Game Modes
Baldi’s Basics Plus is more than its main run. Next to Hide & Seek there are Endless mode, field trip minigames, legacy challenge maps and a tutorial, each with its own rules and its own reason to play. This guide explains every mode, how it differs from the others and what it is good for.
All modes at a glance
| Mode | Goal | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hide & Seek | Clear five generated levels in a row | The full game |
| Endless | Collect as many notebooks as you can before Baldi catches you | Practice and score chasing |
| Field Trips | Play the camping minigames on their own | Learning minigames before a run |
| Challenges | Beat a legacy map with special rules | A different kind of test |
| Tutorial | Learn the basics with Baldi | First-time players |
Hide & Seek
The main mode is a run through five generated levels. You collect notebooks, open the elevators and get out, with the Pitstop and Johnny’s Store between levels and a field trip before level 3. Levels 1 to 3 are always the school; levels 4 and 5 are two different types out of Maintenance, Factory and Laboratory.
Hide & Seek has its own menu with three settings:
- Play style. Normal, Arcade, Strict or Explorer. It decides how lives work, or whether Baldi chases you at all.
- Challenge options. Extra rules for a harder run, such as an inventory that shrinks as you play.
- Seed. A field where you can enter a seed to play a specific layout.
For a level-by-level strategy, read How to Beat Hide & Seek.
Endless
In Endless mode there is no exit. You stay on one level and collect as many notebooks as you can, and the run ends when Baldi catches you. Since version 0.11 you pick the level type and size from a level select menu, and all endless levels are generated from the ones found in Hide & Seek.
- A new item spawns somewhere on the level each time you collect a notebook, if there is room.
- Every two minutes, a new student appears with a lost item.
- Johnny’s Store is open from the start, and you can restock it for 250 YTPs.
- Bonus questions are available for extra YTPs.
- Chalkles doesn’t appear in Endless mode.
Click a high score on the Endless screen to replay its seed. It is the easiest way to practice a layout you did well on.
Field Trips
In Hide & Seek, a field trip is a reward: you board the bus in the Pitstop before level 3 with the Bus Pass from level 2. The Field Trips mode lets you play the camping minigames whenever you like. Each minigame has a score-based variant with its own high score table, so it works both as practice and as a challenge of its own.
| Minigame | Goal |
|---|---|
| Campfire Frenzy | Keep the fire roaring by launching fuel into it, and avoid fuel that harms it |
| Pick-Quick-Nic | Quickly choose a meal before Baldi’s appetite takes over, without taking his favorite food |
Not sure how a minigame works? Click the Baldi standing near its area to open its tutorial.
Challenges
Challenge mode holds three legacy maps. They are older designs kept in the game, and the developer plans to add more challenges later in development.
| Challenge | Twist |
|---|---|
| Speedy | A map with 25 notebooks to collect |
| Stealthy | Seven notebooks, several Principals, and once they spot you, you can’t lose them |
| Grapple | A Grappling Hook you can use without limit |
Characters behave a little differently in challenges. In the Grapple challenge, for example, Mrs. Pomp gives you only two minutes to reach her class instead of four.
Tutorial
The tutorial was added in version 0.9. You start it from the tutorial button on the mode select screen, and new save files are offered it when you first press play. Baldi teaches the basics himself, and the chalkboards on the walls show your current key bindings, refreshed whenever you unpause, so it is also a good place to check your controls.
Which mode should you play?
| If you want to… | Play |
|---|---|
| Learn the game | Tutorial, then Hide & Seek on Normal |
| Explore without pressure | Hide & Seek with the Explorer play style |
| Practice escaping Baldi | Endless on a small level |
| Get better at field trips | Field Trips |
| Test your skills | Hide & Seek on Strict, or a challenge |
FAQ
Can I replay a layout I liked?
Yes. Enter its seed in the Hide & Seek menu, or click a high score in Endless mode to replay that score’s seed.
Where do I find the tutorial?
On the mode select screen. New save files are also offered the tutorial the first time you press play.
Is there a mode without Baldi?
The Explorer play style in Hide & Seek comes close: Baldi counts down and then disappears, so you can learn the school in peace.
Just starting out? The Beginner Guide explains the basics of a run. To see how the modes evolved, read our version history.