Pet houses in Grounded are fundamental structures that serve as a dedicated home for your tamed creatures, offering a safe haven, essential care, and various benefits that enhance both your pet's well-being and your gameplay experience. They are crucial for players who have successfully tamed a pet and wish to provide it with a proper base within their operations.
Understanding Pet Houses in Grounded
A pet house functions as the primary residence for one of your tamed pets, such as an Aphid, Weevil, or Gnat. Once you've successfully tamed a creature over time, assigning it to a pet house becomes the next step in solidifying its place in your base. These houses allow your pets to rest, heal, and receive beneficial effects, making them more effective companions during your adventures in the backyard.
Unlocking and Crafting Your Pet House
Before you can build a pet house, you need to acquire its blueprint. This process involves analyzing certain resources at a Field Station or a Research & Development station. Typically, discovering and analyzing new materials like Acorn Shells or specific bug parts will unlock new building recipes, including the pet house.
Once the blueprint is unlocked, you can craft the Pet House at a Workbench. The required materials generally include:
- Acorn Shell: Provides the sturdy frame.
- Grass Planks: Forms the walls and roof.
- Weed Stems: Used for structural support.
- Other common resources found in the backyard.
For more details on crafting, visit the official Grounded Wiki.
How Pet Houses Work with Tamed Pets
The core functionality of a pet house revolves around its interaction with your tamed companion. Here's a breakdown of how it works:
- Pet Assignment: After taming a pet (which involves repeatedly feeding it its favorite food), you can interact with the pet house to assign that specific pet to it. Each pet house can only accommodate one pet.
- Rest and Healing: Pets assigned to a house will automatically return there when not actively following you or engaging in combat. While resting inside, they will slowly regenerate health over time, ensuring they are ready for their next outing.
- Mood Buffs: A well-cared-for pet that regularly rests in its house often receives positive mood buffs. These buffs can translate into various in-game advantages, such as increased combat effectiveness, improved resource gathering, or even unique passive abilities that aid the player.
- Safe Haven: The pet house acts as a designated safe spot, preventing your pet from wandering off too far or becoming an easy target for hostile insects while you are busy with other tasks.
- Pet Management: Interacting with the pet house allows you to check on your pet's status, feed it directly, or issue basic commands, streamlining the management of your beloved companion.
Benefits of Utilizing Pet Houses
Incorporating pet houses into your base offers several advantages for both pet longevity and player convenience:
- Enhanced Pet Survival: By providing a safe and healing space, pet houses significantly increase the survivability of your pets against the many dangers of the backyard.
- Passive Buffs: Healthy and happy pets can offer various passive benefits to the player, making challenges easier to overcome.
- Organized Pet Care: Centralizes pet management, making it easier to monitor their health, hunger, and overall mood.
- Reduced Risk of Loss: Pets are less likely to get lost or despawn when they have a designated home to return to.
Here's a quick overview of key features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Pet Assignment | Designate a specific tamed pet to its own house. |
| Health Restore | Pets regain health automatically while resting inside. |
| Mood Enhancement | Contributes to positive pet mood, potentially unlocking beneficial buffs for the player. |
| Safe Retreat | Provides a secure location for pets, protecting them from wandering and hostile bug encounters. |
| Centralized Care | Allows for easy interaction to feed, check status, and manage your pet's needs. |
Pet houses are an integral part of pet ownership in Grounded, transforming your tamed companions from simple followers into valuable, well-cared-for members of your survival team.
