Challenges

Challenges are unique runs in the game. Challenges typically start the player off with one or more specific items which make normal play more difficult. You will not find Treasure Rooms (with the exception of a select few challenges). Completing one of the thirty five challenges unlocks new content for the game, such as Runes.

General Strategy

Most challenges are geared to make a run difficult in some form. Sometimes, these challenges are easy, like Computer Savvy. Other times, they can be vicious, like Solar System. Each challenge has a certain strategy that can make the run easier. However, there are a few strategies that can apply to all challenges.

• You can play in co-op for every challenge, making it easier for the ones where you cannot fire tears - especially for Cat Got Your Tongue, since it will spawn flies.
• Because of the lack of Treasure Rooms, Devil Rooms become much more valuable. Some challenges can be made much easier by making just one deal.
  
• You can also be more liberal with your use of keys for the same reason. Trinkets and Items that generate more coins, along with upgraded shops, can help reduce the difficulty in many challenge runs.
• The Bible can make the end of some runs extremely easy. Because of how some challenges operate, the run may only require defeating Mom or Mom's Heart / It Lives. Since The Bible is a one-hit kill against these, getting it when you have the chance is usually a good investment for these runs.
  
  • Pandora's Box will spawn The Bible if used in Womb II, Utero II, or Template:Afterbirth Scarred Womb II, which may then be used against Mom's Heart / It Lives.
• Curse Rooms gain value since they can spawn items. You may wish to restart on the first floor until your Curse Room spawns an item worth 1 heart of damage.
• Dice Rooms and the D4 are very useful, as in some cases you can reroll your entire build and remove (or add) difficulty.
  • Template:Afterbirth Dice rooms do not re-roll starter challenge items or remove Blindfolded.
• In Blindfolded challenges, familiars can make the run easier, as they are your only source of conventional damage. Powerful familiars like Daddy Longlegs, Lil Brimstone, and Incubus are very good items to pick up. Some of the strongest familiars need to be unlocked first, so it may be wise to take the time to unlock them beforehand.
  • The Boomerang, The Candle, and Red Candle are also useful for blindfolded challenges, since they deal damage and recharge based on a timer.
    • Template:Afterbirth In Blindfolded challenges, if possible finding and using the Clicker, change yourself into the character Lilith, will make these challenges incredibly easy with access to tears through her Incubus you gain.

• Template:Afterbirth In challenges that remove Treasure Rooms, Chaos has more potential to be useful by potentially making Treasure Room (among other rare items) items purchasable from the shop. On the downside, it may replace the Devil/Angel Room items with something less valuable.

Notes

• New content, other than the Challenge Reward, cannot be unlocked. Likewise, you will not find a Donation Machine anywhere.
• The Challenge reward will not be unlocked unless you pick up the trophy, meaning if a Devil Room or Angel Room appears and allows you to go to Sheol or the Cathedral you will be forfeiting the unlock if you fail to complete the floor.
• Any challenge featuring Isaac will not start with The D6.

Challenge list

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