In Grounded, like most survival games, you’re lost without your workbench. Sure, the enemies may be ants, gnats, and beeltes rather than sharks, zombies, or wolves, but the core systems of Grounded still rely heavily on the workbench.
With that in mind, you’ll need to know how to build a bench, as well as what you can make once you have one. Here’s everything you need to know about the workbench in Grounded.
How to Build a Workbench in Grounded
Before you can use the workbench, you’ll need to build it. For that, there’s a simple recipe of (thankfully) some pretty abundant resources. You’ll need:
- 3x grass plank
- 4x sprig
- 2x sap
Grass planks are the most plentiful. You get them just by cutting down blades of grass. You normally get about three planks at a time, so just a single blade of grass should get you going.
For sprigs, you’ll want to look around on the ground. The smallest green sprouts are actually plant fibers, which are also crucial, but the other taller sprouts are the sprigs (pictured below).
With those in hand, you’ll need a bit of sap, which are the amber-colored droplets found on and around various plants. These aren’t as common as the other ingredients, but they’re still quite abundant. Just don’t confuse them with the more yellow-orange nectar droplets, which are actually a food item.
Once you have all three items, you can craft a workbench in your crafting menu under the utilities banner.
You’ll need to pick a safe space for the workbench. While the game has plenty of shelter pieces to build, like grass walls, doors, and roofs, you won’t be able to make any of those until you get the Level 2 axe.
In the meantime, the safest place we’ve found is inside any of the empty soda cans left hanging around the backyard.Head inside one you like the location of, and lay down your workbench.
While you’re at it, build a lean-to, which serves as a resting space and respawn beacon. You can also really make it feel like a home by adding stuff like lamps, a fire for cooking food, and a waypoint so you never lose your way. As you can see below, my humble abode has all the necessities.
What You Can and Can’t Craft at a Workbench
It should be noted that a workbench isn’t the gateway to all your crafting needs. Many smaller items can be built without ever having a workbench at all.
The workbench is really the threshold between the earliest unlocks, where basic survival is key, and the next level up, where you can start to get comfortable and think about settling down someplace.
With that in mind, there’s a simple way to know what does and does not require a workbench.
In your crafting menu, any blueprint or recipe with the workbench icon to the right of it must be built at a workbench. This includes armor. Once you have the workbench, armor should come as your next priority.
Anything that doesn’t include the workbench icon can be crafted on the fly, such as tools, arrows, and health items.
Related Content
That’s all you need to know about the Grounded workbench so far. Hopefully, this guide gets you off on the right foot as you head deep into the exotic jungles of your own backyard. For more guides on Grounded, check for more tips here.
