Sandboxes are a type of MMO that emphasize player freedom and expression. They frequently include mechanics for building, crafting, trading, character customization and development, roleplaying, destruction, and significant interaction with the world and other players. A sandbox that is dominated by an open-PvP or free-for-all ruleset is sometimes pejoratively called a gankbox. Contrast with the themepark.
sandbox
Dune Awakening hypes up ornithopters and a new Arrakis exploration video
For Dune MMO fans, May 20th can't come soon enough. And although we still have over two months to wait for the early access...
Vague Patch Notes: Learning to hate the MMORPGs you love
I had to teach myself how to hate Star Trek Online. It didn't come naturally to me.
If you've read the stuff that I've written...
Old School RuneScape applies new charms, boss breaches, and changes to PvP and gear to its permanent Deadman server
If you're the sort who likes to rumble around in the always-on Deadman mode server of Old School RuneScape, then there's good news for...
Inflexion says Nightingale City, live today, is a ‘satisfying denouement’ to the Nightingale experience
When last we looked in on Nightingale, the early access fantasy-steampunk sandbox was celebrating its first birthday, Inflexion was busy rolling out the dyes...
The Stream Team: Eating space rocks in Elite Dangerous
Core mining is one of the more chilled out yet also involved ways to eat space rocks in Elite: Dangerous, yet it can also...
Project Gorgon celebrates its seventh year of Steam early access with a gift of explosive love
When I saw the memo on Discord about Project Gorgon's seventh anniversary on Steam, I did a little double-take, as I knew the game...
EVE Online brings changes to ships, manufacturing, mining, and missions in its latest update
Today marks the release of the latest "major" patch for EVE Online, which introduces some changes for certain ship manufacturing, faction warfare missions, mining...
Perfect Ten: The strangest weapons you wind up using in MMORPGs
Human beings have been using things as weapons for about as long as human beings have had hands and needed to hit stuff. That's...
Stars Reach’s Raph Koster discusses plans for outer space and ‘full-blown sandbox MMO’ mechanics
Right now the pre-alpha for Stars Reach is pretty much focused entirely on ground-based things like mining, killing creatures, and during this week, seasons...
Shroud of the Avatar added a potted plant, a cow spawner, and a fix for lava pools in Release 135
We admit that headline kind of sounds insane, but those are just a few of the highlights coming out of Release 135 for Shroud...
Massively OP Podcast Episode 509: Lord of the Transfers
Justin and Bree discuss the LOTRO transfer mess, the return of APB Reloaded and Fallen Earth, Throne and Liberty's Wilds of Talandre, Guild Wars 2's Repentance, Elder Scrolls Online's Fallen Banners, and Fractured's new owners, with adventures in LOTRO, WoW, Diablo 3, and Farm Together 2, plus a mailbag topic on gating story beats with raiding.
Sandbox MMORPG Pax Dei’s Market Square Part 3 update gets a launch date of March 13
The time is almost upon players of Pax Dei for compass-bearing, market-browsing, voice-chatting intensity in the third installment of the epic Market Square update...
Multiplayer sandbox Aloft launches its first big early access update, Critters & Wonders
When we previewed cozy co-op survivalbox Aloft back in January, we were surprised at how good it was - but already cognizant of the...
EVE Online details adjustments coming to ship fast travel in March 12’s Revenant update
CCP Rattati would like to talk to EVE Online players about adjustments coming to internet spaceship fast travel from his backyard while someone nearby...
Kickstarted Minecrafty sandbox Voxile embraces the transcendent blocky joy of early access
The Minecraft vibes are quite strong with the newly arrived Voxile, and that's most certainly intentional. The "fully destructible" multiplayer voxel sandbox arrived on...
Survival sandbox ASKA brings a new biome, village management features, and Tier 2 crafting stations March 13
Those who are enjoying the early access Viking-themed tribe survival sandbox of ASKA should mark Thursday, March 13th, on their calendars because that's when...
You can cosplay as Princess Leia in Stars Reach if it collects 5000 Kickstarter backers
While the major stretch goals of Stars Reach's Kickstarter have come thus far at predictable funding milestones, Playable Worlds is granting perks for smaller...
Jagex’s new CEO discusses the legacy of RuneScape and OSRS, managing its devs, and microtransaction concerns
Last week saw a pretty significant shakeup for RuneScape and Old School RuneScape fans when Jagex CEO Phil Mansell announced he stepped down as...
SWG Legends confirms Jedi Themepark 2.0 is coming this year as devs consider apartment tweaks
Star Wars Galaxies rogue server SWG Legends has released its winter newsletter this past week as the server celebrates its ninth birthday. But the...
Blockchain MMO EVE Frontier hires a real-world economist to help refine its in-game economy
EVE Frontier, the "hardcore" survival space MMO that CCP says can't possibly do what it does without being on the blockchain, is apparently taking...
