Gather materials and craft gear to survive in Brookhollow Park, a park far bigger and denser than the backyard from the first game. You play as one of the four teens who were shrunk down in that first adventure, and the grass and bugs around you now look enormous. You can explore alone or team up with up to three friends in online co-op.
A typical session starts with leaving your base to explore and gather materials from the park and the bugs you defeat. When you find something new, scan it so you learn what it can be used for, then head back to craft better weapons, armor and tools. Hunger and thirst build up slowly, so you also need to cook and keep a reliable supply of water on hand. Each trip out gives you the materials you need for the next one, and that loop is what keeps the game going.
Over time, you work toward a stronger character, a bigger base and the tougher parts of the park. Raw Science, earned from scanning and Ranger Challenges, pays for upgrades, and Buggies, insect mounts you unlock through a questline, make the big map easier to cover. Grounded 2 is in Early Access on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, and free updates keep adding new areas, creatures and gear to the park.
- Developer
- Obsidian Entertainment and Eidos-Montréal
- Publisher
- Xbox Game Studios
- Release
- PlayStation 5 (Early Access): 2026-08-11 · PC and Xbox Series X|S (Early Access / Game Preview): 2025-07-29
- Platforms
- Windows, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
Game data
Weapons and Tools
Weapons and tools are the gear players use to fight and work in Grounded 2. Weapons cover melee types like one-handed, two-handed and dual wield, plus shields, bows, greatbows, candy staves and turret ammo. Basic tools have been replaced by the Omni-Tool, which combines axe, hammer, shovel, wrench and clippers functions in one item and is upgraded at Ranger Stations.
Armor
Armor in Grounded 2 covers three slots, head, body and legs, and each piece adds defense and its own effect. Pieces fall into four classes, Fighter, Mage, Ranger and Rogue, plus a Classless group, and wearing all three pieces of a set unlocks a set bonus. Pieces are unlocked by scanning a key material at a Resource Analyzer, crafted at a Workbench, and upgraded at a Smithing Station.
Creatures
Creatures are the bugs, spiders and small animals that live across Brookhollow Park, and they supply food, materials, rides and fights. They sort into harmless, neutral and angry groups based on how they act toward you, with O.R.C. and O.G.R.R. variants and bosses on top. Each creature's Creature Card, collected with the PEEP.R, lists its loot, resistances and weaknesses.
Trinkets
Trinkets are small accessories in Grounded 2 that give your character passive bonuses while equipped, such as extra damage, healing, or gliding. They come in several groups, including crafted, creature, resource, unique, Ominent token, and stranger trinkets, and each one is found or made in its own way. Many carry a trade-off, so the best choice depends on your build and the fight ahead.
Collectibles
Buggies
Buggies are insect companions in Grounded 2 that you can ride, use to haul gear and fight alongside. They come in four families: the Soldier Ants, the Orb Weaver, the Beetles and the Toe Biter. Each one hatches from an egg in a Hatchery and unlocks as you progress, and the Toe Biter is the one that works in water.
Grounded 2 gameplay tips
- Scan every new ingredient at a Resource Analyzer before you use it. Scanning shows what the item is for and unlocks the recipes that use it.
- Peep a creature before you fight it. Scanning a creature with the PEEP.R fills in its creature card, which lists its weaknesses, resistances and loot, so you can choose a weapon that works instead of guessing.
- Upgrade the Omni-Tool with Raw Science. It combines an axe, shovel, hammer and wrench in one tool, and upgrading it makes survival easier. The shovel upgrade also lets you find grubs underground, and scanning Grub Hide unlocks the Canteen recipe.
- Set up a Roasting Spit and a Canteen early. The Spit cooks the bug parts you harvest, and the Canteen gives you reliable water instead of the water scattered around the park. Hunger and thirst build up gradually, so this keeps you from running low.
- Bring armor, strong weapons and healing items before you go for the Red Ant Soldier Egg. It's the last step in unlocking your first Buggy, and it involves tough enemies. Buggies can haul heavy building materials, help in fights and collect small items in bulk, so the effort pays off.
- Time your dodges and watch your stamina. A Perfect Dodge avoids the hit without using stamina, so you can counterattack right away. Blocking too much is risky, since some bugs use charge attacks to break your guard and drain a big chunk of stamina.