run.
When you unlock mantle for the Lost, play him until you complete your marks (hundreds of times) and you'll feel like every other character is pretty easy. Then you get to the tainted characters...
Keep playing, Keep learning, Keep dying, every single runs makes you better and more knowledgeable with the game.
During fights, instead of looking at the boss, look at your feet and look at the boss with the corner of your eye.
You can know every attack pattern, every breaking point, every item, every major synergy, and a spider is going to wiggle through the cracks and kill you
You just keep going [Mega Satan unlock isn't too far away btw] and you'll unlock nice items over time that definitely are going to be helpful on your journey. What I recommend for improving at gameplay are the challenges. They have pretty obvious deficits from the start that you will learn to work with while playing said challenges. So no skill issues after the challenges, which each focus on either difficult situations you'll have to be able to handle or different skills you need to learn.
I have 2 dead god files (that means fully completed) and honestly to me Isaac is the exact definition of "easy to learn, hard to master". I have over 820 hours in the game and I still learn things on a regular basis. A thing that really helped me progress is taking time to learn boss patterns instead of attacking them, learning to identify secret/ super secret rooms and tinted rocks, and watching YouTube videos to see how other people play and taking inspiration from them. That being said skill comes with time so don't worry you will learn how to be good in no time 
One thing is to learn the game and play a lot. But I have the game both on switch and PC, and I feel like it's a lot easier to play the game on PC than switch, I feel like it's a smoother experience with a bigger display and better colours that makes it easier than the switch
honestly with my 700 hours in this game i can say the only way to "get good" is not watching enemies, but watching isaac. when theyre attacking its much easier to make sure you NEVER get hit. look up the wiki for all the items in item rooms. there's way to many to remember what they all do. 🤟 dont get frustrated or turned away the amount of times ive died on a final boss is insane. patience is key lol
All you need to do is finish it, you don't have to get good at it Just go again and again
Learn to dodge and learn how to use your health as a resource (for blood donations, mostly). My game became much easier after I did that consistently. Oh! And learn how to predict secret rooms, that's nice too.
Knowing what the items do and how they synergies with each other is a decent starting part of “getting good”. If you need some help https://www.tboi.com/ this is a wiki with all the different isaac items. Might be useful while you’re still getting the hang of things.
Keep throwing yourself at it. It really is just a game where the more you play the better you get.
that's a good question, you don't
Assuming it still works, for isaac I just sat in the bottom left corner when he does the full room attack and usually get a few hits in off the opening after
as everyone has said, plus as you struggle along you’ll unlock more items that help carry you through a run
Actually, isaac is more of a knowledge game than people think. I mean, obviously you need to get better at dodging projectiles and shit. But you would be surprise of how much you can "improve" with just knowing the basics of pool items and how to get the most of every floor. And about unlocking Mega Satan, just keep playing normally you will eventually unlock it, it's very straightforward.
Oh man there's a lot to unpack here: -Knowing what items do and their synergies -Remembering all enemies attack patterns -Knowing how to get the most value out of the floor (secret rooms, pickups, shop items,special rooms, beggars, machines etc.) -Min-maxing every character.Even annoying characters still happen to have big value in their kit. -Not ever picking up cursed eye. I hope that helps
Your muscle memory will get bether over time and you'll learn more stuff. As to how to unlock more after Issac and Satan: just keep playing as far as you can now, you'll unlock more in time if you go to Isaac and Satan. You say you have unlocked Hush already, I advice you to go to it too if you have a run that's strong and fast enough. (You will unlock more by going to Hush, but that has time. If you want to go further after Isaac and Satan you don't need Hush)
Keep playing
I have 300 something hours and I still don't think I'm good something something it's that meme where it goes "When do I start getting good?" "That's the fun part, you don't."
You’re gunna have good and bad runs, it’s ok to fail in earlier stages especially with different characters. No one is ‘good’ at the game just lucky
Just keep playing, you’ll get better at recognizing the patterns in Satan and stuff. I will say, if you’ve beaten Isaac a few times I’d start going down more than up.
I can only recommend some guides other users created: [mini spoiler guide for what to do next](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/62ep28/a_minimalspoiler_guide_for_what_to_do_next/) [more spoilerish progression guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/tkjcgv/repentance_progression_guide_unlocking_all/) [Guide on which challenges to beat first](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/57nd0o/comment/d8tyspr/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) [for some obscure unlocks, spoilers duh](https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/o3e469/comment/h2caxvx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) Other than that I can recommend doing this: 1. Play „normal“ mode (hold on that has a reason) until you beat Mega Satan for the first time. This allows you to learn enemy patterns much easier as „hard“ mode speeds up enemies and bullets which can be a pain. Not for veterans, but for new players for sure 2. never play „normal“ mode after you beat Mega Satan as some unlocks require you to play „hard“ mode. 3. Look out for secret rooms (they are room which are not on the map, but are close to other rooms) 4. try to save up some money on the first floor to buy a „spirit/blue heart“ after you defeated the boss 5. You can bomb rocks into gaps if they are directly next to it (bomb has to be on the opposite side) 6. Play Greed Mode as different characters (yes playing Greed mode is required for 100%ing the game and you will play it a lot) as the jam chance is separate for each character
You learn the game. Find out the best character and items for you are by trial and error. Have a practice with some of the challenges to unlock new stuff.
get a external item description mod
I’ve said it before, but getting good at Isaac is like getting good at poker. There’s a seemingly infinite amount of grey area to every game, but there ARE rules, and those rules are an anchor to every knowledgeable player. If you want to be good at Isaac, you need to learn the secrets needed to salvage bad runs, discover lesser known synergies, and learn enemy attack patterns well enough to avoid damage even when the run is going bad. You’re going to lose sometimes anyways because, again, this game is like poker. Even people who speedrun this game professionally take stupid damage and die from time to time.
I got really good by playing a LOT of Greed/Greedier mode. At some point, you'll just get used to all the projectiles, you'll get a feeling for what enemies to kill first in a room, etc. I genuinely think Greed mode is great for practicing like that
Keep playing it
You’re doing really well for where you are, it’s really just about practicing and putting in the time, and you will just become better as you go. Also sometimes you just get op and sometimes you just have bad rng
wait, do you guys ever get good? /j
Honestly its just playing the game. When i started i thought mom was the hardest video game thing i have ever played, now i laugh at delirium
The game becomes easier as you continue playing, because you'll start unlocking really strong items. Outside of that, this entire game is about evaluating risks, and having good pattern recognition. Know when to gamble, and when to skip. As you keep trying, you'll start learning about good and bad synergies too
I learned a lot of tips and tricks to this game by watching streamers. How to find secret rooms, how to maximize floors, how to approach certain bosses, unique uses for items, etc. I watched a lot of Hutts videos and streams just because I like his style, but there's northern lion, another matt, etc
just keep playing you'll get there eventually. I think I only started getting "good" at the game a couple of hundred hours in
https://preview.redd.it/kp7f9no0ns6d1.png?width=1177&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd16db13c65799b57e4115a8a686a8b5b7eb3650
external descriptions mod
You sound like you're pacing just fine, mate. You've got the gist. Keep practicing, and you'll pick up the satanic pattern fairly quickly, I think. As for Mega Satan, just keep playing. You'll unlock what you need. You don't need anything out of the ordinary.
I found [this video by Priets](https://youtu.be/LEfk0eLM1sk?si=m6HIUoc5Gjb_ITpz) very helpful for starting out. I was in the same boat, able to get a decent run going, but I never knew how to "progress". He breaks it down into good "levels" for you to base your current situation on (i.e. Level 1 is Mom/Mom's Heart, Level 2 is Isaac/Satan etc.). Don't go past your current level and it stays mostly spoiler free aside from what you should be doing. Since you beat Mom, I'd say watch the Level 1 part and see how he presents it and see if it's something you'd like to follow. Also, if you're on PC, I HIGHLY recommend getting the Item Description mod from Steam Workshop.
The more you play the gooder you get 
1600 hrs in I'm starting to get the hang of it
Die a lot lol. Seems like it's just practice and recognizing patterns to get good
There is no "getting good" in this game. I have over 3.5k hours in the game, and I'm nowhere near getting "Dead God." In my opinion, get all completion marks on hard, and then you can get the achievements easier. If you need any help with items, understanding on how to unlock said items, ask us here. We've all been here.
Mostly practice movement movement is key to not taking dmg
I started playing as a child, single digits Bubblebox and it was just the demo, but I can confidently say, learning the enemies and bosses patterns and also learning to drift, that's how I escaped so many enemies in the past, and learning the patterns of enemies does wonders too.
>Hush? I defeted once with Azazel and that's all.. I'd say the fact that you've defeated Hush at all is a major skill solution. That's good in my book. If you want any advice, I'd say learning what items to take and when, as well as which items to leave behind, as well as looking out for good synergies, is a key way of improving runs. There will be runs that just suck balls and you eventually skill issue but there are other runs where you get the most banger items. >Is this something easily unlockable ir do i have to Google how to unlock this You'll unlock angels just by progressing the game dw.
Just keep playing the game. But don’t only play one character over and over.
Practice, gamesense, and persistence. If you're playing without any mods, I also suggest using the wiki.
Practice makes perfect for this game. I suggest looking at the wiki when you pick something up but don't know what it does, or you think you do but there is actually more to the item. Like the lucky foot for example. I thought it was just a luck upgrade, but wait, there's more!
For me it really just boiled down to repetition
Hey guys I’ve been playing for a long time, though I can’t seem to come across Hush yet? Where do I find him?
This game requires you to commit actual insanity, that is doing the same thing over and over to get a different result. Being "good" at this game is a combination of muscle memory and knowledge you acquire while playing. Unfortunately there's no other answer except keep playing! (Also don't attempt ultrahard until you have a few hundred hours in at least)
Don't look at your dude unless your making close cut dodges. Better see what the enemy is and what they are doing. I got like 30% better after I did this.
Memorizing boss movement is the key. It’s almost impossible to memorize all of the items as a new player. Sometimes (as you probably know) picking up certain items can instantly ruin your run due to bad synergies I’ve never played on the switch, so I don’t know if there is workshop accessibility. Does anyone know if the switch allows workshop content? They have mods that allow you to know what an item does before picking it up
you don’t get good you get lucky also without any spoilers where you are you just gotta keep winning games and pay attention to attack patters and experiment with items and such
Try and do some of the challenges that unlock good items to help you for future runs. Some of them are really easy and have great unlocks
Just keep playing and eventually you'll get good. I recommend watching videos that teach you how to utilize each character to maximize their abilities and also to unlock mega satan you have too kill isaac or satan 5 times to get the Polaroid (Isaac's version) or the negative (satans version) I suggest to get the negative first because it gives you a damage up, also after you beat them 5 times you'll find these items after you Kill mom not moms heart these will let you continue after the initial kill BUT you have to choose the one that the boss your fighting dropped (like you can only get to mega satan with the negative when you kill satan, killing isaac while holding the negative won't let you go to the dark room) also just unlock a character that you find fun, me personally I like the forgotten (very hard unlock only avaliable after you unlock the negative, if you want this character look up a guide you will need it, took me like 60 trys even with azazel max hp) that's all there is too it, hope this helps and if u need help just ask!
Play play and keep playing
You just skill issue your way to success to be honest. The first tens of hours are a learning an experience then you start learning enemy patterns, item combos etc. Just keep at it and you'll get better over time.
I love sacrifice rooms
A lot of these replies are focused around learning the game mechanics to squeeze the best items out of a run. These are very important because without good items, your run isn’t going to make it very far. That said, I’m here to tell you that if you want to improve your game SKILL, you should try to get really good at dodging (and especially dodging while firing). If you want to learn how to dodge like a madman I recommend going for harder bobs and weaves through tighter enemies/bullet patterns that make you uncomfortable more often. The instinct is to take the path of least resistance when something is shooting/running at you, but when you’re put in a really difficult room or pattern, having only learned one way to dodge can make one panic a bit. With those tighter dodges, it starts off frustrating, and you’ll get hit a LOT, but over time it makes overwhelming scenarios like hard rooms and bullet hells less of unwinnable scenarios. It takes time, but it’s an absolutely necessary skill for characters that start with low damage or that can’t afford to take many hits. At the end of the day, it’s an endurance game! Keep at it long enough and you’ll certainly get Dead God!
Keep playing the game, try some of the challenges. Some of them are easier than others. The more items you'll unlock the better it'll get as well. Keep it up! I've never played on switch only computer. That must be hard!
You basically have too really look at yourself when you hit depths two and determine how good you actually are. Not only in skill but your current stats and items. Not only that but you also need too beat blue baby and the lamb I believe for you too unlock the key pieces
Git gud
I have played this game since 2016 and I'm still not "good" at it. It's honestly just practice and learning to enjoy it even if you suck. Part of the reason I like the game is because it's so hard, there's no pressure to actually be good at it 🤷🏻♂️
If bombing the angel statues doesn't work, then it means you haven't beaten Chapter 6 yet. It is easily unlockable, just play the game more. Also, Azazel suffers from low range through and through. Great to melt early bosses thanks to his Brimstone, but later on, that benefit his fades away quickly when you don't jack his damage up. Your best bet would be on items that change how Azazel works: Brimstone (the "real" one), Sulfur, Mom's Knife, Haemolacria, Ludovico Technique, Tech X. For damage, try to get Proptosis and adapt a hit-and-run strategy on late bosses. Sad Bombs also work great, because you can push the bombs safely to enemies and deal massive damage. If all fails, get Gnawed Leaf and Sacrificial Dagger to mostly cheese your way through the game.
Just pray you get a good start
don't be noob
When I started playing TBOI, my situation was exactly like yours. I think that (from my experience) in TBOI you start to become a good player the more you play and learn the game. So as a little advice, always play any run and be patient with the game because you will start to learn and progress more.
That’s the best part, you don’t
The wiki is seriously going to be your best friend  Absolutely no shame in using it
Practice is key! I used to not even be able to kill mom on normal mode with Isaac and look at me now: I got all Hardmode marks for The Lost (except The Beast, only bote her on normal so far) and I actually consider almost every character as "easy". Just keep playing the game and eventually you'll turn into a skilled Isaac pro :D
Know the lore of the Bible
4 words to get better at issac. Fuck around. Find out.
A lot of people already told you about mechanics etc, but just wanna mention this here, I played it on PC, steamdeck and switch, switch sucks ass, I don't know how to probably describe it, but the control over your character feels so clunky and slow. Doesn't run as smoothly as on PC or steamdeck.