Repetitively Dying

 The Binding of Isaac is not an easy game, in fact, it makes me want to smash my keyboard against the wall because it is so goddamn frustrating.  I get that there's only 9 buttons, but holy crap it takes skill. I find myself stuck in my room for countless hours trying to not take damage. You start out on the Basement Level, which is relatively easy, and ends in Sheol with a grueling battle between you and Satan.  Before that, you fight your crusty mother and her heart to gain freedom from her evil clutches. All the floors in between harbor difficult bosses that are disgusting and slightly resemble diseases and conjoined twins. Warning, if you are super Christian or if satanic innuendos insult you in anyway please stop reading. You collect items that alter your appearance in a good way or a bad way. Meaning you can get very freaking ugly very freaking fast.

Ugly flying ghost of Isaac
Image courtesy of bindingofisaac.wikia.com

You can get deals with the devil if you don't take damage on a floor, which you can "sell" your health for better items. In the picture above, the person playing has taken Spirit of the Night from the devil rooms, which gives you flight and tears that can go through objects such as rocks and walls. This satanic, yet still somewhat Christian, game has stolen hours that I could've spent studying for Geography.

There are certain mechanics to the game that not a lot of people know about. Like to get a Deal with the Devil, you can't take red heart damage on the floor because it significantly reduces your chances of obtaining one.

Satan offers help
Image courtesy of: franceftars

 Another one is shot speed, the tears, which is what you shoot, move faster but stay in the air for a set amount of frames, essentially creating a range up with more knock-back. Another mechanic that is obscure is Polyphemus' eye, it noticeably increases the size of your tear and damage, adding it and then doubling it. If you kill something, but have damage left over, the tear's damage is reduced but it goes through the enemy. The last, and most commonly missed, mechanic has to do with have many frames per second the game can run at. One certain item can make your tears grow in size for each frame it spends on screen, effectively giving it more damage. Another item makes your tears go through enemies, giving them a chance to hit that target twice. Both of these items are effected by FPS, which the can only run at 30 frames per second, which is pretty low, but it is set like that for the mechanics.