The best thing about a sandbox game is that it nurtures your freedom as a player. You’re basically the one in charge throughout the game, leaving the rest of how it will be executed in your hands. Depending, of course, on the overall quality – from the graphics to the gameplay – will a certain game under this umbrella is sustained in people’s interest. Unlike other video games, the glory of sandbox games is that it allows you to pencil your very own game path. To recognize some of the most ground-breaking titles of the time, gathered is the list of well-known Sandbox games on PC, that are all worth your time and money.
Grand Theft Auto V
Source: The PC Games
An exhilarating video game
Date Released: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360: 17 September 2013, PlayStation 4, Xbox One: 18 November 2014, Microsoft Windows: 14 April 2015
Developer: Rockstar North
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Grand Theft Auto V stays true to what it holds – with a whopping US$800 million just within the day of its release, this action-adventure video game never fails to impress. Tap one player and he or she will know about the well-known game, if not, the title may just have loaded his or her memory. Rockstar North’s very own masterpiece has long proven its finesse in its action-packed storyline, huge gameplay, and stunning visuals. Due to its popularity, Grand Theft Auto V has bagged a lot of recognition internationally and was even included as the one of the finest in the seventh generation console gaming.
Minecraft
Source: XBox
Minecraft and its magic success
Date Released: 18 November 2011
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
Developer: Mojang
Probably among the most popular sandbox video games of the modern era is Minecraft. Thanks to its game designer Persson, Markus, childhood days of building Lego have finally come to its most dynamic, creative existence in the virtual world. Players of varying ages can relate so much with its understandable and logical mechanics. Minecraft’s building aspects shine most one, because of its wide array of creative tools. Crafting a tower or unleashing combat techniques, one doesn’t just simply lose his or her interest in playing it as there’s a lot of things you can do to curate your best possible experience. Minecraft has been going around since 2011 and its continue proving its game prowess.
Scrap Mechanic
Source: CrosHasIt
Unleash your creativity skills
Developer: Axolot Games
Publisher: Axolot Games
Be it building fancy vehicles or constructing movable houses – the tons of things you can create are endless. Scrap Mechanic is the right place for players to just about release their inner mechanic. This multi-player game lets you create your own adventures through 100+ building selection. Literally, anything you have in mind can be realized through the game’s impressive features. A machine-driven world that puts technology at its core, it’s an adventure-filled playground that challenges every piece of creativity to shine at its finest. Here is where building machines are the topmost agenda and you, the player, are the master!
Elite: Dangerous
Source: G2Play
Hop into a starship journey
Date Released: 16 December 2014
Developer: Frontier Developments
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems
Say hello to an age where galactic superpowers dominate existence and wars of mankind are nothing compared to the fully-loaded combat of an interstellar war. The name Elite: Dangerous may have surely rung your bells, once in a while. And it’s mainly because the game is nothing but spectacular. Taking a starship on a journey of your own route is possible and carting your way through the cutthroat galaxy is a treat. Here, one can freely explore a lifelike 1:1 scale open world galaxy where his or her actions can affect the plot of the story. Considered among one of the first ever sandboxes to surface, the original Elite has long set the bar for the other sandbox video games. Sequel to the 1995 Frontier: First Encounters, Elite: Dangerous was named as “probably the most immersive and compelling recreation of deep space ever seen in gaming” by Eurogamer’s Dan Whitehead.
Kerbal Space Program
Source: MMOGA
An interesting space flight simulation game
Date Released: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux – WW: 27 April 2015, PlayStation 4 – NA: 12 July 2016, Xbox One – WW: 15 July 2016, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (Enhanced Edition) – WW: 16 January 2018
Developer: Squad
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Kerbal Space Program is a total sandbox gem that boasts of its impressively math and physics’ ties. It’s a space flight simulation video game where players are commanded to govern a Kerbal-operated space program, mine asteroids, create aircraft and just about do anything that concerns with space. Several praises have reached the game’s way, especially on its precise orbital mechanics. According to Edge’s review, “The magic of Kerbal Space Program is not just that it manages to be both a game and a simulation, a high-level educational tool and something that is fun to simply sit and tinker with. It’s that, in combination, these qualities allow for a connection with real history and real human achievement… Its ultimate promise to the player is not that you’ll crack a puzzle that has been set by a designer, but that you’ll crack a puzzle set by reality.” Besides, this is an award-winning game that has fueled scientific truths into an electronic world and successfully fusing the splendor of it both.
Arma 3
Source: PC Gamer
Impressive tactical shooter game
Date Released: Microsoft Windows – WW: September 12, 2013, OS X, Linux – WW: August 31, 2015
Platform: Microsoft Windows
Developer: Bohemia Interactive
With a great number of tools and assets to give players the best upshot in creating their own worlds, Arma 3 comes as a playground for game creation at the same time a spectacular tactical shooter game set on Altis’ scenic Aegean islands. The game is dubbed as a complete package because of its sightly animations, engine, storyline, and music. Moreover, Arma 3 is also a well-acclaimed video game that has been named by many as the Czech game of 2013 Award. And it’s only but fitting to get a grip with this kind of video game.
