Best Items Ranked
Five inventory slots, dozens of items and only a handful of YTPs: choosing what to carry is one of the most important decisions in Baldi’s Basics Plus. This ranking sorts the items by how often they save a run, explains what each one does and tells you when it is worth a slot.
How we ranked them
An item ranks higher if it solves a problem that would otherwise cost you a life, works in most situations and stays useful on levels 4 and 5. Situational items that are brilliant once in a while sit lower, not because they are bad, but because they don’t earn a permanent slot. Your own ranking may differ with your play style, and that is fine.
Top tier: always worth a slot
| Item | What it does | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|
| BSODA | Sprays a jet that pushes almost any character until they hit a wall or the spray runs out | Works on Baldi and most other threats, and in a long hallway it buys a lot of distance |
| Portal Poster | Lets you walk through a wall | Creates a shortcut anywhere, gets you out of detention and out of dead ends |
| Grappling Hook | Pulls you quickly to a wall from far away | The fastest way to cross a long hallway or escape Baldi |
| Faculty Nametag | Makes many characters treat you as faculty for a while | Gets you past It’s a Bully, Playtime, Mrs. Pomp and the Principal’s rules in one item |
Two catches with the top tier: drinking a BSODA in the halls is a rule break, and Baldi can see you and follow you through a Portal Poster.
Strong tier: great in the right moment
| Item | What it does | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| An Apple for Baldi | Baldi stops to eat it instead of catching you | The last-second save when he is right behind you |
| Baldi’s Least Favorite Tape | Played in a tape player, its noise keeps characters away | Long waits, such as a detention you can’t escape |
| Dirty Chalk Eraser | Creates a cloud that hides everyone inside it | Breaking Baldi’s line of sight at close range |
| Invisibility Elixir | Makes you invisible for 30 seconds | Slipping past characters, but they can still bump into you |
| Safety Scissors | Cut Playtime’s rope, 1st Prize’s wires and Beans’ gum | Three characters handled by one cheap item |
| Principal’s Keys | End detention early | Late levels, when detentions get long |
Useful tier: good tools, smaller impact
| Item | What it does | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Diet BSODA | Like a BSODA, but the spray lasts only three seconds | A short push when you just need a gap |
| Alarm Clock | Rings after a short wait and draws Baldi to it | Pulling him to the far side of the level |
| WD-NoSquee | Creates a quiet zone where Baldi and others can’t hear sounds | A busy area with doors you use often |
| Techno Boots | Resist forces that push against you | Factory belts, Cloudy Copter’s wind, Gotta Sweep |
| Super Stretchy Glove | Lets you click any visible object, however far, for one minute | Buttons and levers across a barrier, even while squished |
| Dangerous Teleporter | Teleports you to a random place | An emergency exit, with no control over where you land |
Situational tier
| Item | What it does | When it shines |
|---|---|---|
| Nana Peel | Anyone who steps on it slips and slides until they hit an obstacle, you included | Setting a trap in a hallway a character uses |
| Swinging Door Lock | Locks a yellow swinging door for a while | Blocking a chaser’s path through a door |
| Principal Whistle | Brings the Principal running to you | Moving him out of an area you need |
| Quarter | Buys from vending machines, works the pay phone, opens coin doors | Always pick it up, then spend it fast |
| Zesty Bar | Refills stamina | Before a long chase, when no water fountain is near |
Carrying the right mix
A balanced inventory has an answer to each kind of trouble. A good default for the later levels:
- One way to push Baldi away: BSODA or Diet BSODA.
- One emergency save: An Apple for Baldi or a Dirty Chalk Eraser.
- One way to move fast: Grappling Hook or Portal Poster.
- One answer to other characters: Safety Scissors or a Faculty Nametag.
- One free slot for whatever you find on the level.
Use the storage locker in the Pitstop for the best items you find early. It holds three items between levels, so a Portal Poster from level 1 can wait for the Laboratory.
Items by level type
| Level | Items that shine |
|---|---|
| School levels | BSODA, Safety Scissors, An Apple for Baldi |
| Maintenance | Dirty Chalk Eraser, Invisibility Elixir, Super Stretchy Glove for levers |
| Factory | Techno Boots, Grappling Hook, Super Stretchy Glove for buttons |
| Laboratory | Faculty Nametag, Portal Poster |
FAQ
What is the single best item?
For most players, the BSODA. It works on Baldi and most other characters, and a well-aimed spray in a long hallway turns a sure catch into an escape.
Which items don’t work on It’s a Bully?
He can’t be pushed by BSODA, and Beans’ gum doesn’t affect him. The Faculty Nametag lets you pass without giving up an item.
Should I keep items for later levels?
Keep a few in the storage locker, but use what you need to survive. Losing a life resets your inventory to the start of the level anyway.
Want to see how these items fit into a full run? Read How to Beat Hide & Seek, or browse all item guides in the Items section.