Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning
| Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning | |
|---|---|
| File:Cover Art of Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Mystman12 |
| Publisher(s) | Basically, Games! |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows macOS Linux Android iOS |
| Release | March 31, 2018 |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror, educational, parody |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning (also known as Baldi's Basics and Baldi's Basics Classic[1]) is a 2018 independent parody horror video game developed by Micah McGonigal. The game parodies educational games of the 1990s through poor graphics and similar themes. Baldi's Basics was first released in beta on March 31, 2018 via Itch.io for Microsoft Windows and macOS. A full release of the game, including additional content and a story mode, was published on June 12, 2020.
Plot
A friend of the protagonist forgets his notebooks in school and asks them to recover them. When they enter, however, Baldi, the teacher, wants them to also solve all 21 math problems (three for each notebook), promising a reward should they answer correctly. Baldi is also very easy to anger, and after presenting the player with impossible math problems will start to chase them. The protagonist is forced to continue to search for all the other notebooks while also avoiding other students and various obstacles.[2] If the player chooses to answer every question wrong, they will experience an alternative ending which includes a distorted version of Baldi and another hidden character asking you to burn the game's DVD.
Gameplay
The player must locate all seven notebooks without being caught by their teacher, Baldi. Other students and faculty attempt to hinder the player by forcing them to participate in various activities. Each notebook contains three simple arithmetic problems, but the third question is unsolvable in the second notebook onwards. The player must flee the school to win the game.[2]
Development and release
The game was initially made as an entry in the annual Meta-Game Jam,[3] where it received 2nd place.[4] In an interview with Gamasutra, the game's developer cited the 1996 game Sonic’s Schoolhouse as his main inspiration.[5] It became popular for its humour-like difficulty and surreal gameplay.[6] Popular YouTubers such as DanTDM, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, PewDiePie, and Kindly Keyin made videos on the game,[7] helping to boost its popularity.[8]
The developer launched a Kickstarter campaign for the game,[1] where he announced that the full game will be released on June 12, 2020. The Kickstarter raised a total of $61,375.[9]
References
- ^ a b Bald, Cameron (December 23, 2019). "Baldi's Basics Classic, a mobile version of the cult horror game, creeps onto Android and iOS". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Jackson, Gita (April 12, 2018). "A Free Game That Makes Math More Scary". Kotaku. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Wöbbeking, Jan (June 8, 2018). "Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning: Bizarrer Überlebenskampf in der Edutainment-Schule". 4Players (in German). Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ "Top ranked games in the Meta Game Jam". itch.io. Retrieved 2018-08-05.
- ^ Couture, Joel (August 13, 2018). "How Baldi's Basics taps into the real horror of '90s edutainment". Gamasutra. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Conville, Caitlyn (June 15, 2018). "'Baldi's Basics' Brings Nostalgia for Millennial Gamers". Study Breaks. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ "PC download charts: Why are 'Baldi's Basics' and 'Totally Accurate Battle Simulator' so popular again?". INQUIRER.net. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ Nguyen, Keoni (June 25, 2018). "A Fake Edutainment Game Is Now A YouTube Hit". Kotaku. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ "Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning – Full game!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2018-08-02.