Baldi's Basics: How Basically Games Crafted a Hit
Baldi's Basics (also named Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning) is an exciting parody survival horror game that is set inside a creepy schoolhouse! Micah McGonigal, an American independent developer, created Baldi's Basics under the handle Mystman12. The protagonist is welcomed to class by a goofy-looking primary school instructor. The environment is bright and well-lit, and the music is upbeat. Nothing appears to be dangerous or concerning at first. However, something creepy and terrifying is going on behind the scenes. Only the most courageous people will be able to face what lies ahead. This game mimics educational games from the 1990s by using monstrous graphics and similar themes (such as Sonic's Schoolhouse, I.M. Meer, and 3D Dinosaur Adventure).
Developed by indie studio Basically Games, Baldi's Basics puts a darkly humorous spin on the entertainment genre. Players take on the role of a student in a strange school full of educational puzzles and creepy characters like the ruler-wielding title principal, Baldi. With its minimalist graphics and unsettling atmosphere, Baldi's Basics has captivated horror fans worldwide since its 2018 launch.
Whether you're looking to relive old times or find new terrors, Baldi Games is your one-stop website for all things related to the iconic indie horror sensation. We hope you find what you're looking for in our expanding archives. Now, who's ready for some learning?
Storyline
A friend of the main character misplaced seven notebooks but was unable to get them because he was busy "rehearsing." So he had to ask the protagonist to go to the local school and grab them for him. When the player first comes, he meets one of the professors named Baldi, who will present simple arithmetic problems in the form of riddles every time the player uncovers a notebook (three in each book), with the promise of a reward if all of these quizzes are correctly solved. Baldi also gets angry easily, and after posing issues to the player, this teacher will start chasing that player for the wrong answer. The protagonist is obliged to continue seeking out additional notebooks while avoiding other students and a variety of challenges. If players answer every question incorrectly, they face the frightening tutor’s fury. That’s when the real nightmare begins!
Baldi's Basics has gameplay similar to that of Slender: The Eight Pages. The player must locate all seven notebooks while escaping Baldi's capture. Other students and teachers try to undermine the player by asking them to participate in various activities. Each notebook has three straightforward arithmetic problems; however, the third question is unsolvable after the second notebook. Baldi seems to move faster and is much more difficult to avoid if the player continues to fail at impossible requests. After collecting all of the notebooks, Baldi will seem to cheer the player before adding, "get out while there's still time!". The game has a total of three exits, but only one is real, and the player must figure out how to activate all three exits before the real exit can be used.
Players can collect various items around the school, such as a candy bar that momentarily enhances the main character's stamina and a soft drink that can be used to knock some subjects away. Other characters in the game include a pair of scissors that can temporarily remove certain obstacles and a teleporter that will move the player to a random spot on the field. What lies beyond the curtain, and who made it? Discover the darkest secrets and strive to survive to finish the narrative. Remember that Baldi can hear every noise you make, so do everything you can to keep quiet!
Alternate Ending
If you answer all the questions wrong, you will have an alternative ending. It has an expanded and rotated version of Baldi and another hidden character, Null (formerly known as Filename2); you must destroy the game before it closes itself.
Characters in Baldi’s Basics
- Baldi: This character can be considered your formidable enemy in this game. He holding a ruler will chase you. If he catches you, this game will end.
- Playtime: He has a passion for playing the rope. It will chase after players and ask them to take part in a rope competition. However, the winner doesn’t get any reward.
- Principal of the Thing: This character is the headmaster of the school and seldom expresses his emotions. He will catch you for a short time if you violate the rules of school.
- Mrs. Pomp: This is another professor at the school. She asks you to attend her lesson before a certain time. You can find her classroom on the map. Bear in mind that you need to go there on time; if not, she goes crazy and drags you there herself.
- Gotta Sweep: In this game, you find this character looks like a broomstick; it will push characters at high speed.
- First Prize: It is a friendly robot that won the science fair and will push players around with his bandaged arms, saying he loves hugs. This character doesn’t have the ability to be aware of hazards until the last minute.
- Chalkles: When entering the classroom, you will see Chalkles appear gradually on a chalkboard. He will pop out of the chalkboard and rotate around the classroom. In addition, he will attract Baldi's attention by making a creepy sound and prevent you from getting out of there for a few seconds. Typically, this character stays active for at least 25 seconds. He may ascend to the ceiling, distorting and clipping through after 15 seconds. At that point, you can easily unlock the classroom door to escape. He will walk away after 10 seconds.
- Beans: He slows players down by spitting globules of chewing gum at them.
- Cloudy Coper: This character can create a wind tunnel through a hallway, which helps players speed up or slow down depending on the direction they are headed.
- The Test: This character’s head will float when he turns off and it will get reattached after a short time. It appears rarely, but it has the ability to temporarily make players blind.
- Arts and Crafter: He resembles a sock puppet; if you stare at him, he will be scared and move you to Baldi.
- It's a Bully: This character will block the path, stopping you from progressing unless you give the Bully something.
Items
- Alarm clocks are used to draw the disciplinarian’s attention
- An energy-flavored zesty bar is sold at Baldies Cafe and is used to replenish stamina
- BSoda can spray enemies to push them several feet away
- Scissors can cut jump ropes, bubble gum, and flimsy wires
- WD-NoSquee can be used to prevent the villain
- The yellow door lock helps you temporarily block certain passages
- Principal’s keys allow you to enter any room
- Quarters buy sodas and snacks
- Anti-hearing and disorienting tape makes Baldi plush, deaf, and blind for a short time
How To Play
The controls work similarly to first-person walking simulators:
- Press WASD to move and strafe
- Use the mouse to look around
- Hold a shift to run for a short period of time (Remember to keep an eye on your stamina bar)
- Press space bar to quickly look behind you
- Left-click to gather things and interact with the environment
Modes in Baldi’s Basics
- Story Mode: In this mode, player will collect all seven notebooks, then exit school to win
- Endless Mode: Instead of collecting all seven notebooks like story mode, this mode allows you to collect as many notebooks as possible
The goal is to gather seven notebooks scattered among the classrooms. Finding them is just the first step. Each one has a set of arithmetic problems.
Related Horror Games
Deceptive horror is one of the most popular horror video game sub-genres. At first, these types of horror games try to convince players that they are playing a harmless game where nothing bad happens. However, as the game goes on, it will reveal its true horror nature. While the game begins as a bright, colorful, and joyful platformer, it gradually becomes darker, duller, and more insidious as the player advances.
If you are a loyal fan of Baldi's Basics and the scam horror genre, then try out other fascinating games with similar gameplay in our horror games collection, such as: Amanda the Adventurer, Amanda Adventurer 2, Granny, Backrooms, Five Nights at Freddy's, etc.
