Tips and Tricks - Grounded Guide - IGN (2024)

Whether you're just starting out in Grounded or you've already completed a few objectives, our Tips and Tricks guide has all the strategies, hints, and secrets you need to succeed.

Browse our:

• Tips for Getting Started
• Combat Tips
• Crafting Tips

• Early on in the game - pick up everything you find. You're limited to 30 slots, but the more you find, the more can analyze and unlock crafting recipes.
• Each Field Station you find has an analyzer that can be used to analyze resources - often giving you additional ways to use them in crafting recipes. After that, you'll have to wait about 5 minutes for the analyzer to start replenishing its charge. Analyzing will also give you Raw Science, and also increase your knowledge to unlock even more high-end recipes.

• Use the Peeper button to mimic binoculars. Press X and then E to scan various creatures you encounter. Adding them to your data index will tell you how to defeat them by uncovering their weaknesses - and what you can get from killing them.
• In single-player mode, going into your inventory does not pause the game. This means you can still be attacked, or become hungry and thirsty - which can even lower your health to 1 unless you do something. If you need to step away, press ESC to reach the main menu instead.
• If you're playing in multiplayer, you don't need your own Lean-To. You can share these to sleep until daylight - this can help you avoid nocturnal spiders and other creatures, just make sure everyone has somewhere to sleep.
• Remember that going to bed will leave you feeling hungry and thirsty when waking up. Don't waste a good meal right before bedtime. Instead, opt for a hearty breakfast by going to sleep hungry if need be.

• Your quickbar will display one of each type of item - weapons, tools, food, ammo, and so forth. You can press the indicated button to activate or bring up the item, and press it again to put it away.
• Don't be afraid to drink standing water if you have a good source of food nearby, as it will only make you hungrier.
• You run faster when you aren't holding items - so prioritize putting away torches and weapons if you need to get away in a hurry.
• Not everything you find in the backyard will have its own map point - and that includes Lean-Tos and camps you build (unless it's set as your Respawn Point). Invest in making a few Trail Markers to make custom map points for your home and sources of resources like water - or points of interest.
• Certain landmarks like juice boxes and cans will spawn drops of liquid every day or so - be sure to check them every so often to quench your thirst or craft a canteen to store them.

• There are ziplines that you can craft all across the backyard, and can help you avoid some otherwise hostile territory. While it's good to explore, sometimes it's better to opt for quick traversal to avoid potentially fatal encounters. All you need to do is build one anchor on high ground, and another far across the hostile territory.
• You can even carry across large materials like planks from one base to another by using ziplines. Just interact with the zipline while carrying a stack.

• When an item breaks in combat, your character will automatically discard it, so be sure to keep on top of repairing, and always keep spare tools close at hand.
• When you first encounter Wolf Spiders - give them a wide berth. Their attacks can kill you in one hit or heavily damage basic armor. Wait until you know how to craft better armor - like Acorn Armor - and have good weapons and a plan before you take them on.
• Some Spiders sleep during the day - or at night - if you hear a strange noise while exploring, it may be a snoring spider, so crouch to move slowly and quietly past it.
• Don't underestimate the power of the Perfect Block. If you hit the block button right as they attack, you'll negate all incoming damage without using any stamina. Master this, and you can take down even the largest terrors with practice and precision.
• Ants won't bother you outside their nests until you bother them. When you do, they'll summon several friends like Soldier Ants to back them up, so be prepared to get ambushed even after the initial attack.
• You'll know when an insect turns aggressive by looking for its eye color. When they turn red, they'll be actively hunting something, and if no smaller insects are around - it's likely you!
• Spiders - like most other enemies - don't do well when you have the high ground. Find a place they can't leap to, and utilize arrows to weaken them until you feel comfortable finishing large enemies off.
• While firing arrows at larger enemies from vantage points on top of grass and clovers can be an ideal strategy. Don't forget that enemies like Spiders and Ladybugs break down weeds and send you crashing down below.
• Bandages will heal you slowly over time. And can even be used in combat and will continue to heal you.
• Ant Eggs seem to appear in greater numbers in response to a decimated population. If you're looking for more of them, cut the number of Ants down and see if that triggers an influx of eggs.
• Parrying can be tough to master, but the Weevil Shield can help you learn how with added defense, and can be crafted early on. With a shield, you can hold it out to block while trying to parry with your other hand.
• Swap out your Mutations often. Especially when playing with friends to try out different combos that can benefit you and your team. It's fast, and free!

• Finding more and more resources can quickly become a hassle, so invest in production utility items, like the spinner and jerky rack. Not only will this allow for more gathering, you'll often expend less to get them.
• Invest in multiple camps once you've got a feel for the land. It pays to have mutliple bases to rest at and restock, as well as triggering different places to respawn if killed.
• The more your base grows, the more likely it will become a target for hungry ants and larva seeking sources of food. They'll tear through everything in an attempt to get at your stuff, so consider looking to build your storage bases on higher ground that's harder to reach.
• You can get more building recipes by talking to BURG.L and giving him chips - like the one on the ground next to him when you first help him.
• Each armor set has its own bonuses, and equipping them all gives you an additional set bonus.
• Craft the full Ant Set to blend in among the Soldier Ants, allowing you to sneak into their nests in search of treasure without getting hassled.
• Become self-sufficient by investing in Dew Collectors and Gardens to always have a source of food and water when you need it.
• As long as you can find a starting point to snap to, you'll find that you can expand bases in the most unlikely places - along stone walls, atop lanterns, floating on the pond - use your imagination!
• Completing the game's first Lab will give you access to a Resource Surveyor. Be sure to use this to figure out where in the backyard you need to go to get certain materials, instead of just hoping you stumble into them.