Micah McGonigal (mystman12)

Creator of the viral horror parody Baldi's Basics

@mystman12 United States41K followersIndie Game Makers

Micah McGonigal (mystman12) at a glance

Known for: Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning, Baldi's Basics Plus and Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered
Based in: United States
Indie since: 2018
Active products: Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning, Baldi's Basics Plus and Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered

Facts checked 2026-10-22

About Micah McGonigal (mystman12)

Micah McGonigal, known online as mystman12, is an American indie developer and the creator of Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning, a horror game that parodies 1990s edutainment software. He learned to code with SmileBASIC on a Nintendo 3DS before moving to Unity, and the character Baldi came from comic strips he had drawn years earlier. His X profile lists him in Virginia.

He made Baldi's Basics for the Meta Game Jam in March 2018, where it placed second. As players and YouTubers shared its deliberately crude visuals and jump scares, it passed one million downloads by August 2018 and more than five million by December 2019.

In 2018 a Kickstarter for a full game raised $61,375 against a $50,000 goal, leading to Baldi's Basics Plus, a procedurally generated expansion of the concept that entered Steam early access in June 2020 under his company Basically Games. He also released Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered in 2022, and as of 2026 continues to update Plus full-time with support from Patreon.

Products by Micah McGonigal (mystman12)

Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning

basicallygames.com

Free horror parody of 90s educational games where a math teacher chases the player.

5M+ downloads

Baldi's Basics Plus

store.steampowered.com

Expanded, procedurally generated version of Baldi's Basics in Steam early access.

Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered

store.steampowered.com

Remastered compilation of the original Baldi's Basics games.

Timeline

2018 — Made Baldi's Basics for the Meta Game Jam, placing second.
2018 — Raised $61,375 on Kickstarter for a full Baldi's Basics game.
2019 — Baldi's Basics passed 5 million downloads.
2020 — Released Baldi's Basics Plus in Steam early access.
2022 — Released Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered.

How Micah builds

A game jam entry can become a career.
Lean into a strong, weird aesthetic.
Keep updating a game with community support.

Micah McGonigal (mystman12) FAQ

Who is Micah McGonigal (mystman12)?

Micah McGonigal, known online as mystman12, is an American indie developer and the creator of Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning, a horror game that parodies 1990s edutainment software.

Who made Baldi's Basics?

Baldi's Basics was made by Micah McGonigal, known online as mystman12, for the Meta Game Jam in March 2018.

How many people have downloaded Baldi's Basics?

The free game passed 1 million downloads by August 2018 and more than 5 million by December 2019.

Is Baldi's Basics Plus finished?

Not yet. Baldi's Basics Plus entered Steam early access in June 2020 and was still receiving updates (version 0.14) as of 2026.

Where is mystman12 from?

Micah McGonigal is an American developer; his X profile lists Virginia.

What is Micah McGonigal (mystman12) doing now?

As of October 2026, Micah McGonigal (mystman12)'s active products include Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning, Baldi's Basics Plus and Baldi's Basics Classic Remastered.