Grounded – A Closer Look at Life in the Backyard

In Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded, players wake up in a suburban backyard after being mysteriously shrunken to the size of an ant and must survive this dangerous landscape.

But while you’re building elaborate shelters and scavenging for life-saving resources, the insects of Grounded have their own fascinating agendas. From the aphids to the lady bugs to the spiders, each creature follows a Goal-Oriented-Action-Plan (GOAP) managed by artificial intelligence as they lead their own busy lives throughout the yard. Ultimately, all our insects want to be happy!

For instance, aphids are curious little creatures who love to explore the yard. When they start to feel down, they will seek out clovers to fill them with happiness. If you happen to find some aphid honeydew laying around, that means you just missed an aphid who exploded with happiness!

Go near a flooded zone and chances are that you’ll get booped by a gnat. This is because gnats are happier when bumping into players. These cute little bugs love to be by water during the day and the light at night, so the time of day will dictate where you’ll find these happy little guys bopping along.

Hankering for a mushroom or two? You might find a group of weevils near a mushroom supply, as these simple creatures love sniffing the delicious fungus – which can help lead those trying to survive in the backyard to a source of food.

The GOAP A.I. system creates exciting gameplay possibilities for players. And as we continue to add new insects during Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access, things will get even more interesting, and we’re looking forward to pushing gameplay to enhance the player experience.

To learn more about what life is like for an insect in Grounded, check out the latest Developer Vlog, which is available on the Obsidian YouTube channel here and above.

Grounded is available now on Xbox Game Preview, Xbox Game Pass, Windows 10 Store, and Steam Early Access. Players can also explore Grounded’s dynamic backyard on the go, with the game now available on Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming. Players can also expect to see a new content update on September 30 with new items, game changes and fixes, and some special surprises included!

From finding food, investigating their surroundings, or sleeping, the backyard bugs are full of life day in and day out. Hope to see you in the backyard!

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