Grounded vs. Smalland: Survive the Wilds – Similarities & Differences

While one game is fully released and another is entering its early access stage, both Grounded and Smalland: Survive the Wilds challenge you to make do with what you can, building shelters and fighting gigantic bugs with your friends. If you're on the fence about which one to try, or just curious about their similarities and differences, we can help you out. Here's some of the comparisons we've noticed between the two games.

Similarities between Grounded and Smalland: Survive the Wilds

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the things we've found that Grounded and Smalland: Survive the Wilds share:

• Environment: While there are some moderate artistic differences, the obvious similarity between the two games is the larger-than-life environment that they place you in. In both games you'll play as a small fry, navigating around a lush outdoor environments full of oversized plants and insects.
• Base building: Both games are challenging you to survive, so they both have very similar survival, crafting, and base building mechanics that you'll need to use to stand against the gigantic threats that surround you. Base building, in particular, seems to be very similar in both games. Pieces of walls, foundations, and roofs available to players to link together to form shelters. There are even more decorative options that become available to you by harvesting more materials from your environment, so you can build the base of your dreams.

Related: Smalland Survive the Wilds Update Roadmap: New insects, weapons, biomes, and more

• Enemies: Your predominant enemies in both games will be a wide variety of colossal insects. Although, there is one slight difference here, the enemies you encounter in Smalland can be tamed and become very handy mounts.
• Multiplayer: Both games have a multiplayer aspect, where friends can work together to survive in Shared Worlds. Smalland does have a slightly higher capacity for multiple players, with up to ten being able to be accommodated in each world. Grounded can support up to four.

Differences between Grounded and Smalland: Survive the Wilds

Here are some of the differences we've noticed between Grounded and Smalland: Survive the Wilds:

• Weather mechanics: While not really present in Grounded at the moment, Smalland was significant survival mechanics tied to both the current temperature and weather hazards that may harm the player character. Even during the night, temperatures will drop in Smalland, requiring players to find a way to insulate their character or face lost health due to their character becoming too cold. Storms will also periodically pop up, which players will need to take shelter from.

Related: Best place to build a Base in Smalland Survive the Wilds

• Story and Themes: Grounded takes on a more Sci-fi tone reminiscent of the 1989 film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. You play as children who have been accidentally shrunk to miniscule sizes, and need to find a way to survive and learn more about the mad scientist's devices that did this to you. Smalland is more of a fantastical journey. Your player character is from a small, elf-like race that is asked to become a Vanguard, a soldier who leaves the comfort of the Burrow for the Overworld in search of a cure for the Queen. This subsequently influences both games art styles. Grounded has more cartoonish influences, where Smalland has a bit more of a realistic style.
• Development, Platforms, and Availability: Grounded has now been fully released from its early access stage. It can be played on PC or Xbox One, or the Xbox Series X/S. It can also be played for free as part of Xbox's Game Pass. Otherwise, the game can be purchased for $40. Smalland just entered its early access stage. Currently, it can only be played on PC. The price point of Smalland is slightly lower than Grounded, set at $25.

Want to see more of our coverage of both games? Check out Smalland – Release date, platforms, tiny adventures, and more! or Best Armor in Grounded – All Armor Sets, Ranked here at Pro Game Guides.