Epic survival on a tiny scale
Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded is the game survival enthusiasts never asked for. With its vibrant story, it’s never been this much fun to explore your yard.
Survive on your own or in a team
Grounded lets you fight horrors and solve mysteries in your backyard. It’s an exciting survival game that makes tiny the next big thing.
Grounded is an epic survival game scaled down to the size of an ant. Instead of dealing with dinosaurs like those in ARK, you’ll be fighting spiders, aphids, and other common garden insects as you try to get back to your normal size.
Unlike most survival games such as Rust that feature a simple narrative, Grounded has an actual storyline, with quests to complete and mysteries to solve. The gameplay is somewhat reminiscent of Subnautica, but still offers several distinctive mechanics.
You can play offline on your own or recruit up to four friends to play together online. With a massively tiny world to explore, having a few extra pairs of eyes can make Grounded feel slightly less challenging and lighten the crafting workload.
The arachnophobia slider is one of the most exceptional features in the game. Considering how many creepy critters are out to get you, being able to make the spiders less scary is a nice touch from Obsidian. Of course, you can always feed one of your four co-op compatriots to the spiders while you flee.
Where can you run this program?
Grounded is exclusively for Xbox One and PC. You’ll need Windows 7 or better, 4GB RAM, and an NVIDIA GTX 650 Ti or better.
Is there a better alternative?
No. The closest you’ll get is Smalland, which has a similar setting, and Subnautica, with similar mechanics. Despite these similarities, Grounded’s design and unique elements make it stand out from competitors.
Our take
If you’re a fan of survival games, you can’t go wrong with Grounded. It’s challenging without being obnoxious, features multiplayer gameplay, and turns your regular backyard critters into giant, petrifying monsters.
Should you download it?
Yes. Grounded is an exciting and challenging survival game. Despite its similarities to other survival titles, its unique story makes it worth every penny.