Grounded 2: 10 Best Tips for Beginners

Brook Hollow Park isn’t your average stroll in the park, not when you’re the size of an ant and everything around you wants you for lunch. Grounded 2 builds on the original survival adventure with a bigger map, new systems, and plenty of surprises. Whether you’re brand new or a veteran of the backyard, these tips will help you survive, thrive, and maybe even make a few buggy friends along the way. Here are the 10 best tips for beginners.

10. Master the Omnitool Early

One of the first upgrades you’ll get in Grounded 2 is the Omnitool, a streamlined replacement for the old collection of separate tools. Instead of juggling axes, hammers, shovels, and wrenches, you now have a single tool that changes function depending on its upgrades. You’ll start with the Omni Axe, which lets you chop grass, dry grass, and dandelions for basic building. 

As you progress, you can unlock the Omni Hammer for smashing tougher materials, the Omni Shovel for digging, and eventually the Omni Wrench for repairing. All upgrades happen at Ranger Stations, so gather resources and visit them regularly. The sooner you unlock all four, the faster you can collect materials and work on advanced projects.

9. Use Ranger Stations to Analyze Everything

Ranger Stations aren’t just for tool upgrades; they also house Analyzers, which are essential for unlocking new recipes. Every time players can scan a resource or bug part, they gain blueprints for items tied to that material. This can be anything from building parts to armor sets. Analyzers work on a charge system, letting you scan four items when fully charged. If one station is empty, head to another, because each one recharges independently. Scanning also boosts your brain power, which unlocks important recipes as you level up.

8. Follow the Main Quest on Day One

It’s tempting to wander off the moment you start, but Grounded 2 is unforgiving if you’re unprepared. On your first day, stick to the main questline until you unlock the Omni Axe. The quest path will guide you to early encounters, important NPCs, and your first optical disc. One early milestone is reaching the Snack Bar Ant Hill and defeating your first Red Soldier Ant. This yields the Snack Bar Turbo Optical Disc, which unlocks crucial crafting options like the Hatchery and Multi-Story Bases. Prioritize the Hatchery, as it’s your first step toward taming a bug companion.

7. Get Your First Buggy

Buggies are a new and exciting feature in Grounded 2, and they’re more than just mounts. They can help you travel faster, fight alongside you, and even carry resources. Your first buggy will likely be the Red Soldier Ant, and getting one requires some preparation.

First, you’ll need the Hatchery blueprint from the optical disc. Build your hatchery directly on the ground (not on flooring), and also create an ant nest to store your mount. Then, venture into the Hatchery Ant Hill to collect a Red Soldier Ant Egg. Now here is the catch. You’ll have to carry it out by hand, meaning you can’t fight while holding it. Bring armor, your best weapons, and torches for the dark tunnels. Once incubated or instantly hatched by sleeping, your ant will become a speedy travel companion and a combat ally. 

6. Choose a Base Location Wisely

Brook Hollow Park is massive, and where players build their base will greatly affect their survival. Since Grounded 2 features coordinated bug attacks on your home, positioning is critical. The best defense is height. Build your base elevated on rocks, logs, or raised platforms. This limits enemy access to a single entry point, making defense much easier.

5. Upgrade Before Massive Construction

Ground 2

It’s easy to get excited and start constructing massive fortresses right away, but resources in Grounded 2 are tied to tool upgrades. If you rush into building with low-level materials, you’ll end up replacing them later with stronger options, wasting time and effort. Focus first on unlocking all Omnitools, collecting advanced building resources, and exploring to discover better wall and floor blueprints. Once you have these in hand, you can commit to larger, more permanent base projects without constant rebuilding.

4. Keep Crafting Stations and Chests Close

In Grounded 2, crafting pulls items from nearby storage automatically, but only within a certain range. Therefore, it’s important to keep your chests close to your workbenches to avoid running back and forth for materials. Organization is just as important. Name your chests in the storage interface so you can quickly find the parts you need. As the inventory fills with dozens of different bug parts, fibers, and plants, you’ll save yourself a lot of frustration by staying organized from the start.

3. Know Your Gear

One of the biggest changes in Grounded 2 is the RPG-style armor system, where each set is built around a specific role. The Red Ant Armor boosts crit chance and reduces stamina cost with ant-based weapons, making it ideal for rogue-like builds. The Ladybug Armor increases threat generation and reduces stamina drain while blocking, perfect for tank players. Grub Armor increases weak-point damage and speeds up charged attacks, suiting precision fighters. Finally, Butterfly Armor lowers the stamina cost for magic staff attacks and creates temporary shields on perfect blocks, making it a great choice for mage-style players.

2. Add Trinkets for Extra Power

Trinkets are accessories that enhance your chosen playstyle. Some amplify your current strengths, while others add entirely new abilities. For example, the Volatile Capacitor adds shock damage to all melee attacks and can overload certain bugs for extra effects. Keep an eye out for trinkets as you explore. Equipping the right one can turn a good build into a deadly one, giving you an edge in both combat and survival.

1. Build a Perfect Defense for Your Base

When bug swarms attack your base, two things will make the difference: an Omni Wrench for fast repairs and an Acorn Turret for heavy defense. Now, the turret needs a player to operate, but it tears through enemy waves quickly. For maximum coverage, place your turrets on angled platforms so you can rain down shots on approaching enemies. Combined with an elevated base and a single entry point, these defenses can hold off even the craziest swarms.