Grounded represents Obsidian Entertainment's first full release under the Xbox Game Studios banner, adding to their already impressive library of games. Grounded continues to garner attention and acclaim from fans who have witnessed the game's progression from early access through to the full release in September 2022.
The game's story sees you shrink down to miniature size as you explore a backyard, fighting for survival and answers as to why you're in this horrific situation. There are a few bosses for you to encounter and conquer on your quest for the truth, from the robotic Assistant Manager to the enormous Broodmother. However, some of the most fascinating undiscovered areas can be found while simply wandering through the verdant yard.
Updated October 27, 2022, by Andrew Scariati: With its full release, the Grounded map is now more populated and vibrant than ever. Obsidian Entertainment continues to add plenty for you to find, from hidden items like upgrade materials and Raw Science to secret map locations like the Ant Cave. Dedicated miniature explorers will be excited to set out in search of treasure and supplies as you wade through tucked-away areas like the sandbox and Koi pond. Whether you fancy yourself to be a seasoned veteran or are just beginning to understand the backyard, there are plenty of reasons to go out and discover it all for yourself.
12 Haze Lab
The addition of the Haze gas brought with it a host of Grounded secrets, including the incredibly dangerous and difficult-to-reach Haze Lab. The only prerequisite you must accomplish beforehand is exploring the Oak Lab, located on the far side of the giant oak tree at the center of the yard.
However, since this lab sits directly in the Haze area, it's important that you have gas masks handy, as they'll be required to traverse the terrain without being infected by the toxic gas. The Poison status effect is definitely one you'll want to avoid as it will deplete your HP rapidly.
11 Ant Genocide Cave
Near the berry bush forest, you can encounter one of the creepiest Grounded secret locations. This cave isn't the typical abandoned ant hill you've come to expect, but rather a monument to their deaths. Inside you'll find dozens of ant heads on top of spikes, which may either be a warning to outsiders or a celebration of victory.
There's also a tiny human skeleton with a crafting recipe for ant totems lying on the ground of the cave. It seems the person behind the display didn't make it out alive, so take their recipe as a memory of their sacrifice and be careful when fighting ants and other insects.
10 4-Leaf Clover
The moment you dive in and realize the game encourages swimming underwater, you gain a whole new perspective on the sheer number of Grounded map locations waiting to be discovered. There is a wealth of secrets to uncover below the murky waters, particularly in the southeastern part of the lake.
If you swim to the underwater cave entrance, you can come across one of the most well-decorated Grounded secrets: the game's only 4-leaf clover, basking in shining light. While they are known for being signs of good luck, you can't interact with the plant in any meaningful way. For now, this remains one of the secrets in Grounded that is still yet to be solved.
9 Mint Case
Near the starting area of the Grounded map, adjacent to the weird machine from the initial quest, you'll find a plastic mint case. At first glance, it may seem to be a simple perspective easter egg meant to showcase exactly how small you are, but it contains a trove of valuable loot inside.
You'll quickly find that by opening the case you can harvest the mints with the proper level two tool, like the Insect Hammer, which is used to break up the mint. You will need to explore and fight several enemies in order to gather the additional necessary materials, but once you do, you'll be able to craft the Mint Mace, currently the strongest weapon in Grounded, by far.
8 Berry Forest
Depending on how much you explore the Grounded map, you'll likely be seeing this area later in your main story, hinging on which B.U.R.G.L chips you prioritize. This area seems like a dark, shrouded forest, but rather is a bush growing near the yard's home. In this mysterious locale, you'll uncover secrets and materials like berries to help expand your crafting menu.
Berries are essential in upgrading your tools, weapons, and armor with Berry Leather, so you'll need to gather as many as possible to complete your upgrades. Be careful as several dangerous bugs - as well as spiders - can be encountered crawling among the roots.
7 Garden Spade
The garden spade itself is nothing more than a shovel stuck in a mound of dirt. However, the interesting part of this location is that the spade acts as a marker for the abandoned anthill directly beneath it. While the ants themselves may not sound like exciting prey, this hill houses more hidden items, particularly upgrade materials.
Inside, you'll find that the cave is pitch black, so come equipped with a couple of torches if you plan to explore. Inside the mound, you'll find a research lab, numerous hostile ants, and most importantly, a huge deposit of the Quartzite crafting material. Brittle Quartzite Shards can be used to create a Smithing Station, which can fashion the various materials needed to upgrade your weapons and armor.
6 Juice Boxes
This isn't a single map location, but rather refers to all juice and water containers across the map. These water sources are crucial to daily survival in the yard and marking them with trail markers is an early investment that will decrease your stress levels later. Juice boxes are also a nice fallback option if you run out of water in your canteen on longer excursions.
Some boxes offer more water than others and are tempting stops as you traverse the map in search of more Grounded secrets. Take note of any soda cans you come across in particular as these are excellent locations to build around and turn into bases.
5 Spider Fences
In your early hours of playing, it may appear that insects spawn at random, but the truth is that many of them have set spawn locations. Spiders, for instance, seem to have very specific areas they traverse, which is likely due to how difficult they are to deal with, especially for solo players.
In both the northeastern and western parts of the map, you will come across wooden logs that form fences. In each of the spaces between them, you'll also learn that those are infested with spider nests and should be avoided at all costs. Be sure to mark popular spawn points with trail markers to indicate which map locations you will want to stay far away from.
4 The Koi Pond
Near the oak tree at the northernmost point of the map, you'll find a giant, glittering pond. It seems empty, but look closer, and you'll notice the Koi fish and diving bell spiders that lurk in these waters. Luckily the Koi fish is half-blind but will need to be distracted if you want to get past it as it cannot be killed.
Shortly after the game's release, users found references to the Koi fish in the files - and sure enough, it became regarded as the primary antagonist of the pond. Grounded will continue to evolve over the coming months as new creatures are added to the game, some of which will become new fan favorites and sources of fun lore theories.
3 Battletoads Statue
Featured in the teaser leading up to the release of the game's beta, the Battletoads statue is definitely worth visiting as one of the goofiest Grounded map locations. Grounded's beta coincided with the release of a Battletoads title, leading to the figurine's inclusion in the final version of Grounded.
The statue is a lighthearted nod to Rare introducing easter eggs with each Xbox exclusive release, serving as an indication of collaboration between Xbox Game Studios' projects. You should explore the area near the Battletoads statue, especially if you're looking to gather a good amount of clay for crafting.
2 The Sandbox
The Sandbox is a major melting pot of insects, items, and rare materials that you will absolutely want to collect to build your arsenal of gear. It is located beyond the picnic table, close to the southwestern corner of spilled garbage. Behind the garbage is a door leading out of the Black Ant Lab.
In order to access the Black Ant Lab, you'll drop off the edge of the Sandbox and find the CRT monitor in the trash heap which sits in front of the Black Ant Descent. You'll need plenty of Bratburst explosives in order to break the various rocks blocking your way, as well as the large pane of glass that gives you access to the lab area.
1 The Oak Tree
The oak tree is presented as the most important location on the Grounded map, as it is the main hub where you will converse with B.U.R.G.L and progress through the story. It's also home to the secret science lab that seems responsible for the predicament you're in, which you will learn more about as you advance from lab to lab.
On top of being the hub, the oak tree is also the primary harvesting location for essential items like acorns and sap and is also home to a den of Wolf Spiders. You'll need to come back to the tree to gather materials, accept side quests, and engage with the story, so it may be worth setting up a camp nearby to make your runs a little faster.