Spiders in Grounded are something you probably won't stand a chance against until your gear is significantly upgraded from your starter stuff - and even then you'll probably want to avoid them. The Spiders here are so dangerous and terrifying that the game even has an Arachnophobia Safe Mode that makes them less visually scary by simplifying their designs right down to a blob. So, whether you want to know how to kill them outright or make them less scary, my guide will cover everything you need to know.
How to turn on Arachnophobia Safe Mode in Grounded
Grounded Arachnophobia Safe Mode is an option that altera the appearance of spiders in the game and make them look less spidery, which is particularly handy if you have a fear of them. This Arachnophobia Safe Mode is found at the top of the Accessibility menu, which can be reached from the main menu or by pausing the game and selecting Options.
There are six distinct levels of Grounded spider appearance you can set with the slider, as follows:
- 0: Standard spider appearance.
- 1: Spider has fewer legs.
- 2: Spider has no legs and a floating body.
- 3: Spider has a floating body and no fangs.
- 4: Spider has a more rounded floating body and head.
- 5: Spider has a textureless rounded floating body and head.
So, if you push the Arachnophobia Safe Mode slider all the way up, the spiders will basically become nondescript floating blobs that will be a lot easier to look at. Do note that their behaviour and difficulty will remain the same, so this won't make them any easier to escape or defeat. There's also no way to remove all their eyes, as eyes are an indicator of behaviour in Grounded – if they turn red, it means the owners of those eyes are in combat. Taking those away would put you at a disadvantage and make it harder to understand them.
How to kill spiders in Grounded
The best way to deal with a Grounded spider generally is to simply run away from it. Until you improve your gear to at least tier 2 you'll get destroyed by any level of them fast. Keep an eye out for them while you explore as they tend to patrol set hunting grounds, and while Orb Weavers mark their territory with webs (try not to get stuck in them!) the Wolf Spiders don't, so look for the tell-tale shifting of grass and panting noise they often have to give away their movements. Unless you want a tricky, resource draining fight that will ruin your Grounded armor, allow a wide berth if you detect spiders in the area, and be ready to dash away if they detect you.
Once you get your gear to level 2 or beyond and decide it's time to actually fight a Grounded spider, the safest approach is to engage in ranged combat – ideally finding yourself some high ground where the arachnid can't reach you then shooting downwards with a bow and arrow to wear them out. Be careful if you take them on in direct combat, as they often have spiderlings around them, or even half-grown Orb Weavers called Orb Weaver Jrs. It's easy to become overwhelmed in those situations, so be ready to back off and try fighting them one at a time by using the environment to your advantage. Make sure you're also your blocking against their attacks, as without this you're destined to take considerable damage and fail in melee combat.
There's one other thing worth knowing – all Spiders, Wolf and Orb Weaver, are obsessed by the smell of Stink Bug Parts. If you've killed a Stink Bug and put the parts in a container in your base, nearby Spiders will smell them and try to break in to get them, smashing through walls and refusing to leave them alone. It's a thing you need to be very wary about, and likewise putting a Stink Bug and Spider in the same area is guaranteed to end in carnage as the two fight.
Each type of Grounded spider has its own particular Weaknesses and Resistances, which you can discover by aiming your PEEP.R binoculars at one then scanning it. Once scanned, head to the Data tab in the menu the scroll down the Creature Cards to highlight the particular spider you're interested in.
For example, Orb Weavers have a weakness to Spicy weapons, so if you can imbue that trait into your arsenal then you'll have an easier time defeating them, while they are resistant to Stabbing and Fresh weapons so you don't want to be jabbing them with a minty spear! Take a minute to study a Grounded spider before you launch into combat, and you may discover an approach that will work much better against it.
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