Survival on a stranded island
Aground starts you as one of the last human survivors, washed up on an uninhabited island with a few other victims of the crash. Early on the loop is simple: mine ores, gems and other resources, craft tools, build structures, farm crops and cook food. It's a mining and crafting RPG with a pixel-art 2D look, and the survival layer is the entry point rather than the whole game. As you work through quests and fight enemies and bosses, you unlock new technology, meet NPCs you can befriend or ignore, and start finding magic alongside the machinery. Skills level up as you play, and there are secrets tucked away for when you go poking around.
Playing together online
Aground supports online co-op, so a group can share the same world instead of each grinding alone. Split up the chores the way that suits your crew: some people mining and building, others farming, cooking, fishing or pushing quests forward. With several people working at once, the base grows faster and the resource grind gets lighter, which leaves more time for the parts that open up later — vehicles and mounts, capturing enemies, raising dragons, and travelling to other islands and planets. The shared goal keeps everyone pointed the same direction: recover what was lost and get humanity back to the stars.
What to know before you start
The game begins deliberately small and expands as you progress, so the first islands won't show you the full scope of what's there. Expect a story with real direction behind the crafting — there's an overarching goal and choices matter along the way — rather than an open sandbox with no endpoint. Progress is steady rather than instant; technology, magic and the bigger discoveries unlock through play. There's a free web demo covering the first few islands if you want a feel for the pacing before committing, and saves from it carry over to the full version. Also worth knowing: the developers made a 3D spinoff called Aground Zero, set in the same universe, if you end up wanting more of it after.