Survive as a shrunken teen in Grounded, a survival game from Obsidian Entertainment for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. You can play solo or with up to four players in co-op. You play as one of four teenagers who wake up shrunk to insect size in a backyard, and your goal is to survive, recover your memories, and find a way to reverse the shrinking. Survival comes first, because going hungry or thirsty drains your health, so early sessions revolve around finding food and clean water among the grass and bugs.
Once you can keep yourself fed, the loop becomes gather, learn, craft, and build. Materials you collect can be scanned at a Field Station's Analyzer, which shows what they are good for and unlocks new recipes. You craft tools, weapons, and armor from those recipes, then build a base to rest and defend yourself, since insects get more aggressive at night. Better gear lets you take on tougher creatures and explore farther, so each session pushes you a little further into the yard.
Grounded 2 keeps this loop and moves it to 1992, two years after the first game, in the much larger Brookhollow Park. Its headline addition is Buggies, rideable insects that carry items, fight alongside you, and help you gather and build. The Omni-Tool combines an axe, shovel, hammer, and wrench into one tool. The sequel is in Early Access on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.
- Developer
- Obsidian Entertainment, with Eidos-Montréal on Grounded 2
- Publisher
- Xbox Game Studios
- Release
- Grounded (PC 1.0): 2022-09-27 · Grounded 2 (Early Access / Game Preview): 2025-07-29
- Platforms
- Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Grounded gameplay tips
- Drink morning dew from the grass. Throw a rock at the droplets to knock them loose, then interact with them to drink. Dew is the most plentiful clean water in Grounded, and unclean water, like from dirt pools, costs you hunger.
- Craft a canteen and carry snacks on longer trips. A canteen lets you carry your own water, so you aren't stuck when the nearest clean source is far away. In Grounded 2, the canteen recipe unlocks by scanning Grub Hide, and you should avoid drinking the park's water straight from the source.
- In Grounded, build a simple base near your first Field Station before nightfall. A base close to the Field Station keeps you near the Analyzer and out of open ground. Avoid setting up in a wolf spider's hunting area, since a camp there can be overrun quickly.
- Scan every new material at an Analyzer before you use it. Scanning unlocks recipes, and both games also reward scanning with Raw Science. In Grounded 2 you spend it on Omni-Tool upgrades.
- In Grounded 2, start the Buggy quest early and bring armor and healing items. Buggies carry items, fight alongside you, and pick up loose items, so an early one makes gathering much easier. Securing the Red Ant Soldier egg means fighting powerful foes, so bring strong weapons too.