Aground vs Shelter
Aground
Aground is a 2D, side-scrolling, survival-themed adventure game where you'll be digging out the bowels of the earth for precious ores to turn into tools, weapons, and armor or to sell to gain coins. Similar to games like Kingdom: Classic or its sequel, Kingdom: New Lands, the game will have you venture out to explore new islands to discover more about the story behind the land, to meet new characters and to obtain better resources to craft superior items.The storyline in this game is pretty intriguing as well. It features a Bermuda Triangle-like area where people often get shipwrecked and are washed up to one of the shores of the small archipelago. The islands are filled with weird creatures and is rich with minerals and resources. As survivors starting from scratch, they do not have access to the technologies they used to enjoy that is until apparently a mysterious tribe, called the Mirrows, helped to set stuff up.
Aground offers players the sort of freedom that Minecraft is able to provide and yet, is not fully a sandbox game nor does it have a procedurally generated map. Of course, this game has a great storyline, along with quests to help drive those plot points forward, and that alone makes it a really fun game to play.
Shelter
Shelter is truly a one-of-a-kind game where you'll get to play as a mother badger who's taking care of her newly-born cubs. Developed by Might and Delight, the game puts you on an exciting yet heartwarming adventure as you travel about with your cubs in tow in hopes of finding the perfect shelter to raise them. In your journey, you and your family will encounter lots of danger and it is up to you - the mama badger - to protect your cubs from harm, whether it is a raging forest fire or a bird of prey.Besides adventure, the game also comes with a second game mode called Nurture. It's a lot like a Tamagochi game where you'll need to head into the game every day (at least once) to give your cubs the stuff they need to survive and also to forge closer bonds with them.
This is one of the breakout indie games of 2013 but it's not the sort of game that will get old with age, so if you love games where you'll get to play as an animal and you enjoy a good story-adventure, then Shelter is your best bet!