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THE 29 BEST SANDBOX GAMES

By Ben Jessey and Harry Alston
Updated 2 days ago


The sandbox genre covers dozens of different games. Here's our list of the best
titles you can enjoy on console and PC.




Determining the greatest sandbox games is no easy feat as it's an enormous genre
that covers dozens, if not more, of the most popular games available right now.

RELATED: The Best Open-World Games Of All Time, Ranked

From the blocky creative goodness of Minecraft to the ever-expanding ways to
play Grand Theft Auto Online, a sandbox game is any game that puts most of the
control in the player's hands. Play how you want. Find your own path. Here are
the best ones that are available to play right now, on both PC and console.

Updated June 12, 2023 By Ben Jessey: A perfect sandbox allows you to do what you
want, when you want, and how you want. Unfortunately, most sandbox games can't
quite provide you that much freedom.

However, the good ones don't restrict you too much, so you can have the
adventure you desire. Those are the exact sort of titles we put on this list of
the best sandbox games. And now we've returned to the piece to add several more.

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29 DON'T STARVE



The goal of Don't Starve is to survive for as many days as possible. To
accomplish this, you must avoid both starvation and getting killed by enemies.

Except for ensuring survival, there is nothing you're required to do. You're
free to gather resources and build anything you desire in your randomly
generated open world. Be warned, though, it isn't the most relaxing sandbox
experience as there are plenty of threats around. You can face those dangers
with a buddy in the multiplayer follow-up title, Don't Starve Together.





28 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM



A Legend Of Zelda game wouldn't normally be considered a sandbox title. However,
Tears Of The Kingdom is so open that it counts as one. There is a concrete goal
in that you have to stop Ganondorf.

Yet, that is only a small part of the game, as there is also a huge world to
explore containing many things to do and see. Plus, you have plenty of freedom
when it comes to how you do these things, especially with your array of powers.
For example, your almost limitless ability to build things sometimes allows you
to bypass set puzzles. So, it's an action-adventure game with a sandbox world
and sandbox gameplay.





27 RAFT



This game doesn't try to complicate things with its title. It's called Raft
because the entire game is about roaming around on a raft. There is no goal
beyond that. You simply explore the ocean.

The craft you use to do so starts out pretty basic, as it's just some planks.
But you can build it up to create something resembling a true boat. Along the
way, you need to gather resources, feed yourself, and try not to get eaten by a
shark. You can do this all with friends by your side.





26 7 DAYS TO DIE



7 Days To Die is set in one of the most dangerous sandbox worlds. This is
because the place is filled with zombies. Your goal is to survive. The sandbox
element is about how you go about doing that.

You have free reign to dig, build, and destroy in the large open world. The
average player typically builds an impressive base to keep them away from the
beasts, but that is not a requirement. You can live how you want in this
post-apocalyptic world.





25 JUST CAUSE 3



Just Cause 3 contains a story about the protagonist Rico Rodriguez trying to
free his homeland from a dictator. Yet, it would be fair to say that's not the
main selling point of the game. This title is all about giving you a large open
world and the tools to cause as much chaos as possible.

There is simply so much you can do in the game, from flying around with your
grapple hook to blowing up cars and buildings. The open world is simply one big
playground.





24 KERBAL SPACE PROGRAM



In Kerbal Space Program, your job is to build different aircrafts that are
capable of shooting your people into space. Usually, you have to work with the
supplies you currently have.

Yet, the sandbox mode places no limitations on you. Thus, you have the freedom
to create any spaceship you desire. Thankfully, the tools and mechanics of the
game are incredibly in-depth and detailed. This means if you're creative enough,
you can craft some of the most unbelievable spaceships ever.





23 STARDEW VALLEY



At the beginning of Stardew Valley, you acquire a house and a piece of land that
belonged to your grandfather. It's not in a great state, so you're encouraged to
fix it up. Beyond that, there are no true goals or objectives. You are free to
live your farmer life how you see fit.

Some of the things you can do include interacting with nearby NPCs, exploring
caves, going fishing, completing various quests, or simply continually improving
your farm. It's all a chill and stress-free experience.





22 ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS



Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a life simulation game, but it likely doesn't
represent your actual life. That is unless you live on a deserted island with a
bunch of anthropomorphic neighbors.

There are plenty of things to do on the island, such as building up your
relationships with your animal-like buddies and collecting resources. You're
also free to decorate your home with items you find or buy, making it feel like
home. Plus, you can take part in any seasonal events that crop up. So, there is
quite a range of activities, and you can decide which ones you do.





21 HITMAN



2016's Hitman is a unique kind of sandbox game. After all, each mission does
have a goal - usually to kill someone. Yet, you're allowed to complete your
objective in any way you desire.

For instance, do you want to disguise yourself as a supermodel and walk the
runway to get close enough to your target to poison her before slipping away
unnoticed? Or do you just want to shoot her in the head? The decision is up to
you, but that's just two options - there are almost an unlimited number of other
ways to take her out. This is because each level is a sandbox filled with so
many opportunities.





20 ASTRONEER



In Astroneer, you're dumped on a planet with a spacesuit and a deform tool. The
rest is pretty much up to you. But you're encouraged to dig and explore the
mysterious planet to gather resources.

With the materials you find, you can build different things to improve your new
life in space. You can even craft a rocket and travel to other planets to check
them out. And you don't have to do it all alone as you can bring some buddies
along for the ride.





19 GARRY’S MOD



Garry's Mod (aka GMod) has been around for a long time. In fact, it's one of the
most iconic sandbox experiences in gaming history. The game gives you access to
all sorts of assets, and you can do what you want with them. The most creative
players have managed to make some extremely cool things, such as popular games
like Trouble In Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt.

What you can make from it depends on your level of creativity and the amount of
free time you have. But the game gives you all the tools you require to do great
things.





18 THE SIMS 4



The Sims is one of the most famous video game series of all time. And they're a
perfect example of enjoyable sandbox titles. In Sims 4, you are allowed to live
the life you want. You get to fully customize your family and house - as long as
you have enough in-game money in the latter's case.

RELATED: The Best Game Packs For The Sims 4, Ranked

Then you get to decide how your Sims live the lives you've given them. To add to
the fun, there is a litany of wonderful DLC and mods for you to install.





17 CORE KEEPER



Core Keeper is one of 2022's breakout indie hits. The aim of the game is to dig,
dig, and dig some more. A cooperative exploration, survival, and mining game for
up to eight players, Core Keeper is inspired by games like Stardew Valley,
Terraria, and Minecraft.

There are unique monsters to battle, farms to build, and bits of gear to
upgrade. It's a title that has continuously improved since its early access
release. So, it's a great time to jump in and see what all the hype is about.





16 DYSON SPHERE PROGRAM



One of the sleeper indie hits from the start of 2021, Dyson Sphere Program is a
wonderfully complex factory-builder in the likes of Factorio.

The planet is your sandbox. There are conveyor belts, item-feeders, aerial
transportation...this a game you can easily sink hundreds of hours into if it
gets your hooks in you. If you love games like Factorio or building item-sorters
in Minecraft, you should check out Dyson Sphere Program.





15 MINECRAFT



Minecraft is undoubtedly one of the greatest sandbox games of this generation.
Its development has spanned a decade, seen its ups and downs, to be sure, and
provided a platform for thousands of creators to experiment, play, and
entertain.

It has changed a lot over the years, as the developers have made many additions
to the game, like the amazing Caves and Cliffs update. Throughout it all, the
title has never strived away from its core concept: to give you almost unlimited
freedom to create whatever you want in its blocky world.





14 TERRARIA



Much like Minecraft, Terraria is a classic. One of the best-value deals in
gaming. Ever. It could cost you just a couple of dollars and for that, you'd get
easily over a thousand hours of content, painstakingly added by a dedicated
development team over the course of a decade. For free.

Terraria is the ultimate sandbox. There are thousands of items, monsters,
bosses, and a complex modding scene that will keep the game alive for many years
to come.





13 GRAND THEFT AUTO ONLINE



While the constant re-releases of GTA 5 and GTA Online have received plenty of
criticism, it's hard to deny the quality of either. GTA Online, in particular,
is an outstanding sandbox experience.

RELATED: Best PC Games Of The Early 2000s

Being able to freely roam around Los Santos remains a delight. Not to mention,
the almost endless amount of content Rockstar has provided for the multiplayer
game means it's easy to keep playing this title for years. There's still no
other multiplayer game quite like this, which is likely why it continues to
maintain its immense popularity.





12 ELITE DANGEROUS



Pick your poison: space simulators are still massively popular, and Elite
Dangerous provides one of the more intoxicating sandbox experiences if you can
look past the endless grind. Any game that allows players to kidnap new players
and blast them off to the other side of space, then force them to mine resources
until they're allowed back to the tutorial section, grabs attention.

Those kidnappers were deservedly banned, but the story proves what sort of
experience Elite Dangerous is. It's a fantastic space sandbox where you can do
just about whatever you want.





11 NO MAN'S SKY



After a truly terrible launch, maybe one of the worst game launches in the
history of game launches, No Man's Sky has been redeemed by a series of free
updates that are usually well thought out and of very high quality.

Hello Games didn't give up on their project. Didn't jet off to some Pleasant
planet and build a base there. Nope. They knuckled down and turned No Man's Sky
into one of the largest and most intricate sandbox games out there. Not bad.





10 CITIES: SKYLINES



After the iconic fall of Sim City, Cities: Skylines took up the mantle of best
city builder and delivered. It's the ultimate city-building sandbox, especially
if you splash out on its dozens of DLC packs.

Want to build a city where you create an enormous dam of sewage water and then
flood your city with it? Well, you can, if you want to. Alternatively, you can
mod the game to a state that is almost unrecognizable from the base game.


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Related Topics
 * Triple-A Games
 * Terraria
 * Elite Dangerous
 * No Man's Sky
 * Cities: Skylines
 * Crusader Kings 3
 * Factorio
 * Going Medieval
 * Rimworld
 * Rust

About The Authors
Ben Jessey (846 Articles Published)


Ben Jessey spends all his time playing video games, watching TV, watching
movies, watching football aka soccer (which I guess counts as watching TV) or
writing about those things. He has a degree in Film and Television studies and
is now a freelance writer.

Harry Alston (1027 Articles Published)


Writer based in Glasgow, UK. I am buried deep in Roblox codes.


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