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 explains why ‘spice is power’ for this upcoming survival MMO
Even those most tangentially aware of the Dune franchise are aware that everyone in that setting is pretty crazy about spice. This resource fuels...
Star Citizen says alpha 3.23’s personal hangars would have made the game ‘literally unplayable’
This past weekend, we reported on the news that Star Citizen had to delay the addition of personal hangars and other related gameplay elements...
The Daily Grind: Are there any standard MMO UI elements you consider ‘optional’?
Back in February, MMO YouTuber MarleMMO reminded me that Ashes of Creation is planning to obscure enemy health bars during PvP - a concept...
The MOP Up: FFXIV recaps its PAX East appearance
In case you missed it in person, you can catch up with all of Final Fantasy XIV's PAX East 2024 developments in a recap...
Whatever happened to Wildcard’s pirate-themed sandbox MMO Atlas?
It might be by design that we've collectively forgotten about Atlas, the piratical survival sandbox MMO by Wildcard substudio Grapeshot Games that was at...
Space exploration sandbox Starship Simulator successfully funds at over $497K
Getting to command, tinker, fix, explore, decorate, and control your own detailed virtual spaceship looks even more promising with the recent news that FleetYard...
The Stream Team: A first foray into Planet Crafter multiplayer
Massively OP's MJ definitely loves sandbox games where she can terraform the land somewhat. But what about when the entire premise of a game...
Past Fate projects early access launch sometime in the third or fourth quarter of this year
Currently, the sandbox MMORPG Past Fate is in a closed alpha state (except for when it deigns to run open alpha tests). It would...
Planet Crafter is a new multiplayer survival sandbox where you geo-engineer an entire planet
Last week, multiplayer survival sandbox were treated to yet another entry in the field: Planet Crafter, a game I've had on my own wishlist...
Star Citizen pushes back alpha 3.23’s new hangars and cargo missions, adds in water physics instead
For the past several weeks, Star Citizen has been talking up the features of its upcoming alpha 3.23, often calling it one of the...
V Rising demos its new Dracula-themed endgame zone, Ruins of Mortium
Vampire survival sandbox V Rising continues its efforts to drum up hype as it seems certain to lap Valheim when it fully releases on...
Fractured adds new playable demon races and cash shop with its May 8th Invasion update
Dynamight Studios formally announced Fractured Online's next patch last night: Dubbed The Invasion, it heralds the arrival of two new player demon races, specifically...
Mortal Online 2 opens a new dungeon, adds new mounts, and tweaks sieges with its latest update
Testing is over and release is here: Mortal Online 2's latest content update is live this week, opening the doors to a new dungeon,...
Kickstarted MMORPG Legends of Aria is relaunching as Legends of Aria Classic on May 9
When last we looked in on Legends of Aria, it was fading fast into unfortunate obscurity. The Kickstarted MMORPG - originally known as Shards...
RuneScape cancels summer event in favor of permanent content, OSRS tweaks undead pirates and more
Summer is cancelled. No, we're not just saying that because we don't handle the heat very well; we're saying that the large new summer...
Gaijin’s ocean adventure MMO Age of Water delays early access a week
Gaijin's seafaring survival MMO Age of Water was intended to rolled into the smooth ocean of early access tomorrow, but it's choppy waters instead,...
Casually Classic: Four lessons we’ve learned from WoW Classic’s Season of Discovery so far
As I write this, we're still a long way off from the end of WoW Classic's Season of Discovery. A final stretch of leveling...
Black Desert just overhauled its gear enhancement system with a major QOL addition, the Ancient Anvil
Black Desert is continuing to bolster its gearing enhancement system, this week with the new Ancient Anvil upgrade live today, meant to improve players'...
Siege Camp’s Anvil Empires plans a four-day alpha this weekend – here’s how to sign up
Foxhole studio Siege Camp is gearing up for another major test for its sandbox MMORPG Anvil Empires (as compared to all of its minor...
EG7 transfers PlanetSide 2 development from Daybreak to Toadman, posts 2024 roadmap
Ever since Daybreak's February investor report that admitted the company had sold off a "noncore IP for USD 5.9 million" to " EG7 with...
