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
Stars Reach’s Raph Koster: ‘We’re going into space, and it’s going to be awesome’
Playable Worlds' Raph Koster is back with yet another batch of Stars Reach game pillars, the driving concepts behind the MMORPG sandbox's design. We've...
Black Desert readies new Dosa skills on PC, adds alpaca mounts on console, changes item acquisition on mobile
It's time for another week of updates to Black Desert, and this week we're going to begin with the console version's patch, primarily because...
Kickstarted sandbox MMORPG Fractured Online is finally, officially out of early access
Fractured Online has been through a whole lot over the last few years, from its Kickstarter campaign to its Gamigo-backed early access, then to...
Perfect Ten: 10 times MMOs appeared in TV and movies
It's always surreal when real MMOs cross the divide between niche and mainstream to be referenced in television and films. Depending on how you...
Massively OP Podcast Episode 477: The lineage of Lineage
Justin and Bree discuss Throne and Liberty's beta, Ultima Online's New Legacy, New World, Spellfarers, TennoCon, and Soulforge, with adventures in LOTRO, WoW, No Man's Sky, and T&L, plus a mailbag topic on the usefulness of MMO mobile apps.
Choose My Adventure: Gleeful space truckin’ through Elite Dangerous
This is, for all intents and purposes, going to be a very simple, laid back, and perhaps obnoxiously serene edition of Choose My Adventure....
Ultima Online sets its first New Legacy open beta for this weekend
On the MassivelyOP podcast this week, Justin and I were speculating on when the Ultima Online New Legacy beta is happening - surely it...
Starbase dates its returning in-game ship building Eos Con showcase for July 26
Are you ready for two days of spaceship? Then you're going to want to punch your non-existent ticket to Eos Con, the in-game showcase...
MapleStory adds new nodes and even more events in part two of its Go West update
Last month saw the first part of MapleStory's big giant Go West update release, and as scheduled, the second part of the udpate came...
RuneScape opens the ‘back-to-back bossing’ Sanctum of Rebirth dungeon
Who here likes fighting bosses in RuneScape? If you do, then this week's update is just for you, as it opens up the Sanctum...
Albion Online’s Paths to Glory update goes live with a task journal, dynamic spawns, and quality-of-life
Usually people aren't happy to see a list of tasks arrive to them, but in the case of Albion Online, there are ideally lots...
The MOP Up: Grim Dawn spices up the endgame with a new mode
OARPG Grim Dawn's third expansion is on the way with a brand-new game mode that should inject some extended life for its playerbase:
"Ascendant Mode...
Black Desert Console confirms Mountain of Eternal Winter’s August 7 arrival… in a cash shop video
Just because it will be August soon doesn't mean you can't experience winter, or at least that will be the case for Black Desert...
Sandbox MMO Dragon and Home adds the Void Isle and photo mode next month
Looking for a cozy and comfy MMO to augment those summer vibes? You don't necessary have to scan for something brand-new, as indie sandbox...
Sea of Thieves Season 13 will let players become the villainous world event on July 25
Sometimes it's good to be bad, and that's the opportunity being afforded to players of Sea of Thieves on Thursday, July 25th, which is...
Raph Koster’s Stars Reach will offer shorter play sessions specifically to boost stickiness
Playable Worlds' lengthy blog post on Stars Reach's middle quad of pillars earlier this week wasn't long enough, or so Raph Koster suggests, as...
Ultima Online previews New Legacy’s themepark stylings in its new gameplay video
I need to warn you before you click on this trailer: If you played original Ultima Online back in the day, the opening notes...
Star Citizen shows off updates and adjustments to alpha 4.0’s jump points
Right now players are locked inside of the single system of Stanton in Star Citizen, but when alpha 4.0 goes online, they will then...
Vague Patch Notes: How widespread free-to-play impacted MMORPGs
In 2009, Dungeons & Dragons Online went free-to-play, which was a pretty big deal at the time. It was especially important to me, since...
Once Human’s latest maintenance runs afoul of a ‘critical bug’ as players report missing items and ruined bases
At this point, reading that NetEase's survival shooter Once Human is facing technical issues probably feels like "water is wet"-level news, but indeed the...
