Beginner's Guide to Grounded

New to Grounded? Learn how to survive being shrunk to the size of an ant in your own backyard.

Shrinking Down & First Steps

  • 1After the opening cutscene, follow the quest markers to find the Mysterious Machine and establish your bearings.
  • 2Pick up everything you see in the first few minutes -- Plant Fiber, Sprigs, Pebbles, and Sap are all essential early resources.
  • 3Activate the nearest Field Station immediately as it provides a free respawn point and research analyzer.
  • 4Analyze new materials at the Field Station to unlock crafting recipes -- prioritize tools and weapons first.
  • 5Stay near the starting area until you have basic tools (Pebblet Axe, Pebblet Hammer) before exploring further.

Gathering First Resources

  • 1Craft a Pebblet Axe by combining a Sprig, Pebble, and Woven Fiber -- this lets you chop grass and harvest plant materials.
  • 2Craft a Pebblet Hammer to break down rocks and access stone-based crafting materials for better equipment.
  • 3Woven Fiber is made from Plant Fiber at the crafting menu -- you will need large quantities for almost every recipe.
  • 4Collect Sap from tree trunks -- it is a critical ingredient for torches, arrows, and repair glue.
  • 5Acorn Shells found near the oak tree provide materials for your first armor set and storage containers.

Building Your First Base

  • 1Start with a simple 2x2 Grass Floor platform elevated on a rock to stay safe from ground insects.
  • 2Build Grass Walls around your platform and add a door -- even basic walls stop most tier-1 creatures.
  • 3Place a Lean-To inside for saving your game and setting a respawn point within your base.
  • 4Add a Workbench for crafting gear and a Roasting Spit for cooking food to restore more hunger.
  • 5Build a Storage Basket as soon as possible -- your personal inventory fills up extremely quickly.

Fighting Your First Boss

  • 1The Broodmother is the first recommended boss -- prepare with at least Ant Armor and a Mint Mallet weapon.
  • 2Craft plenty of Fiber Bandages and Smoothies before the fight as healing items are essential for survival.
  • 3Learn attack patterns by fighting smaller versions of the boss creature before attempting the actual boss fight.
  • 4Boss summon items (like the Broodmother BLT) are crafted from specific creature drops found in the open world.
  • 5Bring a friend if playing multiplayer -- bosses are significantly easier with a coordinated team.

Progression & Next Steps

  • 1Follow the main story quests to unlock new areas, crafting stations, and progression milestones.
  • 2Upgrade your tools to the next tier as soon as you can harvest the required materials from new biomes.
  • 3Explore the oak tree, hedge, and pond areas once you have tier-2 gear for access to stronger materials.
  • 4Complete BURG.L quests (chip quests) to unlock advanced crafting recipes and base building options.
  • 5Play with friends when possible -- Grounded supports up to 4 players and the difficulty scales accordingly.