Thanks to Grounded's spider-phobia mode, Obsidian, the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"-style survival game that launched in Early Access yesterday and topped the Steam charts and Twitch, thankfully, a giant spider already provides a way to avoid crying at the sight of a giant spider.

I agree with Andy that video games have a problem with giant insects, and that includes spiders, mollusks, and other insect-adjacent creatures and all other creepy creatures. Spiders are the design prop for monsters, but the spiders in "Grounded" are truly terrifying. They are huge, swift, and have large unblinking eyes that turn red when hostile.

In arachnophobic mode, the spiders can be made smaller and smaller, until they are just an amorphous mass. Of course, one might find being chased by an amorphous alien even more unpleasant than being hunted by a spider. The exhilaration of chasing a spider may be worth the fear, and trying to outrun a spider through tree-laden grass is an experience worth trying at least once.

The other creatures that lurk in the grounded garden are equally memorable. They all behave differently and feel like part of a small ecosystem. When you first start exploring, you have no idea how ants and mites will react to you or how hard it will be to fight or escape them.

The Early Access version now includes three biomes, crafting, bases, online co-op, 10 insects, two levels of weapons and armor, and story groundwork, along with a spider-phobia mode.

Grounded is in Early Access until next year, although Obsidian has not committed to a schedule; it is available on Steam and the Microsoft Store for £25/$30; it is also available on Xbox Game Pass for PC;