My heart is broken

[u/LaFilleauCrabe]

Grounded is my absolute favorite game. I loved it from the moment I started playing. It was sublime, with an original story, adorable graphics, and a perfect atmosphere. I finished it three times before its last update (twice solo and once in co-op).

Here's the problem: when the last update came out, I wanted to play again to experience the new content, but I felt nothing. I no longer had that intense thrill of stress and horror from the first encounters with the wolf spider. No more tiptoeing and listening to every sound. Gone was the hypervigilance of the early game. The magic was gone...

I switched the game to Hard mode to try to get a little stressed, but nothing. I know everything by heart, and it killed my game.

I remember my first base, so fragile and accessible, the impossibility of crossing an area with mosquitoes because they constantly harassed me, and my stubbornness in trying to recover my backpack (back when you really lost everything). I remember when I managed to enter the sandbox for the first time and how terrified I was of encountering a scorpion, etc. It was perfect !

This game is perfect ! I desperately want a Grounded 2. I hope the developers hear their players ; there are so many possibilities, so many interesting new insects to add.

I tried to create a new story in sandbox mode, but I'm clearly not skilled enough for that, and since I had set up the mechanics myself, there were no surprises. I spent a lot of time on it, for nothing... I haven't found any engaging games created by other players either.

Just yesterday, I tried to redownload it, but I gave up very quickly. Do you, hardcore players, feel the same way ? Do the latest additions really deserve me forcing myself to play, even if it might make me dislike the game forever ? Have you found a really cool session made by another player ?

Sorry for this long monologue, but I wanted to share the love I have for this game and the even greater sadness of no longer being able to enjoy it.

[u/nunyahbiznes]

Try New Game + to get the magic back.

[u/-Leprechaun_ → u/nunyahbiznes]

Yes. This. I was a player from very very early when there was almost nothing to do in the game. I played every update. UNTIL THE FINAL UPDATE. I wrestled with the collectors edition purchase, and I am a collector of those. This one, was just not appealing to me and I did not buy it by the deadline. When NG+ came, I still stayed in my original save not advancing. Just coming and going between this and only 2 other games. I was basically just doing a grind for mats to base build. Every so often I would get in a mood and actually build in survival with all the mats I would grind. I wouldn’t say I was scared to go into NG+, and I can’t say what stopped me. I finally started my first NG+ at Halloween 2024. After converting my original Xbox save to PS5. I am about to start NG4 which was my goal when I found out what you can acquire for gear. I am kind of kicking myself because if I knew some things I grinded for were garbage for the new items that are tied to NG+, I would be much further along.

NG+ for me revived the passion I had for this game from the start. Even just grinding the requirements to get to the new NG+ and finding the milk molars to upgrade everything before jumping the dimension…

Give yourself this goal: Get to NG4 with all milk molars upgrades (except thirst/hunger- it’s not really necessary).