Grounded swims with the fishes in the Koi Pond update
Spiders? In water? Unbelievable.
Honey I Shrunk The Kids 'em up Grounded has taken a step into the deep end. The next update for Obsidian's teeny tiny survival sandbox opens up the Koi Pond, letting you dive into murky puddles while evading dangerous goldfish and submerged spiders. The pool will open for everyone next month - but if you're feeling antsy, you can dive in right now via the public test server.
Don't worry, folks - the Koi Pond's new Diving Bell Spiders are just as susceptible to Grounded's arachnophobia safe mode.
Naturally, the headline act of the Koi Pond update is the fabulous fish itself. Koi may seem fairly chill from our regular human scale - but at a few millimetres tall, they're deadly, shark-like beasts. Survive and take down one of these brutes, and you'll be able to fashion new armour out of its skin, Monster Hunter style. They're not alone, either. Diving Bell Spiders are a cruel reminder that not even water can save you from eight-legged freaks. Tadpoles and Water Boatmen provide more passive companions, while the existing water flea has been riled up into a more hostile form.
The update also comes with a raft (hah) of features and fixes to help adapt the game to more nautical play, new materials to pick up in the deep, and new loot to scrounge up. Backpacks dropped while submerged will float to the surface, while waterborne structures will drift back ashore over time. Of course, there's also a more general selection of fixes visible over on the official patch notes.
If you feel like getting your feet wet, you can pop into the pond right now via the game's public test server. As with most Microsoft joints, you'll need to be an Xbox Insider - with full instructions for jumping in over on the Grounded Insider Flight page. Otherwise, expect to hop in when the November update arrives sometime next month.
Grounded is available on Steam for £25/€30/$30, and the Xbox Games Pass. Sin reckons it's got brilliant wee ants, and if that's not a sale I'm not sure what is.