Grounded is alright but it reminds me why i've avoided most survival/crafting games until Valheim: The building and the combat. Grounded's building is so rigid. I feel like I'm bound to building basic shapes, or wrestling with the terrain for the game to decide whether or not something is "supported" or not. I much prefer the freedom Valheim offers.

And the combat in Grounded is..ok. My main gripe is that bug attacks don't have to hit they player for it to register as a hit. I can backup a few feet trying to dodge the attack but the game seems to have a "the bug started it's animation before you backed up, therefor it's going to hit you regardless" policy and I'm still getting used to it.

The rest is pretty sweet. The atmosphere, the crafting, the theme, the quests, the size of the "world". I like that it is a curated level, so you're encouraged to search for secrets in specific places. Is it the "new Valheim"? not sure what you mean. If it's a game you're playing while waiting for valheim content, sure.