How to Snag the Red Key and Unlock Tainted Characters in The Binding of Isaac
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So, you’re diving deep into the madness that is The Binding of Isaac: Repentance and you’re itching to unlock those Tainted characters. The key (pun intended!) to doing that consistently revolves around the Red Key (or its alternatives, the Cracked Key or Soul of Cain). This guide provides a step-by-step approach to obtaining and using it.
The essential process is to first defeat Mom in Depths 2. Then, instead of going down the hatch, activate a teleport item (like the Fool card) to return to the starting room. Then, you’ll need to place the Polaroid or Negative on the Strange Door. Finally, ascend and look for the room in which you dropped your trinket and it will have transformed into a Cracked Key.
The Red Key: Your Gateway to Twisted Variants
The Red Key itself isn’t directly obtained at the start. The initial encounter with the Red Key occurs after defeating Mom for the first time. A treasure chest will appear, and opening it always rewards you with the Red Key. This single pickup unlocks the potential for future runs, essentially adding the Red Key (or its alternative, the Cracked Key) to the item pool. You don’t get the actual item, but the possibility of acquiring it in future runs is now open.
The Trinket Trick: How to Actively Get a Cracked Key
This is where the true unlocking process begins. Here’s the breakdown:
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Defeat Mom: Beat Mom in Depths 2 as usual. This part is mandatory.
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Drop a Trinket: Before entering the Womb, either in the Item room or Boss room on depths 2, drop a Trinket on the floor. The key here is planning; you must do this before going to the next floor. Remember which room you left it in! Every trinket can be dropped besides The Tick.
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Ascend using teleport After mom, use a means of teleporting out of the room with a card or other items. Use a trinket or item to place either the Polaroid or Negative on the Strange Door.
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Ascend to Trinket’s location After completing the teleport, you will be ascending into the floor again, look for the room that you dropped the trinket in.
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The Cracked Key Appears!: Return to the room where you dropped your trinket (or other consumable). It will have transformed into a Cracked Key. Picking this up acts functionally the same as the Red Key for the purpose of unlocking Tainted characters.
Using the Red Key/Cracked Key for Tainted Characters
Now you have the Cracked Key/Red Key, here’s how to unlock those Tainted versions:
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Reach Mom’s Room: Play through the game as normal until you reach Mom’s Room (Womb II/Utero II).
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The Red Door: Look for a glowing red outline in the hallway outside of Mom’s room (the one leading to the boss trapdoor). This is where you use the Red Key (or Cracked Key).
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Activate the Key: Use the Red Key or Cracked Key near the red outline. This will create a hidden room, which contains…
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Your Tainted Self: Inside the hidden room is the Tainted version of the character you’re currently playing as. Simply touch the Tainted character sprite.
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Unlock Achieved: Congratulations! You’ve unlocked the Tainted character. They’ll now be available for selection in future runs.
Alternative: Soul of Cain
The Soul of Cain is another item you can use in place of the Red Key. It also reveals a room that will contain the tainted version of the character you are playing as.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions surrounding the Red Key and unlocking Tainted characters:
1. Do I need the Red Key, or are there other ways to unlock Tainted characters?
No, the Red Key is not strictly necessary. You can also use the Cracked Key or the Soul of Cain. The Cracked Key is obtained from using the trinket trick, and the Soul of Cain can be found in future runs as an item.
2. Can I find the Red Key in shops or item rooms?
The Red Key itself won’t appear in shops or regular item rooms after you’ve unlocked it. You’ll primarily rely on the Cracked Key trick mentioned above, or the Soul of Cain item.
3. What happens if I use the Red Key and there’s no red outline in the hallway outside Mom’s Room?
If there’s no red outline, something went wrong. Make sure you actually used the teleportation method after defeating Mom in Depths 2 and ascending back to the trinket’s location. The red outline should always be there if you’ve done everything correctly.
4. Can I use Dad’s Key to open the Tainted character room?
Unfortunately, no. Dad’s Key only opens existing doors, while the Red Key (and Cracked Key) creates the special room.
5. I dropped my trinket, but it didn’t turn into a Cracked Key. What did I do wrong?
Ensure you completed the teleport using an item. Also, make certain you’re returning to the correct room on the correct floor where you initially dropped the trinket. Finally, dropping the trinket on the floor before entering depths 2 is a common mistake; it must be in the room after the Mom boss fight.
6. Does the trinket I drop matter?
No, any trinket will work, but be aware that The Tick cannot be dropped using the drop feature.
7. What does the Red Key actually do besides unlock Tainted characters?
When held, a red outline of a door will appear on walls which a Red Key can be used on. Approaching one of these outlines and activating the item creates a door that leads to a red room. The red room can be several types of rooms, including but not limited to: Regular enemy rooms.
8. Can I use the Red Key multiple times on the same run?
Yes, if you find more than one Red Key (or Cracked Key/Soul of Cain), you can create multiple red rooms in a single run.
9. Can the red rooms created by the Red Key lead to Secret Rooms or Super Secret Rooms?
No, red rooms do not connect to Secret Rooms or Super Secret Rooms. They have their own distinct room pool.
10. How does Tainted Cain interact with the Red Key?
Tainted Cain can craft the R Key, which allows you to restart the run while keeping your items. If crafted repeatedly, this could lead to every completion mark earned.
11. What is the “Strange Door” that needs the Polaroid or Negative?
The Strange Door is a special door that appears after defeating Mom in Depths 2. It requires either the Polaroid (if you have more red heart containers) or the Negative (if you have more soul/black heart containers) to be placed on it. This is a necessary step in the unlocking process for Tainted characters.
12. What happens if I die after unlocking a Tainted character? Do I have to do it all over again?
Once you unlock a Tainted character, they are unlocked permanently. You don’t have to repeat the process for that character again.
13. Is there a way to guarantee getting a teleport item after defeating Mom?
Not a surefire way, but increasing your luck stat can help with getting better card and pill drops. Items that give you a teleport, like the Fool card, can also increase your chance of doing so.
14. What if I accidentally pick up my dropped trinket before ascending?
If you pick up your trinket by accident, you’ll have to drop it again. You can only drop it once per room, so you need to leave the room to drop it again.
15. Where can I learn more about the game mechanics and community discussions surrounding The Binding of Isaac?
You can delve deeper into game strategy, community insights, and educational perspectives on gaming at the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. The Games Learning Society offers a unique lens through which to view and understand the complexities and educational aspects of video games.
By following these steps, you’ll be diving into the twisted world of Tainted characters in no time! Good luck, and may your runs be ever in your favor.