Groundwork Simulator is out. The Early Access build landed on Steam on October 22, 2026 for Windows and macOS at $19.99, and it asks one thing of you: take untouched hillside, cut it open, wash what comes out, and turn the mess into a gold operation that pays for the next machine. This site covers that loop in the order you meet it — first test hole, machines, water, wash plant, money.
Everything here is written against the build on Steam today. Facts come from the store page, the developer's own site and launch-day discussion threads. Where the official material gives a mechanism but no figure, we describe the mechanism and stop.
Before you dig
Read these six things once, then go play. They are the difference between a site that grows and an afternoon spent driving the same bucket back and forth.
| Decision | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Where to open ground | Drill and test a spot before you move a machine | The test hole tells you whether there is gold worth hauling |
| How long the haul is | Keep the first haul short and on flat ground | Every extra metre is a lap you repeat for the rest of the run |
| When to bring water | Get pumps and hoses to the plant before you stockpile | A plant without water is a parked trailer |
| What to dig with | Excavator cuts, loader moves, dozer shapes | Using one machine for all three jobs doubles the work |
| What to do with spoil | Stockpile it where it will not block the route | The ground you leave becomes the road you drive tomorrow |
| When to sell | Check the price panel before selling, not after | The Field Journal is the only place the price is visible |
What the game actually asks of you
The official site breaks the operation into four steps — find deposits, dig and haul, wash for gold, expand — and everything else hangs off them. The detail is where the simulation lives: a bucket that meets resistance and fills as you work the angle, ground that changes shape under you, mud and slope that decide whether a loaded truck makes the ramp, and a washing chain that only recovers what you feed it.
Two systems catch people out early. The first is water: pumps and hoses have to be routed across the site, and as the plant grows the routing has to grow with it. The second is transport: machines go on a trailer and get hauled by truck between jobs, which means loading, route planning and tight turns with a heavy load are part of the loop, not a cutscene.
Direct answers
Is it out yet? Yes — October 22, 2026, in Early Access. The release page has the price, platforms and language list.
How many players in co-op? The official site says solo or with up to three friends, so a four-player site. Steam lists Online Co-op. The co-op guide covers how to split the work.
Can I play alone? Yes, single-player is a listed mode and the whole operation is designed to be run by one person.
Does it run on a Mac? Steam lists a macOS build with Apple silicon requirements. The specs page has both tables side by side.
Why is the game crashing for some players? Startup crashes are the loudest launch-day thread. Launch week lists what players found and which workarounds actually worked.
Where to go next
Not started yet? Read the beginner guide — it is written for the first two hours, not the hundredth. Once the site is running, the machines overview explains each machine, the gold washing guide covers the plant, and money and progression explains the Field Journal. Broken right now? Go straight to launch week.