Review: "Grounded does for back gardens what Jaws did for oceans

Grounded

Xbox Series X

Grounded does for back gardens what Jaws did for oceans. This mash-up of The Borrowers and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, sees miniaturised children trying to survive in the jungle-like terrain of an overgrown lawn. It’s Stranger Things, except with overturned plant pots instead of the Upside Down and wolf spiders in place of Demogorgons.

The game turns a familiar world into Jurassic Park: fish ponds become monster-infested lagoons; a child’s sandbox is a deadly arena packed with giant bugs. As your character attempts to find a way to return to life-size, you get to build structures, explore dungeons and hang out at your fort with pals in co-op mode. Gather items, such as sap and mushrooms, to create recipes for rope, bandages, and increase character skills to unlock new blueprints.

A bigger world emerges as you fashion dwellings, zip lines and even trampolines. Unfortunately, giant spiders aren’t the only bugs you encounter along the way: frequent crashes and glitches suggest Grounded is a little on the unfinished side.

6/10