‘Binding of Isaac’ Card Game Kickstarter Launched, Funded in Under Two Hours

McMillen teased that he would have “something pretty cool” to reveal just past midnight, and then three hours later revealed the Kickstarter page for “The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls.”

By Liz Lanier – LOS ANGELES (Variety.com)

“Designing this was fun and easy and I’m treating this as I would any video game that I’ve ever worked on,” said McMillen. “The goal is to make a very playable and entertaining card game that has a lot of strategy to it and embodies everything that’s unique about The Binding of Isaac.”

The card game hit its goal of $50,000 in funding in roughly one and a half hours, according to the page. Since the early morning hours, the game has already surpassed the $150,000 mark and is still growing, with 29 days still to go in the campaign.

The original dungeon crawler was an indie hit after its release in 2011 and subsequent popularity as a Let’s Play selection by various YouTube creators. “Four Souls” will see the return of familiar characters, items, and monsters from the game.

The base game will include 100 loot cards, 100 monster cards, and 100 treasure cards, so this is a pretty sizable game. Backers who pledge at least $25 can receive a game set, with additional rewards for the higher tiers of backing including expansion packs, collectible figurines, and even personalized art from McMillen.

The basic gameplay objectives are simple. Two to four players can play at a time, and each will attack monsters and gain loot which can be used to purchase items in order to take on bosses. The defeat of a boss results in gaining souls, and the first player to obtain four souls is the winner. However, various playable character abilities change up gameplay. For example, Maggy has the ability to heal, and Cain can modify the card deck. Oh, and there’s also tarot cards which alter the course of the game, and curse cards that can help players take out whoever is in the lead.

McMillen is hosting a Launch Day Livestream and Q&A session on Wednesday, June 27 at 12:00 PT on the Kickstarter page. Backers can submit questions leading up to the stream, and everyone else can tune in for the prototype reveal of the game in action.