Aground vs Project Zomboid
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.
Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid takes the post-apocalyptic zombie survival genre to the next level with one of the most realistic gameplay to date. After all, surviving isn't just blowing the heads off zombies or finding food - your mental health is as equally important! In many ways, the game feels a lot like Don't Starve when it comes to the more hardcore gameplay, though its persistent and ever-growing game map can be liken to that of Minecraft while its stats-based progression is somewhat similar to the old Runescape. There are so many skills you can level up, and which one you'd like to focus on is entirely up to you. Of course, you can customize your character's looks as well.Aside from the common Sandbox and Survival modes, the game even has fun and imaginative Challenge scenarios and action-packed "Last Stand" mode which frankly plays out a lot like Serious Sam albeit in isometric view.
Featuring a unique pixel-like visuals and an isomeric perspective, Project Zomboid is a really promising early access game that fans of survival games would really enjoy. It's full of content, be it exploring or crafting, and it's tough enough to keep you hooked.