Summary
Thebest sandbox gamesencourage creativity on the part of the player and offer them an experience that allows them to set their own goals. While not all of these games are open-world titles, an open world can help to facilitate sandbox gameplay by granting the player more freedom. As a result, many sandbox games do feature open environments in some capacity.
There are also a variety of games that don’t fit the strict definition of a sandbox game, but still feature sandbox elements. For instance, a game may feature predetermined goals, but allow players to approach them ina non-linear fashion.
6Stellar Tactics
A Sci-Fi RPG In An Open Universe
Taking place in a unique science-fiction setting and offering players an open universe to explore,Stellar Tacticsis an old-school sandbox RPG that plays similarly to classics such asFreelancer. Unlike classic space-sims, however,Stellar Tacticsfeatures a combination of tactical turn-based ground combat andfantastic real-time space combat. This adds a great deal of variety to the gameplay, but the setting and sandbox elements ofStellar Tacticsare arguably its greatest strengths.
InStellar Tactics, players areable to mine asteroids, trade valuables, hunt bounties, or progress through the game’s story. The variety of options, along with deep character customization, allowStellar Tacticsto offer an engaging sandbox despite its Early Access state.
With simulated physics and a vibrant open world packed with activities,Wobbly Lifeprovides a charming, lightweight sandbox for players and their friends to explore.Wobbly Lifelets players loose in its world, offering them a variety of mini-games to partake in, jobs to take on, and items to purchase.
There are all kinds of things to find and do inWobbly Life’sworld, offering players an experience that rewards play and exploration. There’s also a great deal of replay value, not only in the base game, but in its arcade mode and Steam Workshop support. For fans ofgames likeThe Simpsons: Hit And Run, or players looking for a family-friendly version of urban exploration games likeGrand Theft Auto,Wobbly Lifeis worth their attention.
Thiscondensed open-world gametakes place in a single, procedurally generated neon city.Shadows Of Doubtis a detective simulator at heart, with its mean city streets packed with crimes to solve and characters to analyze. Players choose which cases to take on and can go about solving them in whatever way they see fit, allowing players to get creative in its neon-noir environments.
Best of all,Shadows Of Doubt’sopen city is fully simulated, with each of its denizens having their own job, home, and daily routine. This, along with the fact that players are able to explore each and every part of the city, makes the procedural cities ofShadows Of Doubtremarkably immersive.
Battle Brothersis a sandbox RPG with strategic combat, tasking players with leading andmanaging a mercenary companyin a low-fantasy open-world. The game’s open world is fairly simplistic but features procedural generation, factions, and random encounters that make it feel more alive.
Battle Brothersgives players free rein over what to do and how to do it, taking on whichever contracts they please and choosing from a variety of career goals along the way. The game also features an array of end-game crises to endure, though players are unlikely to reach this part of the game until they’ve become more experienced. Much of the creativity inBattle Brothers' gameplay is in itsdeep character customization, allowing players to heavily customize their characters with powerful perks, equipment, and stat upgrades.
This combination of survival, simulation, and horror offers sandbox gameplay through its lack of set goals (outside of simply surviving) and its open world.Project Zomboidis an expansive and deeply simulated experience that allows players to approach survival from a variety of angles, rewarding players that get creative with their strategies.
Project Zomboidalso features mechanics for base-building, thoughbuilding a basecan take an abundance of time and resources. This can be a real strain on the player’s survival, and players that choose to stay in one place will have to ensure they have the resources to defend it.
Kenshiis anopen-world sandbox RPGthat gives players control of entire squads of characters, though they begin the game with only one. This indie title may appear low-budget with its relatively low fidelity, but its strange, hostile open world is expansive and full of opportunity. This deep open world givesKenshithe ability to provide players with a broad sandbox.
In true sandbox fashion,Kenshifeatures no set goals, leaving players to decide what they want to achieve and how they want to achieve it. The game’s strategic real-time-with-pause combat, massive (and seamless) world to explore, base-building mechanics, and RPG systems all come together to provide a consistently engaging sandbox.Kenshi’sonly downside is its slower pace, especially at the beginning of the game, and it can also be unforgiving, but the freedom it offers players is almost unparalleled.
