Grounded is a new co-op survival game from Obsidian, the company most famous for their classic role playing games. Grounded is quite a big departure for the studio, but so far their take on the survival game formula seems to be working.
It has a very “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” setup and aesthetic, putting you in the shoes of kids who have been shrunk down and must navigate their back yard from an ant’s eye perspective. It’s very convincing with it’s point of view, surrounding you with a forest of tall grass, clovers, and dandelions. You’ll find basic every day things like baseballs and rakes that all appear massive before your small stature. You’ll even find some mysterious technology you can investigate to uncover a story full of secrets hidden around the yard.
The game’s survival mechanics are very manageable, requiring you to keep tabs on your hunger and thirst. The tutorial will guide you through making basic items you will need to survive and does a good job getting you started while slowly leading you toward the main objectives. If there’s one complaint I have it’s that clean water is sometimes hard to comes by early on, but my tip for that is to build a dew trap as soon as possible. There are several difficulty options to choose from to tailor your experience, including a Creative Mode and great “arachnophobia” accessibility slider.
For an early access game, Grounded has a very solid foundation. It’s unique setting and simple, but deep gameplay make it great for casual and hardcore players. It’s fun to explore the world alone or with friends and has an intriguing story that’s far from complete, but promises a much bigger world than you ever thought could fit under your feet.
Grounded is currently available on Xbox One, the Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass, and Steam.
