In some ways, Grounded is a massive departure from Obsidian Entertainment's usual games. Instead of a fantasy or hard sci-fi epic, the game is a small scale tribute to the 90s adventure films, especially Honey I Shrunk The Kids.
On the other hand, Grounded shares some important DNA with Obsidian's previous titles, such as a focus on exploration. When someone's a few inches tall, a single yard is a practically a country, and a small step can become an insurmountable hurdle.
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This is especially true with the sandbox, a new biome introduced in Grounded's Hot and Hazy update. Scaling its three feet high walls is a puzzle in and of itself.
Updated June 21st, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Grounded is definitely one of the most entertaining and unique survival releases to hit the market in some time. Players that enjoy games like Minecraft and Terraria will likely enjoy the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids style adventure. Players will have to explore, collect, build, and survive while avoiding some small dangers turned into huge problems. Spiders lurk in the areas and even something as insignificant as an ant can spell disaster for a team. As players progress through the game, they'll eventually find themselves faced with infiltrating a massive sandbox. To better outline how to get into the Sandbox in Grounded, as well as what types of things players will find there, the following guide has been updated with more info.
Tipping the Shovel
The key entering the sandbox isn't actually anything involving the sandbox itself. Instead, to enter the sandbox, players need to climb the nearby picnic table.
Unfortunately, the height problem is even worse here. At the table's southeast corner, however, is a leaning shovel, propped up against a cracked rock. If the player blows up the rock, using a bratburst or a splatburst, the shovel will fall over, and form a bridge to the bench seat.
Climbing the Table
The half-eaten lunch at the picnic table is a beacon for Grounded's bees, so players should be wary as they climb. Once on the seat, they should head to the opposite side of the table, away from the shovel, banana, and bees, and cross the wooden bar that runs beneath the table and connects the opposite seats.
The far seat has a stack of off-brand Dungeons and Dragons books that form a ramp to a cooler. Its handle is currently standing straight up, but if the player hits the red button on the side, it will drop to the side, forming a ramp to the table's top.
Entering the Sandbox
There's a few things worth checking out on top of the picnic table, but for the purposes of this guide, the most important area is beneath the overturned orange book. Hidden under it is a new field station and a pre-set zip line, which leads straight to the sandbox. That being said, the player needs 12 silk ropes to make it usable, so they should kill a few of Grounded's spiders before making this trek.
Players should be careful before ending the sandbox. Not only is it guarded by dangerous antlion enemies, but the area also subjects the player to the sizzle effect. During the day, the sands are hot enough to slow down and damage the player over time. It can be offset, however, with antlion armor, mint shards, or via Grounded's Fresh Defense mutation.
What's Inside The Sandbox?
Once players make it into the sandbox, they'll find a multitude of things to explore and collect. Unfortunately, the Sandbox is easily one of the most difficult biomes in the entire game thanks to its makeup of harsh effects paired with punishing enemies. Those that want to explore the area freely should consider hopping into the zone and taking down as many Antlions as possible to obtain armor, which can help to greatly mitigate the issues players will face when attempting to explore the zone. Those that can craft the armor set and settle in will find a large area teeming with enemies and some buried treasures.
Players that want to make a home away from home inside the Sandbox have a couple of solid options, with the best choice being an oasis in the Southeastern corner of the area. Here, players will have access to water and other materials, allowing them to quickly construct an outpost that will be fairly sheltered from the immense heat. Those that want additional coverage can opt for the large Sandcastle which stands to the West. Unfortunately, the castle itself is filled to the brim with hungry and aggressive Antlions, so players will need to bulk up and fight through the horde if they want to take over the area.
Although Antlions are the main draw when it comes to invading the Sandbox (thanks to their armor and parts), players can spend a lot of time looting Buried Treasure if they have access to a Black Ant Shovel. Those that do not yet have a shovel can create one by piecing together a Black Ant Part and a Quartzite Shard. Black Worker Ants can be seen roaming certain areas in the Sandbox, making it easy to snag a piece if players are missing it.
Here's a look at all of the Buried Treasure that can be dug up within the Sandbox biome:
- Sunken Bone
- Salt Shard
- Spicy Shard
- Gum Nugget
- Crow Feather Piece
- Mint Shard
- Omelant
- Quesadillantlion
Players can also find a wide array of material types hidden around the biome, including:
- Billy Hog Nugget
- Grass Plank
- Plant Fiber
- Sprig
- Spicy Shard
- Weed Stem
- Spoiled Meat
- Clover Leaf
- Cookie Sandwich Bits
- Rotten Food
- Sap
- Apple Bits
- Candy Cornlet (Halloween Event Only)
For those that are truly brave, there is a plastic toy hidden within the sandbox that houses a Wolf Spider. Players that have conquered the Sandbox and want to truly assess their dominance in the area can take down the scary arachnid.
Grounded is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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