Grounded review

Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded invites players into an imaginative world where the backyard becomes an alien planet. Shrunk to insect size, players must survive amidst towering grass blades, resourceful ants, and lurking spiders. It’s part survival sim, part sci-fi mystery, and entirely absorbing. Blending solid crafting systems with co-op exploration and dynamic world-building, Grounded feels like a small-scale epic with large ambitions.

Survival from a New Perspective

The moment the game begins, you’re dropped into a vibrant and oversized garden that instantly feels hostile and intriguing. You control one of four teens—Max, Willow, Hoops, or Pete—who awaken to find themselves miniaturized with no clear explanation. The main objective? Survive long enough to uncover the secrets of the garden and, eventually, return to normal size.

At first, it’s all about foraging for food, crafting basic tools, and avoiding combat. But as you progress, the systems deepen. You’ll build fortified bases, upgrade armor, and even engineer zipline networks. What’s brilliant is how Grounded transforms ordinary objects—a juice box, a toy dinosaur—into monumental landmarks full of gameplay opportunity.

Multiplayer-Driven Exploration

Grounded shines brightest when played in co-op mode. Up to four players can team up to gather resources, defend against insect raids, and complete quests. It’s a game that encourages teamwork but never demands it. Solo play is entirely viable but more intense, as multitasking becomes more difficult when fending off both starvation and spiders.

One highlight is the game’s rich environmental diversity. The sandbox evolves with updates, adding biomes like the Koi Pond, the Haze, and the Upper Yard. Each area introduces new enemies, resources, and hazards, rewarding bold exploration. This world isn’t static—it grows, adapts, and occasionally terrifies.

Combat, Crafting, and Customization

Combat in Grounded is deliberately tense. Enemies like stinkbugs, spiders, and mosquitoes are lethal, especially early on. Thankfully, the game offers extensive gear customization. Players can craft weapons with elemental enhancements, build specialized armor, and apply status-boosting mutations for additional strategy.

Crafting is both functional and fun. Everything from makeshift torches to bug-based armor sets feels well thought-out. The building system is intuitive too—perfect for players who want to turn their base into a fortress, a lab, or even a sky bridge spanning the yard.

Audio and Visual Design

What truly elevates Grounded is its presentation. The stylized visuals strike a great balance between realism and cartoonish clarity. The lighting effects shift dramatically between sunny afternoons and eerie moonlit nights, while swaying grass and buzzing insects add immersion.

Sound design plays a huge role in tension. You’ll hear the hiss of an approaching spider before you see it. Environmental cues—rustling leaves, distant bug wings—keep you on edge. The musical score, while subtle, escalates at the right moments and reinforces the feeling of being small in a large, wild world.

A Story That Creeps In

Beyond survival, Grounded builds a compelling mystery. Scattered across the yard are abandoned science labs, strange audio logs, and robotic remnants of a failed experiment. Bit by bit, you uncover what happened in this backyard laboratory gone wrong, giving the game narrative momentum beyond simply staying alive.

Recent updates have introduced a complete campaign with an actual ending, a welcome addition for story-focused players. It’s a rare treat in survival games where story is often an afterthought. Here, the lore feels just as important as crafting a better axe.

How to download and install Grounded

Grounded is available to download through the Xbox Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam. It's included in Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC users, allowing free access to subscribers. Otherwise, it must be purchased.

The game is playable on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC. There are no official versions for PlayStation, Switch, or mobile at this time. Installation is simple—choose your platform’s store, locate the game, and start the download. Cloud saves and cross-play are supported between Xbox and PC.

Minimum system requirements for PC include Windows 10, 8GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 processor, and an NVIDIA GTX 770 GPU. There is no APK version of Grounded; unofficial mobile ports are not supported or secure. The game is only officially available on listed platforms.

In restricted environments such as schools or workplaces, players may face blocked access. Using a secure VPN or accessing via unblocked networks like home internet or cloud services can restore availability.