Following nearly two years of early Game Preview access and a staggering number of updates, Grounded finally launched in full for players. Taking on a sort of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids style, players attempted to survive the backyard by using resources to create gear, consumables, weapons, and other items in order to overcome the lurking dangers like Spiders due to being about the same size as an ant. Grounded also features an overarching story to discover, following the footsteps of Dr. Wendell Tully and figuring out how and why the characters became stuck in their current situation.
For most players though, the appeal of Grounded is in the freedom to explore and discover. Resources and items are everywhere in the world, each having their own uses in terms of building and crafting. Not only can players create their own survival gear to better situate themselves to a variety of scenarios, such as surviving swimming in the Koi Pond, but bases can be constructed nearly anywhere to serve as a safe space and a place to get stronger.
Throughout their adventures in The Backyard, Grounded players will discover plenty of new items, many of which have recipes that can be unlocked by finding unique computer chips for a friendly robot named BURG.L. One such weapon called the Mint Mace is worth the time to acquire for players who want to really pack a punch. Here's how to acquire the weapon recipe inside Grounded.
What is the Mint Mace?
A giant 2 handed club, the Mint Mace is a Tier 3 weapon that can be acquired later in the game. In terms of damage, it technically outpaces the Club of the Mother Demon, another incredibly strong weapon acquired by completing the Broodmother boss battle. While the overall damage is slightly less than the Club of the Mother Demon, the Mint Mace also deals added fresh elemental damage which pushes the numbers even higher.
With the recipe acquired, players will need to have the following items in order to craft it at a workbench:
- 2 Mint Globs.
- 5 Flower Petals.
- 10 Tough Gunk.
The Mint Mace also requires 4 Mint Shards to repair.
How to Find the Mint Mace
Unlike many other weapons which can be acquired by finding certain parts during exploration and analyzing them at a field base, the Mint Mace is actually locked behind a very specific BURG.L chip, which players likely won't come across until later in the game after specific upgrades and tools have been unlocked.
While originally being unlocked after finding and breaking the ice cap mints in the Haze region, players now need to travel to the Picnic Table zone in order to find the chip on top in the locked chest. The chest itself is located in a landmark on the table known as Minotaur Maze's End, which is essentially Grounded's version of a Dungeons and Dragons style game that someone left out on the picnic table. The maze isn't terribly difficult to navigate and holds a ton of great resources like Gum Nuggets and Crow Feathers, but the ultimate prize is at the end in a locked chest that requires the Minotaur Maze Key to open.
Getting the Minotaur Maze Key
In order to have a chance to acquire the Minotaur Maze Key, players will need to make sure that they actually have access to a few tier 2 level items like the Bone Dagger or Spider Fang Dagger. These items are capable of cutting through Soggy Roots, which will impede progress until they are cut down.
Once ready, players will need to head to an area that contains an exposed pipe, which can be found in between the sandbox and picnic table. In fact, players may be able to see it on the map as the exposed pipe has just a tiny amount of water as well. After jumping into the pipe, players will need to swim through a cracked section and clear out the soggy roots along the way until they come across the key.
With the key in hand, Grounded players can head back to the Minotaur Maze's End to unlock the chest.
Picnic Chip Unlocks
After turning in the Picnic Chip to BURG.L, players unlock the following upgrades:
- Sign Set: Food Stuff - For 4,000 Raw Science, this gives players a collection of new ideas to display inside the decorative sign frame.
- SCA.B Scanner: Milk Molars - Arguably an important upgrade, for 5,000 Raw Science, players can use the scanner to track down every hidden Milk Molar to further upgrade their character.
- Mint Mace - For 2,500 Raw Science, players can unlock the recipe to make this tier 3 weapon.
Grounded is available for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.