How to Play Grounded on Mac
- Sven Frese
- Games
- September 13, 2024
In Grounded you are shrunk to the size of an ant and have to survive in a backyard. Obsidian’s survival game left early access in September 2022. On PC it only runs on Windows, and there is no Mac version.
With CloudDeck you can play Grounded on your Mac.
| Grounded at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Obsidian Entertainment |
| Steam release | Sep 27, 2022 |
| Mac version | No |
| Steam Deck rating by Valve | Verified |
| Player rating on ProtonDB | Gold (220 reports) |
| Steam reviews | Very Positive (about 96,000 reviews) |
| Disk space needed | 8 GB |
| Controller support | Full |
Sources: Steam store page, ProtonDB, Are We Anti-Cheat Yet. Checked on October 1, 2026.
What you get with Grounded
You explore the backyard, build a base out of grass and acorns and fight off spiders and other insects. The game has a full story that explains how you ended up so small.
You can play alone or online with up to three friends.
Play Grounded on your Mac with CloudDeck
CloudDeck is a gaming PC in the cloud. Grounded runs there and is streamed to your Mac.
Valve has tested the game on the Steam Deck and rates it Verified, the best rating there is. CloudDeck runs Windows games with the same technology as the Steam Deck. On ProtonDB the game has a Gold rating based on more than 200 reports.
Here is how to get started:
- Create your CloudDeck account and start your subscription.
- Install Moonlight , a free streaming app, on your Mac and connect to your CloudDeck.
- Log in to Steam and install Grounded.
- Start the game and play.
You need to own Grounded on Steam. CloudDeck is available in Europe, the United States and Canada. The streaming app needs macOS 10.13 or newer.
Our help center has a step-by-step guide with screenshots for connecting with Moonlight.
Tips for playing on a Mac
You can play with a controller or with mouse and keyboard.
The game needs 8 GB of disk space, and your progress is saved to Steam Cloud.
Set the right resolution. If you see black bars above and below the picture, the stream doesn't match your screen. For most MacBooks we recommend 1680x1050. Our guide on removing black bars shows where to set it.
Check your keyboard layout. CloudDeck starts with a US keyboard layout. If you use a German, French or other keyboard, some keys won't match until you change the layout.
If the picture stutters, connect your Mac by cable or 5 GHz Wi-Fi and turn off location services in macOS. There are more tips in our guide on lag and stutters.
To end a session, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Q in Moonlight.
What about co-op?
Grounded has online co-op for up to 4 players.
We haven’t tested co-op on CloudDeck.
Other ways to play on a Mac
CrossOver is an app that runs some Windows games directly on your Mac, without streaming. It is a paid app with a 14-day free trial. CodeWeavers keeps a compatibility database where you can look up the current rating for Grounded before you buy.
We haven’t tested Grounded with CrossOver. It runs the game on your own Mac, so it costs less in the long run if it works for you. CloudDeck is the better choice if you want to skip the setup, or if you also want to play Windows games that need more power than your Mac has.
What it costs
CloudDeck costs $19.99 per month, and you can cancel anytime. We don't offer a free trial. If you're not happy and have used your CloudDeck for less than 4 hours, we'll refund you. You can sign up here.
