Grounded 2 provided various difficulty options to make sure that players find something that corresponds to the type of gameplay experience that they're looking for. While custom difficulty is not yet available, as the game is still in early access, it should be added soon. Until then, players should become aware of the differences between each difficulty option.
This guide analyzes each setting that differs between the five difficulty options available in Grounded 2. This way, players can go over each option and decide which one is for them.
All Difficulty Options Available in Grounded 2
There are two game modes in Grounded 2: Survival and Creative, and each one has its own subdifficulty options. Below, players will find a breakdown of each difficulty setting in Grounded 2:
|
Setting/Difficulty |
Mild Survival |
Medium Survival |
Whoa! Survival |
Creative |
Creative with Bugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quests |
On |
On |
On |
Off |
Off |
|
All Recipes Unlocked |
Off |
Off |
Off |
On |
On |
|
All Recipes Free |
Off |
Off |
Off |
On |
On |
|
Crafting |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
|
Buildings |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
|
Building Integrity |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
|
Handy Gnat |
Off |
Off |
Off |
On |
On |
|
Bugs Spawn |
On |
On |
On |
Off |
On |
|
Bugs Ignore Players |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
On |
|
Creature Health Scaling |
1x |
1x |
1.2x |
1x |
1x |
|
Player Damage |
On |
On |
On |
Off |
Off |
|
Friendly Fire |
Off |
Off |
On |
Off |
Off |
|
Buggies Can Die |
Off |
Off |
On |
Off |
Off |
|
All Mutations Unlocked |
Off |
Off |
Off |
On |
On |
|
Fully Yoked |
Off |
Off |
Off |
On |
On |
|
Fall Damage Scaling |
1x |
1x |
1.2x |
1x |
1x |
|
Hunger Burn Rate |
0.5x |
1x |
1.5x |
0x |
0x |
|
Thirst Burn Rate |
0.5x |
1x |
1.5x |
0x |
0x |
|
Time of Day Rate |
1x |
1x |
0.8x |
1x |
1x |
|
Resource Respawn Rate |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
1x |
|
Stamina Drain |
On |
On |
On |
Off |
Off |
|
Equipment Durability |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
|
Food Spoiling |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
|
Faction Reactivity |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
|
Backpack Items on Death |
Drop Resources |
Drop Resources |
Drop Backpack |
Drop Resources |
Drop Resources |
|
Menus Pause Game |
On |
Off |
Off |
Off |
Off |
|
Photo Mode |
On |
On |
On |
On |
On |
While there is an option in the difficulty selection menu that says "custom," it is not available yet. Grounded 2 is currently in early access, so the developers will continue to release patches and add content in order to perfect it before its full launch.
Similarly, when players pick a preset difficulty, many of the settings will appear as toggleable, but the button will not move when players attempt to click it. This is because that would turn the preset into a custom difficulty, which is not available yet. In the future, players will be able to fully customize their Grounded 2 experience.
Which Difficulty Should You Choose in Grounded 2?
Since custom difficulties aren't available yet in Grounded 2, it is more important than ever for players to select the right preset option for themselves when creating a save file.
Survival Mode
Survival Mode is the standard Grounded experience, where players will have to fight for their lives against hostile bugs and manage their resources in order to satisfy their Hunger and Thirst. There are three Survival difficulties: Mild, Medium, and Whoa!
- Mild difficulty is what many would consider easy mode; Hunger and Thirst meters decrease at a slower pace, and the game will pause when the player is using a menu.
- Medium difficulty is a balanced survival experience. Gamers will surely face some difficulties, as rates are not decreased when it comes to Hunger and Thirst, but it is not brutally unfair.
- Whoa! Difficulty is Grounded 2's hard mode, as enemies are harder to defeat and deal more damage, Thirst and Hunger meters and fall damage are more unforgiving, and when players die, their backpack will fall rather than just some resources.
Creative Mode
If players would rather relax and explore the world, Creative mode will give them a peaceful experience without having to worry about hostile enemies and maintaining their character's Hunger and Thirst meters. They can avoid bugs altogether by selecting the standard Creative experience and simply using it to wander around the world and build bases. However, if they want to make the place a bit more lively, they should select Creative with Bugs, especially considering that bugs will not be hostile towards the player in this game mode.
Ultimately, players' choice when it comes to choosing a difficulty in Grounded 2 is entirely up to them, as it will greatly depend on the type of experience that they're looking for. Once custom difficulty becomes available, it'll be much easier for gamers to create their own tailored experience.
Gamers who are not satisfied with the difficulty that they chose at the start of the game can change it at any time in the Game Settings option, available in the Pause menu.
- Released
- July 29, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
WHERE TO PLAY
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Prequel(s)
- Grounded
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
