Five years after Grounded first let players shrink down and survive in a perilous backyard, Obsidian Entertainment has returned with Grounded 2. Currently in early access, the sequel delivers a bigger map, slick Unreal Engine 5 visuals, and some small but noteworthy feature upgrades. But for those who played the original, the magic may not feel as fresh this time around.
A Familiar Sandbox with a Bigger Playground
Much like the first game, Grounded 2 places you in the grass-stained shoes of a shrunken child trying to survive against the odds. However, the sequel shifts the setting from a backyard to a local park, expanding the world and the stakes. Players once again gather resources, battle oversized bugs, and unravel a darkly comedic corporate conspiracy — now with even more overt anti-capitalist satire woven into its DNA.
The familiar gameplay loop of scouring for dew drops, collecting plant fibers, and building makeshift tools is still at the core. Where Grounded 2 begins to differentiate itself is in its scope. The map is larger and the biomes more varied, offering a broader canvas for exploration and creativity. One standout feature is the inclusion of a downed ice cream cart, acting as a clever replacement for a snow biome.
Base Building and Childhood Imagination Still Shine
Perhaps the most enduring aspect of Grounded 2 is its robust base-building mechanics. Whether you’re crafting a rudimentary lean-to or a towering grass fortress, the satisfaction of creating something out of nothing remains intact. The game taps into the childlike joy of building forts in the woods — now filtered through a digital lens.
The crafting system is intuitive and rewarding, and players will quickly find themselves immersed in turning acorns into buckets or using grass planks as walls. It’s a simple but effective way to get lost in the game world, especially when played with friends. That said, for returning players, the initial progression might feel overly familiar and lacking in surprises.
Bug Mounts Add a Welcome New Dimension
If there’s one truly exciting addition to Grounded 2, it’s the introduction of bug riding. After incubating an egg via a hatchery system, players can now mount ants and other insects to traverse the expansive map with speed and flair. This highly-requested feature not only streamlines movement but also deepens the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” fantasy that defines the series.
Riding bugs adds an entirely new dimension to exploration, and while it doesn’t overhaul the gameplay loop, it certainly makes the grind of material gathering a little more fun. For now, it stands as the most notable mechanical evolution in a game otherwise heavily reliant on its predecessor’s blueprint.
Same Survival Grind, Just Bigger
Despite its expanded setting and upgraded engine, Grounded 2 often feels like a remastered version of the original. The survival mechanics — managing thirst, health, and hunger — remain intact but unchanged. Players familiar with the first game may find the early hours of the sequel a bit repetitive, especially when struggling to locate materials like weed stems or acorns for the umpteenth time.
That’s the nature of the genre, of course, but for a sequel, the slow pace and recycled systems may feel more like work than wonder. The grindy grocery list of fetch quests risks alienating returning players, even if it still offers plenty of charm for newcomers.
Verdict:
Grounded 2 is off to a solid but familiar start. It nails the nostalgic tone and cooperative base-building that made the original a hit, while adding some welcome — if limited — new features like bug mounts. However, its early access version offers little to surprise veterans of the first game. Whether it will re-capture that magic long-term will depend on how Obsidian evolves the game with future updates.
For now, it’s a great place to play pretend — but maybe not for too long.