After logging nearly 1,000 hours in Grounded and observing countless new players, I’ve identified the most common mistakes that can slow down your progress or make the game unnecessarily frustrating. Avoiding these pitfalls will lead to a smoother, more enjoyable experience. Let’s dive in!

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1. Don’t Start in Custom Mode

Custom Mode disables achievements. For your first playthrough, choose Mild, Medium, or Woe difficulty. You can always switch to Custom later, but starting with a standard difficulty ensures you can unlock achievements as you play.

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2. Always Use Peep Mode

Peeping reveals a creature’s strengths, weaknesses, and weak points. Use:

• Keyboard: X
• Controller: Y

This adds a creature card to your collection, giving valuable insight for tougher battles.

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3. Analyze Every New Resource

Analyzing materials unlocks crafting recipes and rewards raw science. Key tips:

• Equip items like grass planks or weed stems in hand to analyze them.
• Watch for the exclamation mark in your inventory—this shows items that haven’t been analyzed yet.

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4. Spend Raw Science Strategically

Raw science is earned by exploring, completing quests, and turning in BURG.L chips. Spend it wisely at ASL terminals:

• Prioritize upgrades that support your playstyle.
• Don’t rush to buy everything—some upgrades are more impactful early on.

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5. Complete Daily BURG.L Quests

Daily quests are a great way to earn raw science:

• Hunter: Eliminate specific creatures.
• Artificer: Craft certain items.
• Trail Marker: Place markers at set locations.

You can complete up to three daily, then return to refresh the list.

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6. Turn in BURG.L Chips Quickly

Each BURG.L chip unlocks new science shop items and rewards raw science. Track their locations and return them promptly for faster progression.

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7. Don’t Forget to Equip Mutations

Mutations grant powerful buffs—but they’re not active by default. To equip:

• Open the Status tab.
• Select a mutation and activate it (e.g., press Space on PC).
• You start with two active slots; unlock more using Milk Molars.

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8. Always Carry a Dandelion Tuft

Dandelion tufts prevent fall damage. Collect them from chopped dandelions and equip one in your Glider Slot—especially useful for high areas or ziplines.

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9. Monitor Your Oxygen

Underwater exploration is dangerous. If your oxygen bar empties, you’ll die instantly. Always keep an eye on your air and resurface in time.

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10. Don’t Upgrade Tier 1 Gear

Save your Tough Nuggets and Style Nuggets for Tier 2 and 3 gear. Tier 1 isn’t worth the investment, and upgrade materials are limited early on.

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11. Delay Buying the Glue Masher

The Glue Masher is only useful for repairing Level 6+ gear. Skip it in the early game and invest your raw science in more immediately useful upgrades.

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12. Use Milk Molars for Key Upgrades

Milk Molars and Mega Milk Molars grant major improvements:

• Max health, stamina, and mutation slots.
• Slower hunger/thirst drain.
  Spend them at the ASL terminal’s Molar Infusion menu.

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13. Avoid Building Near Food Spawn Points

Items like hot dogs, apples, and cookies respawn at fixed locations. Building near them causes food to spawn inside your base, which can be disruptive and messy.

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14. Use the Spinning Wheel for Crude Rope

Handcrafting crude rope costs 3 plant fiber. The Spinning Wheel only uses 1 fiber per rope. Build multiple wheels early for better efficiency.

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15. Don’t Handcraft Berry Leather

Crafting berry leather by hand wastes resources. Instead, use a Jerky Rack to turn 3 berry chunks into 3 leather, instead of just 1.

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By steering clear of these common mistakes, you’ll enjoy a faster, more efficient journey in Grounded. Stay alert, plan smart, and most importantly—have fun exploring the backyard!