Grounded: How To Get Into The Sandbox [Guide]

• The Sandbox is one of the most dangerous areas in Grounded and players will meet their end if they venture there unprepared.
• There are two different paths that players can choose to get into the sandbox; one is through the zipline on the picnic table while the other is through the Black Anthill.
• The sandbox is Grounded is equivalent to a desert so players will have to deal with debuffs and the sizzle effect while exploring the area.

If you are the type of player who likes to explore a lot then there will come a time when you start wondering about how to get into the Sandbox area in Grounded. The Sandbox is one of the most dangerous and trickiest places to get to thus in this guide, we will inform you of two different paths you can take to get to the Sandbox area.

How To Get Into The Sandbox Area

One thing to remember is that the Sandbox is a very dangerous area and your character will meet their end if you venture into the sandbox unprepared. Here we will be listing two different ways that you can follow to achieve your goal.

With The Help Of The Picnic Table

The first thing you need to do is to head toward the Leaning Shovel area beside the picnic table as seen in the image above. Once you are there then look behind the shovel and you will see a cracked rock. Players can blow up the rock by using bombs such as the bratburst or a splitburst. The shovel will then fall onto the table and form a bridge that players can use to get onto the table.

Once you have reached on top of the Shovel Handle, we wouldn’t recommend jumping from there as you will take fall damage, instead just jump off the shovel handle as you reach near the table’s surface. Do mind the bees because they will get aggressive and start attacking you if you get too close.

Once you are on the table, start heading left, to the edge of the table. Players will spot a wooden bar that leads to the opposite side of the table. Once you are on the other side, start climbing the books and you will reach the cooler box. Hit its handle with a tier 2 hammer and it will form another small bridge that will take you to the top of the table.

There will be quite a few things worth checking out at the top of the picnic table but the one thing you are looking for is beneath the orange book. You will find a pre-set zipline that leads straight to the sandbox as seen in the image below. If you are interested, why not read our guide on how do zipline work in Grounded?

Players will need 12 silk ropes to make it usable. Where there are silk ropes, there will also be spiders so consider reading our How To Kill Spiders guide if they end up giving you a hard time.

How To Craft Bombs

In order to drop the shovel, you will need a bomb. While both the bratburst and the splitburst bombs will do the job fine, the ingredients required to craft the bratburst bomb are relatively easier to acquire thus here we will only be covering how to craft the bratburst bomb to save the reader’s time.

The ingredients required to craft the bratburst are x2 Fungal Growth, x1 Red Ant Egg, and x4 Dry Grass Chunks.

Fungal Growth can only be obtained by killing the infected bugs but the problem is that the infected bugs are found in the Haze and players will need a gas mask if they wish the explore the Haze area, a gas mask is also required if you wish to reach the sandbox area through the Black Anthill but we will get to that later.

Thankfully, players can also find some infected bugs at the boundaries of the haze where a gas mask is not required. You can see the location of those infected bugs on the image below.

A Red Ant Egg can be found inside the Red Ant Hill, we would recommend bringing a torch here so you don’t get lost in the anthill as it basically a maze down there. Also, bring your weapon and armor with you as the Red Ants are going to protect their home with everything they got. Start exploring a bit and you will find a Red Ant Egg in little time. The location of the Red Anthill is shown in the picture below.

Dry Grass on the other hand can be found very easily in the world of Grounded as they are common materials. Once you have obtained the ingredients then simply craft the bomb and destroy the rock behind the shovel.

Through The Black Anthill

Players can also use the Black Anthill to reach the sandbox area. The entrance to Black Anthill is located Trash Heap biome near the trash bags behind the sandbox area. A word of caution, you will need to gas mask if you wish to survive in the Trash Heap biome.

Once you enter the Black Anthill, start exploring as the exit of this Anthill will spew you out into the Sandbox area. This area has some powerful bugs so equip yourself with your best weapon and armor before venturing into the Anthill. While we are on the topic, consider reading our guides on the best weapons and armor in Grounded.

What Is In The Sandbox Area

Before players start exploring this area, one thing they should know is that the Sandbox is the equivalent of a desert in Grounded. What that means is this area can inflict debuffs and the sizzle effect on your character. To make matters worse, this biome is home to a few of the most punishing enemies in the game.

Before you start exploring this area, be sure to equip your best weapons and armor. The only reason why this area is worth exploring is that it contains some hidden treasures that can be dug up. Exploring this area is undoubtedly a huge risk, but it can reward you with some rare materials if you are daring enough to take the risk.

If you are planning on building an outpost in this area, then we would recommend building it at the southeastern corner, as there is also an oasis in that section. You will have access to water and materials that can make exploration of this area much more forgiving.

How To Get Sizzle Protection

Before getting into the sandbox, you need to know about the sizzle effect that you will encounter in the sandbox and how to protect yourself from it. Sizzle is a harmful effect in Grounded, you will see a red sizzling meter on the top of your screen which fills up due to the sizzle effect. Once the sizzling meter gets filled up, you’ll see red heat waves that reduce HP very quickly when it is left untreated. 

Therefore, you’ll need to protect yourself from the sizzle if you want to explore the Sandbox area successfully. We recommend a few ways to get sizzle protection in the Sandbox Area of the Grounded.

• One way to protect yourself from the sizzle is by unlocking the Antlion Armor Set. This Armor Set will definitely take care of the sizzle and provide high resistance to protect your body from the sizzle.
• The second most effective way is through Fresh Defence Mutation. To gain fresh defense mutation, you’ll need to eat Mint Shards. It actually reduces the sizzling rate. By eating the first Mint Shard, you’ll get a 25 percent sizzle rate reduction while eating 10 Mint Shards will grant you a 75 percent of sizzle rate reduction.
• The third way that you should also consider is to explore the Sandbox Area during nighttime. As the Sizzle effect is only harmful under the Sun, but as the Sun goes down or you are in the Shadow, the effect will not be harmful anymore.

Keeping in mind all three ways and using their combinations will help you get maximum sizzle protection in the Grounded.

Gear Recommendations

Here are some gears that we’ll recommend to you befoe getting into the Sandbox. And the reason why we choose them.

• Black Ant Sword: The black ant sword provides a good amount of damage that will help in dealing with the Antlions. We’ll recommend leveling it to level five to get you over the line.
• Black Ant Sheild: The Black Ant shield is going to help you in boosting your blocking ability. Even if you are not good at perfect blocking, you can still just hold the shield and tank them most of the time without taking any damage.
• Spider Armor: The reason we choose spider armor is for of the stamina. You’ll definitely need a lot of stamina for the maximum blocking and also you’ll need to swing the sword as fast as possible. 

That concludes our guide on how to get into the sandbox area in Grounded. The game is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.

Next: Grounded: How To Reach Upper Yard