Grounded is a stunning survival video game that puts you in the shoes of a bug, quite literally. It explores what your backyard would look like if you were the size of an ant. It takes being a fan of the classic movie ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ to a whole new level.
Grounded came out in July 2020 and gave us a glimpse of what life would be like if you were only a few millimeters tall. It’s exciting and terrifying to see things like bottle caps, ladybugs, paper clips, and fireflies be taller than you.
The idea of creating your own materials out of various bug parts, plants, and other things scattered around your background is just so much fun. You also get to craft clothes, weapons, and armor sets in Grounded. If you’ve played Grounded, you’ll know that the building and crafting mechanics are some of the best parts of the game.
With unique mechanics, a fun perspective, and a quirky storyline, it can be hard to find games that feel exactly like Grounded. There are some great options, though, and we’ve picked out 9 exciting survival games like Grounded to check out in this article.
9. Astroneer
The first game on our list is an out-of-this-world space exploration game, Astroneer. Astroneer is a sandbox-type game like Grounded. It’s set during the 25th century’s Intergalactic Age of Discovery, where Astoneers risk their lives to uncover the mysteries of the universe.
One of the best things about Grounded is exploring and surviving in the harsh conditions of your backyard. Well, Astoneer takes you to outer space and gets you to do the same. You get to explore planets and try to craft your necessities from various materials.
Astoneer’s graphics style is very cartoonish, but in a good way. They are very easy on the eyes, and the colors pop out, helping make the world look very alive. It’s one of the most unique games set in space, for sure.
You can also build various complex bases using your trusty 3D printer. You can then unlock upgrades and new buildings as you progress in the game.
Another fun thing in Astroneer that makes it similar to Grounded is the ability to play with your friends and explore the world together. You should definitely try Astroneer if you’re looking for games like Grounded with unique settings.
8. Rust
Rust is another game similar to Grounded. Rust is more multiplayer-focused, though, as it’s a fully online multiplayer game. If you enjoy playing games like Grounded with your friends, you will also enjoy playing Rust with them.
In Rust, you drop onto a mysterious island armed with nothing but a rock and a torch. From here, you’ll need to gather materials, craft tools, find food, and create shelter in order to survive.
Rust is a survival game. It’s every man for himself when it comes to it, and you’ll have to do anything to survive. In Rust, you can raid other peoples’ shelters and steal their items. However, others can also raid your house, so make sure to leave traps to defend it from intruders.
Apart from fending off other players, you’ll also need to be careful of the wildlife who will attack your character. Additionally, you can also die from environmental elements like drowning, freezing, and radiation.
This is one of the most engaging survival games on Steam.
Rust is a fun game as long as you can commit to it. It’s more fun playing it with friends and trying to raid other bases. Unfortunately, it’s not a game for everyone, so you might want to continue reading to find better survival games like Grounded.
7. Minecraft
Next up, we have one of the most popular games on the list, and it is a game that almost every gamer knows about. It’s none other than good old Minecraft.
Minecraft has been around for a long time. It’s a limitless open-world sandbox game with various game modes. It’s mainly recognizable for its world that’s made up of blocks and other block-like elements, and it’s had a huge impact on the gaming industry.
Minecraft is the original sandbox game, and it paved the way for the modern games we know today. This is why it’s a great pick for fans of games like Grounded. Like Grounded, Minecraft features crafting, base-building, battling against mobs, exploring, and even playing with friends.
It also has survival elements where you need to battle creatures, eat food, and create shelter. Minecraft is also known to bring out your creativeness, allowing you to create pretty much anything your heart desires.
Minecraft is definitely one of the best games like Grounded because it’s the original sandbox game. One downside is that Minecraft’s graphics can seem quite dated at this point. But its pixelated nature doesn’t show it that much.
Minecraft is also available on almost every modern device, allowing you to play it no matter what platform you use. It’s one of the best sandbox games on the Switch and is absolutely worth checking out if you haven’t already.
6. Don’t Starve Together
A fun thing about Grounded is that you can hop in anytime and play with your friends. Although the game does have a single-player mode, it’s always fun when you have some extra hands around to help.
This is what Don’t Starve Together brings to the table. At its core, it’s a wilderness survival game just like Grounded that is more fun with friends. You get to start a journey into a strange and unfamiliar world with nothing but friendship at your disposal.
You’ll need to gather resources and use them to craft items, tools, and a shelter to help you survive. The world is also full of odd creatures and other hazards that you have to deal with.
Don’t Starve Together has a quirky art style. It’s gothic yet cartoony and has various elements that sometimes make it look like a pop-up book. It closely resembles Tim Burton’s design and adds another layer of eeriness to the game. It’s one of the most unique survival games on the PS5, and is worth checking out for fans of games like Grounded.
Don’t Starve Together is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. You also get an additional free copy that you can gift to friends if you buy it on Steam. At least you don’t have to explore the creepy and weird world of Don’t Starve Together alone.
5. No Man’s Sky
An exciting aspect of Grounded is exploring and experiencing the backyard from a whole new perspective. Sometimes you even forget that you’re just in the backyard because of how vast the area is.
No Man’s Sky can give you that same feeling. You get to explore outer space in a procedurally generated world. This resembles our own universe, which makes you think just how small of a speck we really are.
During its initial release, No Man’s Sky wasn’t a great title. It was empty, repetitive, and lacking any direction. However, it was significantly improved through updates over the years, making it a game worth every second of your time. It’s one of the best space games on Steam for Grounded fans to check out.
You take the role of the Traveller as you try to explore an uncharted universe. The game revolves around four main aspects: exploring, surviving, combat, and trading. You start on a random planet equipped with an exosuit, a jetpack, and a multitool.
Each planet is randomly generated, making every environment unique. The main storyline will lead you toward the galaxy’s center and help you unearth the universe’s mysteries. However, you are still open to doing anything you like within the game and ignore the story.
No Man’s Sky offers endless hours worth of content, with over 18 quintillion unique planets to explore. It’s one of the best games like Grounded to try if you’re looking for something with a bigger world to play.
4. Raft
Raft is another fantastic game that’s similar to Grounded. But, instead of being stuck within the confines of your backyard, you’re stuck in the middle of an ocean. You’re forced to find a way to survive on a wooden raft drifting away.
I know the concept of being stranded on a small piece of wood doesn’t sound much fun. However, it slowly becomes more interesting once you figure out that you can gather various materials through the debris floating in the ocean.
Using a hook to pull in some materials floating away, you can start creating more space to live on and extend your raft. You can also create various tools and weapons to help you survive the harsh ocean environment.
You can build your own floating mansion and defend it from sharks and other animals trying to get to you. You can also play multiplayer with your friends and explore the vast ocean together.
The graphics and visuals in the game aren’t groundbreaking. It has above-average graphics and is actually pretty impressive for an indie game. If you’re not feeling the graphics, Raft’s gameplay more than compensates for it. Just give the game a shot.
Raft came out in June 2022 and is one of the most impressive indie games on Steam.
3. The Forest
Grounded is already a slightly scary game. I mean, just imagine suddenly finding a 10-foot spider on your doorstep. It’s just a horrifying sight. Well, The Forest takes the scare factor of Grounded and raises it up a couple of notches.
The Forest is a survival horror game where you are the lone survivor of a plane crash and find yourself stranded in a mysterious forest. You play as Eric LeBlanc, who is on a quest to find his son Timmy after the events of the plane crash.
You must use your survival instincts to create weapons, tools, and a shelter as you try to find your son and return to civilization.
The Forest does have a few similarities to Grounded. Just replace the spiders, ants, and other bugs chasing you with angry cannibals, and you’re good to go.
The cannibals in The Forest are usually aggressive, especially at night. However, they also show unique behavior similar to how humans act. This makes you question if the cannibals are actually bad or simply misunderstood.
As you explore deeper within the peninsula, you’ll encounter more strange mutations and more cannibals. You’ll need to build a shelter, set some traps, and craft weapons to defend yourself against the cannibals inhabiting the island.
Make sure to make the most of the day and night cycle by safely gathering equipment and resources during the day and staying safe from cannibals during the night.
2. Subnautica
Next up, we have another ocean-based game that Grounded fans may enjoy. Subnautica provides you with a uniquely thrilling yet frightening underwater adventure exploration game. It’s an open-world survival game that has you searching the ocean’s depths.
In Subnautica, you end up stuck on an alien planet primarily dominated by water. You only have your ship as shelter and a few tools to start your survival journey. You need to find drinkable water, food, and other resources to help you get out of planet 4546B.
As you explore and swim around planet 4546B, you’ll slowly uncover the secrets around the world. You’ll also begin to find various resources that can help you expand your base, create your own food, and find a way out.
Unfortunately, Subnautica is a single-player-only game, unlike Grounded. It definitely would’ve been fun to play one of the best survival games on Xbox with friends. But, it still offers a solid gameplay experience like no other.
Subnautica came out in January 2018 and it is available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
If you end up enjoying Subnautica, make sure to also check out the sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero, which features way more content than the original game. It’s also available on the same platforms as the first game.
1. Metamorphosis
Finally, we’re down to the best survival game like Grounded. It’s none other than Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis shares a lot of characteristics and elements with Grounded and will definitely satisfy your Grounded cravings.
Just like Grounded, you see the world from a new point of view. Instead of humans shrunken down to the size of insects, this time, you’re actually playing as an insect.
In Metamorphosis, you play as Gregor. He mysteriously turned into an insect and is on a quest to find out exactly what happened. You’re going to be solving puzzles, climbing surfaces, and answering riddles.
Metamorphosis isn’t a household name, and not many people know about it. However, it received good reviews from critics and gamers alike. You’ll be surprised by how much fun you can have if you’re willing to give the game a shot.
The graphics are actually pretty impressive, especially since it’s an indie game with a limited budget. They also made the scaling of objects pretty well, and it’s definitely what things look like from a bug’s point of view.
Overall, Metamorphosis provides a surreal experience similar to Grounded. It also has very engaging puzzles that’ll get you thinking about what to do next.
