Best Edmund McMillen Games, Ranked (2026)

The best Edmund McMillen game is still The Binding of Isaac, specifically Rebirth with every expansion up to Repentance+. It is one of the most replayed roguelikes ever made, and it is getting a full online co-op release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 on November 19, 2026. The close runner-up is Mewgenics, the cat-breeding tactics roguelike that McMillen himself now ranks as his best work. Below you will find all of his major games ranked, from Steam-era classics to Flash curiosities and the card games he designed, with platforms and a clear reason why each one matters.

This ranking was refreshed in October 2026 to include Mewgenics’ console launch and the upcoming Repentance+ Online release. It is based on research into release history, critic and player reception, and McMillen’s own comments about his work, not on a single play session. Some links on this page are affiliate links that help support the site at no extra cost to you.

Edmund McMillen Games at a Glance

• Best overall: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth with Repentance+
• Best new game: Mewgenics (2026)
• Best platformer: The End Is Nigh
• Most famous: Super Meat Boy
• Best tabletop game: The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls
• Best hidden gem: The Legend of Bum-bo
• Best for history buffs: The Basement Collection

Who Is Edmund McMillen?

Edmund McMillen is an American game designer and artist best known for Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac. He started out making Flash games in the 2000s, often with collaborators such as Florian Himsl and Tyler Glaiel, before co-founding Team Meat with programmer Tommy Refenes. The making of Super Meat Boy was famously documented in the 2012 film Indie Game: The Movie.

His games share a recognisable style: cute but grotesque art, dark humour drawn from childhood, religion and body horror, and tough gameplay that rewards persistence. Since leaving Team Meat, he has focused on Isaac, The End Is Nigh, The Legend of Bum-bo, card games and Mewgenics, which he developed with longtime partner Tyler Glaiel.

Quick Comparison Table

How We Ranked These Games

We looked at every game McMillen designed or co-designed that is still reasonably easy to play in 2026. The ranking weighs four things: long-term reception from critics and players, how influential the game was, how well it holds up today, and how easy it is to get. We also looked at McMillen’s own list of his games, which he shared on X in March 2026 with Mewgenics at the top, followed by Repentance, The End Is Nigh, Super Meat Boy and Four Souls. Our order is close to his, but we gave Isaac the top spot because of its enormous player base and continued support.

Sources include official release announcements, publisher pages and established review coverage. This is a research-based ranking; platform details reflect what was officially available as of October 2026.

1. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and Repentance+

Genre: Roguelike twin-stick shooter | Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2, mobile | Co-developers: Florian Himsl (original), Nicalis (Rebirth)

The Binding of Isaac: Repentance+ for Nintendo Switch 2

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Isaac’s mother hears a voice she believes is God and decides to sacrifice her son, so he flees into the basement, where every room is filled with monsters made from his fears. The original Flash-based game arrived in 2011, and the 2014 remake, Rebirth, rebuilt it with a new engine and much more content. The expansions Afterbirth, Afterbirth+, Repentance and Repentance+ grew it into one of the deepest roguelikes ever made, with hundreds of items, many characters and dozens of endings.

Each run is different because items combine in wild ways, turning Isaac’s tears into lasers, bombs or homing projectiles. Repentance+ added online co-op on PC in late 2024, and the console version, Repentance+ Online, launches on November 19, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 with four-player online play and matchmaking. Switch 2 will get a physical edition; PS5 and Xbox versions are digital.

Why it ranks first: It defined the modern roguelike, still has a massive player base, and continues to receive updates more than a decade later.

Good to know: The themes are dark and the art is gory in a cartoonish way. If you are on original Switch, PS4 or Xbox One, the older Repentance release is still available but lacks online co-op.

2. Mewgenics

Genre: Tactics roguelike with cat breeding | Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 | Co-developer: Tyler Glaiel

Mewgenics - Nintendo Switch 2

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First announced in 2012 as a follow-up to Super Meat Boy, Mewgenics spent more than a decade in development before finally launching on PC on February 10, 2026. Console versions for Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S followed on September 8, 2026. You breed cats in your house, then send teams of them on turn-based tactical runs where they draft abilities and collect items. Their genetics pass to the next generation, so every success and mutation shapes your future squads.

It was a major hit, selling over a million copies in its first week and earning wide critical praise for its depth and soundtrack. Some critics found its random elements and crude humour wearing over time, but most agree it is one of the most inventive games of the year.

Why it ranks here: McMillen calls it his best game, and it combines two genres in a way no one else has.

Good to know: Expect a lot of crude humour and a learning curve before the breeding system clicks.

3. The End Is Nigh

Genre: Precision platformer | Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4 | Co-developer: Tyler Glaiel

The End is Nigh (Nintendo Switch) (Brand New)

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You play Ash, one of the last survivors after the end of the world, who decides to stitch together a new friend from body parts and tumours found across a decaying landscape. Each screen is a short, brutal platforming challenge, and the world is connected in a large interlocking map full of secrets and retro-style cartridges.

Many fans call it McMillen’s most underrated game, arguing that it improves on Super Meat Boy with tighter level design and a more melancholy tone. It is less famous because it launched in the shadow of its predecessor, but it is just as tough and more varied.

Why it ranks here: It refines everything Super Meat Boy did, with a moodier world and better pacing.

Good to know: It is extremely difficult in later areas; checkpoints are generous but deaths are constant.

4. Super Meat Boy

Genre: Precision platformer | Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS4, Switch, PS Vita, Wii U | Co-developer: Tommy Refenes (Team Meat)

Super Meat Boy is the game that made McMillen famous. You guide a cube of meat through hundreds of short levels full of saws and spikes to rescue Bandage Girl from Dr. Fetus. Instant respawns make failure painless, and the replay at the end of each level showing all your past attempts dying at once has become iconic.

It launched on Xbox 360 in 2010 and became one of the defining indie games of its era, helped by its appearance in Indie Game: The Movie. It is still easy to find on PC and modern consoles.

Why it ranks here: Hugely influential and still a perfect pick-up-and-play challenge.

Good to know: McMillen was not involved in the later Super Meat Boy Forever or Super Meat Boy 3D, which were made after he left Team Meat.

5. The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls

Genre: Card game | Players: Up to 4 in the base box | Designers: Edmund McMillen with Danielle McMillen and Tyler Glaiel

Maestro Media: The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls (2nd Edition) - Strategy Card Game, Officially Licensed, Ages 13+, 1-4+ Players, 30 Min

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Four Souls turns Isaac into a competitive card game. Each player picks a character from the video game, fights monsters, buys loot from the shop and races to collect four souls. It captures the item-combo chaos of the digital game with a lot of table talk and backstabbing.

The second edition refined the rules and card quality, and the Requiem expansion added a large number of new characters, monsters and items. For Isaac fans who also enjoy board game nights, it is an easy recommendation.

Maestro Media: The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls - Big Boi Box - Includes Requiem Expansion & Large Box to Store It All in, Ages 13+, 1-4 Players

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Why it ranks here: McMillen puts it in his personal top five, and it is the best way to share Isaac with friends at the table.

Good to know: Games can run long with more players; agree on a time limit for casual groups.

6. The Legend of Bum-bo

Genre: Puzzle roguelike | Platforms: PC, Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Co-developer: James Id

Bum-bo is a prequel to Isaac that mixes match-four puzzle combat with roguelike progression. You line up tiles to attack, defend and gain resources, while the whole game is presented like a cardboard diorama. It is unusual, funny and surprisingly strategic once you learn the systems.

Launch reception on PC in 2019 was mixed because of balance and difficulty, but later updates improved it and console ports brought it to new players.

Why it ranks here: The most experimental of McMillen’s major games, and a great hidden gem for puzzle fans.

Good to know: It is not a traditional match-three game; the difficulty can feel uneven early on.

7. The Basement Collection

Genre: Flash game compilation | Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux | Released: 2012

The Basement Collection gathers many of McMillen’s early Flash games in one package, including Aether, Spewer, Triachnid, Coil, Meat Boy, Time Fcuk and more, along with art and extras. It is the best way to see how his style developed before Super Meat Boy and Isaac.

Why it ranks here: A low-cost bundle that preserves important pieces of indie game history.

Good to know: These are short, experimental games, so treat it as a museum visit rather than a single big adventure.

8. Gish

Genre: Physics platformer | Platforms: PC | Released: 2004, with Cryptic Sea

Gish is a ball of tar that can become sticky, slick or heavy to roll, climb and crush its way through sewers and caves. It was one of the earliest physics-based platformers to win wide indie attention, and it picked up awards including Game Tunnel’s Indie Game of the Year.

Why it ranks here: An early indie hit that shows McMillen’s taste for odd, physical heroes.

Good to know: It looks and feels very much like a game from 2004.

9. Aether

Genre: Exploration puzzle | Platforms: Flash, included in The Basement Collection | Released: 2008, with Tyler Glaiel

A lonely boy rides a tongue-swinging creature into space, travelling between small planets and solving puzzles for their inhabitants. Aether is short and quiet, but its themes of loneliness and growing up made it one of McMillen’s most personal early works.

Why it ranks here: A thoughtful, melancholy game that hints at the emotional side of his later work.

Good to know: You can finish it in a single short session.

10. Time Fcuk

Genre: Puzzle platformer | Platforms: Flash, included in The Basement Collection | Released: 2009

Time Fcuk is a strange, unsettling puzzle platformer where you shift between layers of a level to solve each room. It plays with the idea of a game speaking directly to its player and is remembered as one of his more surreal experiments.

Why it ranks here: Clever puzzles and a creepy mood make it the standout Flash game after Aether.

Good to know: The tone is intentionally confusing and bleak.

11. Tapeworm

Genre: Card game | Released: 2020

Tapeworm is a light, tile-laying card game where players build long worms of matching colours and play special cards to mess with opponents. McMillen has said he designed it shortly after Super Meat Boy, around the same time he was prototyping Isaac. It is simpler and more family-friendly than Four Souls.

Why it ranks here: A quick, approachable card game with McMillen’s typical gross-cute art.

Good to know: It can be harder to find in stores than Four Souls.

12. Coil

Genre: Experimental | Platforms: Flash, included in The Basement Collection | Released: 2008, with Florian Himsl

Coil is a short experimental game about conception and growth that asks you to work out how to interact with each scene. It is often ranked near the bottom of McMillen’s catalogue by fans, but it is a revealing look at his interest in body imagery and personal themes.

Why it ranks here: More of an art piece than a game, interesting for fans rather than casual players.

Good to know: There is very little guidance on what to do.

Where to Start With Edmund McMillen’s Games

If you like roguelikes

Start with The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and work through the expansions. If you prefer thinking over reflexes, Mewgenics is the next stop, followed by The Legend of Bum-bo.

If you like platformers

Play Super Meat Boy first, then move on to The End Is Nigh, which builds on its ideas with a bigger world. Gish is a fun detour into his earliest work.

If you play with friends

Repentance+ supports online co-op on PC and will support it on modern consoles from November 19, 2026. For in-person groups, Four Souls is the best choice, with Tapeworm as a lighter alternative.

If you want the history

Pick up The Basement Collection for his Flash games, then watch Indie Game: The Movie for the story behind Super Meat Boy.

Edmund McMillen Games by Platform

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Edmund McMillen game?

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth with its Repentance expansions is widely considered his best game, thanks to its enormous depth and lasting popularity. McMillen himself now ranks Mewgenics first, with Repentance second, so either is an excellent place to start.

What is Edmund McMillen’s newest game?

Mewgenics, co-developed with Tyler Glaiel, is his newest game. It launched on PC on February 10, 2026 and arrived on Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on September 8, 2026. The Binding of Isaac: Repentance+ Online for consoles follows on November 19, 2026.

How many games has Edmund McMillen made?

He has made dozens of games if you count his early Flash titles. His March 2026 list of his own work included 25 entries, from Mewgenics and Isaac down to small Flash projects, plus the card games Four Souls and Tapeworm.

Did Edmund McMillen make Super Meat Boy 3D?

No. McMillen co-created the original Super Meat Boy with Tommy Refenes but left Team Meat afterward. Super Meat Boy Forever and Super Meat Boy 3D were made without his involvement.

Is The Binding of Isaac multiplayer?

Yes. Rebirth and its expansions include local co-op, and Repentance+ added online co-op on PC in 2024. Repentance+ Online brings four-player online play with matchmaking to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 on November 19, 2026.

Who does Edmund McMillen work with?

His most frequent collaborator is programmer Tyler Glaiel, who co-developed Aether, The End Is Nigh and Mewgenics. Earlier partners include Florian Himsl on the original Binding of Isaac and Tommy Refenes on Super Meat Boy, while Nicalis publishes Isaac on consoles.

What order should I play Edmund McMillen’s games in?

A good path is Super Meat Boy, then The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, then The End Is Nigh and Mewgenics. Finish with The Basement Collection if you want to see where his style began.

The Bottom Line

If you only play one Edmund McMillen game, make it The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth with Repentance+, especially with online co-op arriving on consoles in November 2026. Mewgenics is the must-play new release for anyone who enjoys tactics and roguelikes, The End Is Nigh is the platformer fans keep recommending, and Super Meat Boy is the classic that started it all. For game night, Four Souls brings the chaos of Isaac to the table. Few designers have such a distinctive and consistent voice, and every game on this list shows it.

Last updated: October 2026.