You’re standing in the grass. It’s towering over you like a redwood forest, and suddenly, the skittering starts. If you’ve spent any time in Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded, you know that the backyard isn't just a survival sandbox—it’s a data-collection nightmare for completionists. The Grounded creature cards are the heart of that obsession. They aren't just digital flavor text; they are the difference between a successful hunt and becoming spider food. Honestly, most people treat the PEEP.R like a gimmick, but if you’re looking to hit that 100% "Super Win" report card, these cards are basically your bible.
Let’s get real.
The backyard is lethal. You can have the best Mint Mace in the world, but if you don't understand the elemental weaknesses found on these cards, you’re just swinging in the dark. There are dozens of creatures, from the lowly Aphid to the terrifying Schmector, and each one has a card that dictates how you should approach the fight.
Why Grounded Creature Cards Are Actually the Most Important Tool in Your Inventory
Most players think the game is about building the biggest base. It's not. It’s about information. When you use the PEEP.R (that’s your binocular vision mode, for the uninitiated) to scan an insect, you unlock its card. This is where the magic happens. The card tells you three vital things: what it’s weak to, what it resists, and what loot it drops.
Wait. There’s a catch.
Simply scanning a creature gives you the standard card. If you want the "Gold" version, you’re in for a grind. It’s a random drop chance upon looting a defeated enemy. Some people get lucky and pull a Gold Card on their first kill. Others? They’re 400 Red Ants deep and still staring at a silver border. It’s frustrating. It’s tedious. It’s exactly why the community has a love-hate relationship with the gold hunt.
The Rarity Factor
Getting every single one of the Grounded creature cards in gold is the ultimate flex. It doesn't actually change the stats of the bugs, but it does contribute to the "Trapper PEEP.R" mutation. This mutation increases your critical hit damage. If you’re playing on "Whoa!" difficulty, that extra crit damage isn't a luxury—it’s a necessity. You need it to end fights before a stray pebble or a rogue mosquito ends you.
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Think about the Crow. You can't kill it. You can't even really "fight" it. But you can scan it. That one scan gives you the card. Easy, right? Now compare that to the Infected Broodmother. You have to summon her, survive a multi-phase boss fight that feels like a fever dream, and then hope the RNG gods smile on you if you're hunting gold. It's a wide spectrum of difficulty.
The Strategy for Completing Your Collection
If you’re serious about this, stop wandering aimlessly. You need a path.
Start with the easy stuff. Harmless creatures like Aphids, Weevils, and Gnats should be scanned immediately. Don't kill them first. Scan. Then loot. You'll want to focus on the "Harmful" category next. These are your bread-and-butter enemies: Red Ants, Lawn Mites, and Orb Weaverlings.
The real challenge comes with the "Angry" and "Boss" categories.
Breaking Down the Bosses
Boss cards are unique because you can't just stumble upon them. You have to work for it.
- The Hedge Broodmother: Found in the Hedge Lab. You need the Broodmother BLT.
- The Mantis: Located in the Floral Pot on the shed porch. Requires the Orchid Mantis Kebab.
- The Wasp Queen: Hidden in the Brawny Boy Bin.
- Director Schmector: The secret end-game boss located under the Moldorc Castle.
You only get one shot at some of these per summon. If you don't get the Gold Card, you have to craft the summoning item again. It's a loop. A grindy, difficult, yet strangely satisfying loop.
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What People Miss About Weaknesses
The cards list weaknesses like "Chopping," "Smashing," "Stabbing," or "Fresh." This isn't just flavor. If a creature is weak to "Busting" (the hammer icon), using a sword will feel like hitting a brick wall with a wet noodle. For example, the Ladybug is a tank early on. But if you look at its card, you'll see it hates Smashing damage. Grab a hammer, and suddenly that tank becomes a pinata.
The Mystery of the Gold Card Drop Rates
Obsidian hasn't always been transparent about the exact percentages, but the community—specifically researchers on the Grounded Wiki and various Discord data-miners—has pegged the general drop rate for Gold Cards at about 1% for common creatures and 10% for bosses.
1%. That’s brutal.
You’ll see players building "grinding traps" just to farm Gold Cards. They’ll lure hundreds of Red Ants into a kill zone just to speed up the looting process. Is it overkill? Maybe. But when you’re 80 hours into a save file and that one card is missing, you’ll do anything. It’s a psychological trap. You start seeing the backyard as a spreadsheet rather than a world.
The Mutation Connection
You cannot maximize your character without these cards. The Trapper PEEP.R mutation is tiers-based.
- Phase 1: Collect 20 Gold Cards.
- Phase 2: Collect 40 Gold Cards.
- Phase 3: Collect 60 Gold Cards.
If you aren't scanning everything that moves, you're leaving power on the table. It’s that simple. Most players forget to scan the "Passive" creatures. They ignore the Tadpoles in the pond or the Water Boatmen. Don't be that player. Scan the fish. Scan the tiny bugs. Scan the things that don't fight back.
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Common Misconceptions About Creature Cards
One big myth is that you need Gold Cards to get the "good" ending. You don't. You just need the regular cards (the scans) to fill out the data. The Gold version is purely for the mutation and the 100% completion score.
Another mistake? Thinking you can miss cards. Almost every creature in the game can be found again, or summoned again, so you aren't "locked out" of the 100% completion. Even the robots in the labs—if you missed scanning a TAYZ.T or a RUR.U, you can usually find more in the secret areas or the later labs like the Undershed.
The Robot Problem
Speaking of robots, they are often the hardest cards to finish. Unlike bugs, they don't respawn indefinitely in some areas. If you clear a lab and forget to scan the robots, you might find yourself scouring the map for the few remaining spawns. Always, always PEEP before you pull the trigger.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Backyard Scientist
If you're staring at a half-empty data tab, here is how you fix it without losing your mind.
- Bind the PEEP.R to a comfortable key. On a controller, it’s usually down on the D-pad. On PC, make it something you can hit instantly. Get into the habit of "peeping" every new room you enter.
- Farm the Bosses early. Don't leave the Broodmother for the very end of your playthrough. If you want that Gold Card, you might need to fight her five or six times. Spread those fights out so you don't burn out on the resource gathering.
- Focus on the "Easy" Gold Cards first. Go to the Red Ant hill with a high-tier weapon and just clear it out daily. It takes five minutes, and it’s a high-volume way to trigger a Gold Card drop.
- Check your "Data" tab frequently. Look for the grayed-out silhouettes. If you see a silhouette you don't recognize, Google the location immediately. It’s usually something obscure like a Meaty Gnat near the trash pile or a specific type of spiderling.
- Don't ignore the "Loot" section. Some cards reveal that a creature drops a rare resource you’ve been struggling to find. The cards aren't just for combat; they’re for crafting logistics.
The Grounded creature cards system is a deep dive into the ecology of a suburban lawn. It turns a survival game into a collection RPG. While the 1% drop rate for Gold Cards can feel like a slap in the face, the satisfaction of finally seeing that gold border pop up is one of the best feelings in the game. It’s proof that you’ve mastered the yard.
Now, stop reading and go scan that Crow before it flies away again. You’re going to need that data.