'Grounded: Shroom and Doom': How to Find the Broodmother
The Broodmother is a formidable boss encounter that will be introduced to Grounded as part of the Shroom and Doom update.
Among other features, the new patch adds tameable insects that players can adopt as pets, harvestable mushroom resources and an oven facility for crafting unique items. Yet the headline attraction is surely the Broodmother, a towering arachnid with demonic red eyes that is now the largest—and scariest—enemy in the game.
The Broodmother was technically part of Grounded's initial launch in 2020, but she was quickly removed so she could be redesigned and made into a more intimidating opponent. The Shroom and Doom expansion (which was announced a couple of weeks ago at E3) ushers in her return.
If you tried to defeat the prototype Broodmother in a previous build of Grounded, you might think you know what to expect. Be warned, however: she has been given a significant upgrade and has been relocated to an entirely different spot on the map.
The Broodmother's Location in 'Grounded'
The Shroom and Doom expansion has been available in a public test server version of Grounded for a while now. As such, we can confirm that, when the official update goes live at 1 p.m ET on Wednesday, June 30, the Broodmother will be located in the hedge region of the map.
Developer Obsidian Entertainment has also verified this in an email to Newsweek.
To find the Broodmother's lair, go to the hedge in the bottom right corner of the map and look for the "Flingman Flying Disc" landmark. Incidentally, this is where the creature used to spawn before she was taken out of the game.
Once you have found the frisbee, you will notice a winding branch that leads up into the Broodmother's lair. You will know if you are heading in the right direction because you will suddenly find yourself plunged into impenetrable darkness and surrounded by ominous webbing.
How to Summon the Broodmother in 'Grounded'
The Broodmother will not immediately attack you when you enter the lair. Instead, you will need to coax the boss from her hiding place with a special lure item.
Known as the "Broodmother BLT," this concoction will need to be prepared in one of the game's new ovens. The recipe calls for two bombardier parts, two ladybug parts and one thistle needle.
Once you have collected these ingredients and prepared the BLT in an oven, you will be able to summon the Broodmother. To do this, head towards the nest of eggs situated at the back of the cave and interact with them to put down the bait.
At this point, the Broodmother will descend from the ceiling and the horrifying boss battle will commence.
How to Turn on Arachnophobia Safe Mode in 'Grounded'
Even if you have a crippling fear of spiders, you can still enjoy the Broodmother encounter in Grounded. All you need to do is open the pause menu, head to options and delve into the accessibility settings.
There, you will find an "Arachnophobia Safe Mode" slider, which can be adjusted on a scale of zero to 5. Depending on which number you choose, the spider models will be rendered in less and less detail, as you gradually remove their facial features, textures and even their body parts.
If you crank it up all the way to 5, the Broodmother will be depicted as a floating blob that is nothing like a spider. It will still be capable of damaging you, of course, but it will not look quite so terrifying.
Grounded is available for $29.99 through Steam or the Xbox Store. It is also included in the Xbox Game Pass service.
