Game Modes
I Am Bread has six modes: Story, Cheese Hunt, Bagel Race, Rampage, Zero-G, and Free Roam. You collect cheese as a fragile cracker in Cheese Hunt, roll through checkpoints as a bagel in Bagel Race, smash objects as a baguette in Rampage, and fly a thruster-equipped slice in Zero-G. Starch Wars and the Team Fortress 2 level are bonus levels and not modes, with no A++ ratings of their own. The Kitchen is the easiest map for first completions in every mode.
I Am Bread has six modes: Story, Cheese Hunt, Bagel Race, Rampage, Zero-G, and Free Roam. Each of the five scored modes runs across all seven locations from Kitchen through Petrol Station, giving 35 gradeable levels in total, and each has its own completion and A++ achievements.
Starch Wars and the Team Fortress 2 level are not modes. Bossa categorizes both as added bonus content, and neither has per-level variants or A++ ratings. They are one-off levels, so the achievement list gives Starch Wars a single unlock and the TF2 level none at all.
The modes arrived incrementally during Early Access, with Cheese Hunt in January 2015 and Free Roam and Rampage that February, reaching the final six by the 1.0 launch that April.
Free Roam
Free Roam is a sandbox with no timer, no objectives and no score, and it grants unlimited grip and edibility by default. That combination makes it the right place to practice. You can play as any bread type you have unlocked and explore any unlocked level without consequences.
Use Free Roam for:
- Learning level layouts and finding heat sources before attempting Story Mode.
- Practicing the SIF glitch without risking a failed run.
- Scouting spread locations and hazard positions.
- Experimenting with physics interactions (pushing objects, knocking things over).
Free Roam has no achievements tied to it. It exists purely as a practice tool.
Cheese Hunt
You play as: A cracker, which the game calls crisp-bread.
Objective: Collect the cheese scattered throughout the level. The commonly repeated count is five per level, though no source confirms that number, so treat it as approximate and read the level's own counter.
Unique mechanic: Integrity meter. The cracker is fragile. Hard impacts (falling from height, slamming into walls, hitting sharp objects) crack it. If the Integrity meter drops to zero, the cracker breaks and the level ends.
How It Works
Cheese pieces are placed around the level, some easy to reach and some requiring climbing or precise navigation. You move the cracker using the same four-corner grip system as the bread, but the cracker is stiffer and less flexible. It pivots and climbs the same way, but it feels heavier and less forgiving of sloppy inputs.
Scoring
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Time | How quickly you collect every cheese piece. |
| Integrity | Your remaining Integrity percentage at completion. |
| Cheese Collected | You need all of them to complete the level. |
Tips for A++ Ratings
- Plan your collection route. Each level's cheese placement is fixed. Memorize the locations and plan the shortest path between them.
- Minimize falls. The cracker takes damage from any significant impact. Gentle landings from short drops are fine, but falling from a shelf to the floor can cost 20 to 40% Integrity.
- Use flat surfaces. The cracker moves well on tables and counters. Avoid unnecessary wall climbs.
- Do not rush. Speed matters, but a cracked cracker earns a low rating. Balance speed with careful movement.
Key Achievements
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Brie-lliant | Complete all Cheese Hunt levels. |
| Turophile | Get A++ on all Cheese Hunt levels. |
| A Wedge Between Us | Get A++ on any single Cheese Hunt level. |
| Bunbreakable | Finish a Cheese Hunt level with 100% Integrity. |
"Bunbreakable" (100% Integrity) is tied for the rarest achievement in the game at 1.1%, and the Kitchen is the place to attempt it. Waddle carefully and decelerate before every landing, since any hard impact costs Integrity.
Bagel Race
You play as: A bagel.
Objective: Roll through all checkpoints in the correct order as fast as possible.
Unique mechanic: Rolling physics. The bagel does not grip surfaces. Instead, you control its roll direction and speed. It behaves like a wheel, rolling across surfaces, bouncing off walls, and gaining or losing momentum based on terrain.
How It Works
Checkpoints appear as glowing rings placed throughout the level. You must roll through each one in sequence. Missing a checkpoint means you have to loop back. The bagel's round shape means it is always in motion on anything that is not perfectly flat, and momentum is both your greatest asset and your biggest liability.
Scoring
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Time | Total time from start to final checkpoint. The only factor that matters. |
Bagel Race ratings are purely time-based. There is no edibility or integrity mechanic. You just need to be fast.
Tips for A++ Ratings
- Maintain momentum. The bagel accelerates on slopes and loses speed on flat surfaces. Use downhill sections to build speed and carry it through flat areas.
- Learn the checkpoint order. The sequence is fixed for each level. Knowing where the next checkpoint is before you reach the current one saves time.
- Bounce intentionally. Hitting walls at the right angle lets you redirect without losing much speed. Use wall bounces to make sharp turns.
- Avoid getting stuck. The bagel can wedge itself into corners and between objects. If you get stuck, you lose seconds. Learn which areas have geometry traps.
Key Achievements
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Good All-Rounder | Complete all Bagel Race levels. |
| High Roller | Get A++ on all Bagel Race levels. |
| The Best Around | Get A++ on any single Bagel Race level. |
Bagel Race is generally considered the most accessible mode for A++ ratings because the scoring is purely time-based. You do not need to worry about edibility or integrity, just speed. The Kitchen Bagel Race is the fastest to complete and the easiest A++ to earn.
Rampage
You play as: A baguette.
Objective: Smash as many breakable objects as possible within the time limit.
Unique mechanic: Destruction physics. The baguette is long, stiff, and heavy compared to the bread slice. It swings like a club and can shatter plates, glasses, bottles, picture frames, and other fragile items on contact.
How It Works
A timer starts when the level begins. Your score increases with every object you destroy. Breakable objects glow faintly to indicate they are destructible. Chains of rapid destruction build a combo multiplier that increases your score per object. Letting the combo timer expire resets your multiplier to 1x.
Scoring
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Destruction Score | Total points from destroyed objects, including combo multipliers. |
The A++ threshold is a plain point total that varies by level, and the numbers get large. Players quote targets in the millions, on the order of 9,000,000 points. There is no monetary valuation behind the score despite that idea circulating widely. It is points from objects destroyed, multiplied by your combo.
Tips for A++ Ratings
- Keep your combo alive. The combo multiplier is the difference between an A and an A++. Never let more than a few seconds pass between destructions.
- Target clusters. Stacks of plates, shelves of bottles, and clusters of glasses give rapid sequential destructions that build your multiplier fast.
- Use rotational whipping, not linear thrusts. The baguette's hitbox registers collisions most reliably at its extreme ends during rotational sweeps. Spinning the baguette in wide arcs produces far more consistent destruction than jabbing it forward in a straight line.
- Memorize object locations. Each level's destructible objects are in fixed positions. Plan a route that hits every cluster without backtracking.
- Start with the biggest cluster. Your combo multiplier is most valuable when applied to large groups. Start the level near the densest cluster of breakables.
Key Achievements
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Rye Hard | Complete all Rampage levels. |
| The Rye of the Tiger | Get A++ on all Rampage levels. |
| Always Baguetting Better | Get A++ on any single Rampage level. |
The Kitchen Rampage is the best place to start. The shelves are loaded with plates, cups, and glasses. Sweep the baguette across the dish rack for an instant combo chain. Move to the counter for jars and bottles, then finish with anything on the floor.
Zero-G
You play as: A bread slice equipped with thrusters.
Objective: Navigate through the level in zero gravity, reaching a goal point.
Unique mechanic: Fuel management. Your thrusters consume fuel with every input. Thrust propels you in a direction, but there is no friction in zero gravity. Once you are moving, you keep moving until you thrust in the opposite direction or collide with something.
How It Works
The familiar rooms of Bob Murton's house are now floating in a zero-gravity environment. Objects drift freely. Your bread slice has small thrusters on each corner, controlled with the same grip buttons. Pressing a grip button fires the thruster on that corner, pushing you away from it. Combining thrusters lets you move in any direction, rotate, and brake.
Scoring
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Time | How quickly you reach the goal. |
| Fuel | How much fuel you have remaining at completion. |
Both Time and Fuel contribute to your rating. An A++ requires finishing quickly with substantial fuel reserves, which means efficient thruster use with minimal corrections.
Tips for A++ Ratings
- Plan your trajectory. In zero-G, the shortest path between two points is a straight line. Use a single burst of thrust to set your direction, then coast.
- Minimize corrections. Every correction costs fuel. Get your initial direction right and make small, precise adjustments instead of large overcorrections.
- Use collisions strategically. Bouncing off walls and objects does not cost fuel. If a wall bounce redirects you toward the goal, let it happen instead of thrusting.
- Brake early. You need to slow down before you reach the goal. If you overshoot, the fuel cost of the return trip is devastating.
Key Achievements
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| One Giant Leap for Naankind | Complete all Zero Gravity levels. |
| The Final Buntier | Get A++ on all Zero-G levels. |
| The Flour Is Strong With This Bun | Get A++ on any single Zero-G level. |
| Fuel-Efficient | Finish a Zero-G level using less than 100 fuel. |
"Fuel-Efficient" (under 100 fuel used) requires near-perfect trajectory planning. Attempt this on the Kitchen Zero-G, which has the shortest distance to the goal. Set your initial direction with a single precise thrust, coast the entire way, and use a minimal braking thrust at the end.
Starch Wars (Bread Fighter)
You play as: A toast-shaped starship.
Objective: Destroy the Starch Destroyer, a massive enemy capital ship modeled after a domestic ironing board, in a Star Wars-themed space combat parody.
Unique mechanic: Starfighter combat. Added on May 4, 2015 for Star Wars Day, in an update Bossa posted as "May the 4th Be With You". "A New Loaf" is the level's own subtitle and not the update's name. It plays nothing like the rest of I Am Bread, and Bossa treats it as a bonus level and not a mode.
How It Works
Starch Wars plays like a simplified arcade space shooter. You control your ship with the analog stick and fire weapons with the triggers. Enemy Rye Fighters (bagel-shaped TIE Fighter analogs) attack in waves. The Starch Destroyer is geometrically modeled after a colossal ironing board. To expose its heating element, you must destroy three armored spherical ordnances: two on the dorsal plane (top) and one on the ventral plane (bottom). Only after all three orbs are destroyed does the iron mechanism open, revealing the toaster slot at the front of the board.
Tips
- Destroy all three orbs first. Two are on top of the Starch Destroyer, one is underneath. The toaster slot does not open until all three are gone. Focus fire on the orbs and ignore Rye Fighters until the path is clear.
- Dodge Rye Fighters. Enemy fire is slow-moving but persistent. Keep moving laterally to avoid shots.
- Fly into the toaster slot at the front. Once all orbs are destroyed, the slot opens at the front of the ironing board. Fly directly into it to trigger the final toasting sequence and unlock the "Bread Leader" achievement.
Key Achievements
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bread Leader | Take out the Starch Destroyer. |
Starch Wars is a standalone bonus mode that does not have A++ ratings or per-level variants like the other modes. It is a single encounter. Completing it once unlocks "Bread Leader" and there is no further progression tied to it.
Mode Completion Checklist
Use this table to track your progress across all modes:
| Mode | Completion Achievement | A++ All Achievement | Easiest Level for First A++ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | The End is Rye | Raconteur | Kitchen |
| Cheese Hunt | Brie-lliant | Turophile | Kitchen |
| Bagel Race | Good All-Rounder | High Roller | Kitchen |
| Rampage | Rye Hard | The Rye of the Tiger | Kitchen |
| Zero-G | One Giant Leap for Naankind | The Final Buntier | Kitchen |
| Starch Wars (bonus level) | Bread Leader | N/A | N/A (single encounter) |
The Kitchen is universally the easiest level for first completions and first A++ ratings across every mode. Start there to learn each mode's mechanics before moving to harder levels.
Crossover Levels
Two free crossover levels sit outside the mode structure entirely.
Team Fortress 2 arrived on August 13, 2015. Bossa's own description has you climb Heavy's face, use teleporters, fire off the minigun, and cross a floor covered in sticky mines, all in the name of becoming sandvich. It has no achievement of its own.
A different description of this level circulates widely, in which you build a sandwich inside a refrigerator while avoiding waking a sleeping Heavy. That version contradicts the developer's own patch notes and every piece of contemporary press coverage. It appears to originate from an uncited sentence on Wikipedia.
GoatBread arrived on November 12, 2015, a Goat Simulator crossover that reskins Rampage so you play as a goat instead of a baguette.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which I Am Bread mode is easiest for an A++ rating?
Bagel Race. Its scoring is purely time-based, with no edibility or integrity meter to protect, so you only have to be fast. The Kitchen Bagel Race is the quickest to finish and the easiest A++ in the game.
How do I keep the cracker from breaking in Cheese Hunt?
The cracker has an Integrity meter that drops on hard impacts. Stick to flat surfaces, skip unnecessary wall climbs, and avoid falls, since dropping from a shelf to the floor can cost 20 to 40 percent Integrity.
How do I score higher in Rampage?
Keep the combo multiplier alive by never letting more than a few seconds pass between destructions. Target dense clusters like stacks of plates and shelves of bottles, and swing the baguette in wide rotational arcs instead of jabbing it forward, because the hitbox registers most reliably at its extreme ends.
How do I beat the Starch Destroyer in Starch Wars?
Destroy the three armored spherical orbs first, two on the dorsal plane and one on the ventral plane, and ignore the Rye Fighters until the path is clear. Once all three are gone the iron mechanism opens and reveals the toaster slot at the front of the ironing board. Fly straight into that slot to finish the fight and unlock Bread Leader.
How do I earn the Fuel-Efficient achievement in Zero-G?
Attempt it on the Kitchen Zero-G level, which has the shortest distance to the goal. Set your direction with one precise thrust, coast the entire way, and use a single minimal braking thrust at the end.
What to Read Next
- Advanced Techniques. Grading thresholds across every mode.
- Story Level Walkthroughs. The campaign that gates mode unlocks.
- Achievements. Mode completion achievement requirements.
- Tips and Tricks. Free wall bounces, Integrity costs, and the three orbs on the Starch Destroyer.