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
Perfect Ten: Mobile MMOs to watch in 2018
Love it or hate it, MMOs are going mobile in ever-increasing numbers. Last year saw a crop of acclaimed titles making their way to...
Richard Bartle reveals the secrets and history of MUDs
If you know even a little bit about the history of the MMORPG genre, you'll be aware that these games didn't start with World...
EVE Online releases its December 2018 economic report
Forget space adventures, who'd like to look at some spreadsheets? Yes, it's time for the monthly official EVE Online economic report, breaking down all of...
Black Desert is launching a battle royale mode called Shadow Arena as part of a year focused on systems clarity
Pearl Abyss spent 2018 busy busy busy with its projects, among them Black Desert. To sum all that up and tease the future, Executive...
Co-op ARPG Breach hits early access January 17, with packages live now
Co-op ARPG Breach was meant to hit early access before the end of 2018, and as it turns out, it'll be only a few...
MMOs you’ve never heard of: Trulion, Morna Tales, Laplace M, Project BBQ, Genesis, Endless Battle, Achaea, Lord of Chains, Star Sonata
We have a perilously tall pile of MMOs (and MUDs and MOBAs and such) that you've probably never heard of for today's roundup. We're gonna just jump right in, starting with Trulion Online, a new open-world sandbox MMORPG that just hit beta on Android. Yes, it's a mobile title with retro graphics, but not all of what we're looking at today falls into that category!
RuneScape has thoroughly revamped mining and smithing just in time for its 18th birthday
You might think that an 18-year-old MMO wouldn't keep needing to tweak basic skills like mining and smithing, but in the case of RuneScape,...
EVE Evolved: Seven of the best EVE Online fan videos of all time
EVE Online has a long history of incredible cinematics and player-made videos, but that legacy has somewhat fallen by the wayside in recent years....
MapleStory 2 interview: The Soul Binder, PvP, music, the western front, and battling pay-to-win
MapleStory 2 charmed our previewer, our podcasters, even our writers when it came time for picking out the underdog MMO of 2018, thanks in...
Ultima Online announces a year of high seas content, starting with publish 104: Rising Tide
A week ago, I finally sat down and cleaned out my ancient Ultima Online account, picking up a thousand items from my house and...
A look back at the MMO industry’s law dramas of 2018
Last year, we started a new end-of-the-year tradition: a recap of all the legal and political dramas that have affected the MMO genre over...
Black Desert launches on Xbox One March 4, with preorders opening today
We knew this day was coming: It's time to buckle up for Black Desert's Xbox One debut, as preorders for the game on that...
The MOP Up: Diablo III’s anniversary dungeon returns
Anyone who missed out on Diablo III's anniversary dungeon can get back in on the fun and rewards thanks to its reprise all month...
Global Chat: Little things that add up to a great MMO
Ever find yourself running down a list of "little things" that impress you and keep you busy in an MMO when you're trying to...
Wings Over Atreia: Aion’s abolished trading, and other foolish moves
So I really did not want to write a rant for Christmas week. No, I wanted -- nay, I planned -- a joyous column...
RuneScape hits record highs: 1M subs, 5M mobile downloads
It wasn't for nothing that Massively OP gave RuneScape our "Most Improved MMO" award last month. The long-running fantasy MMORPG saw a year of...
One Shots: Bullet hell
If you ever find yourself staring down an impossible spray of projectiles and energy blasts flying every which way and you freeze like a...
Make My MMO: The biggest MMO crowdfunding news of 2018
Welcome to a special edition of Make My MMO, Massively OP's regular recap of what's going on in crowdfunded MMOs, which we do specifically...
ReWorld lets you build your own fantasy MMO world
According to the developers, it's "Ultima Online meets Gary's Mod."
This is ReWorld, an upcoming multiplayer game that uses procesurally generated worlds that players can...
Legends of Aria previews upcoming content in first developer’s letter of 2019
In-development sandbox MMO Legends of Aria has high hopes for 2019, if the year's first letter from Project Lead Derek "Supreem" Brinkmann is anything...
