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
The Game Archaeologist: Shadowbane
Way back when I used to haunt the corridors of Gamestop and had yet to shun the place due to its stinky evil, I remember...
The Stream Team: Get a gift for PlanetSide 2’s anniversary
Careful now, that's not candlelight on a cake you see for PlanetSide 2's birthday -- that's the glow of gunfire! But that won't deter...
Leaderboard: Would you play Space Engineers on a MOP private server?
I love me some Space Engineers, even more so now that Keen Software House has added huge, destructible planets to its space sandbox. I've mostly...
PSA: Space Engineers is half price through Sunday
If you don't own Space Engineers yet, well, you should because it's really fun! Especially since the devs added ginormous destructible planets to their Minecraft-with-better-visuals-in-space...
ARK: Survival Evolved is scheduled for an ‘imminent release’ on Xbox One
ARK: Survival Evolved is bringing its dino-themed sandbox shooter gameplay to the Xbox One sooner rather than later. VG24/7 notes that developer Studio Wildcard...
Here’s how Star Citizen ship repair and maintenance works
One of the things that sets Star Citizen apart from the game industry at large is a virtual world design that provides players with options other...
Shroud of the Avatar’s Release 24 is here and it’s added a lot of stuff
Crowdfunded fantasy sandbox Shroud of the Avatar has made its latest patch available to backers as of this morning. Originally, Release 24 was supposed to be...
Perfect Ten: MMOs you forgot existed (but are still running)
No MMO can be in the spotlight eternally. Even some of the biggest names out there -- your World of Warcrafts, your Guild Wars...
Funcom to announce three new games in 2016
Watch out world:Â Funcom is cranking up its game factory for 2016.
In the studio's Q3 2015 report, Funcom said that it would be announcing the...
The Stream Team: Adopting ArcheAge’s pawesome pets
What does MassivelyOP's MJ love as much as housing in games? Pets! And ArcheAge is giving her the best of both worlds: the opportunity...
Albion Online highlights its reworked combat
Sandbox Interactive has released a new four-minute video highlighting the combat changes in Albion Online since last summer. Lead game designer Robin Henkys says...
Is Star Citizen’s big 2.0 update coming this week?
Star Citizen is hosting an anniversary livestream on Thursday, November 19th, and it may even coincide with the long awaited release of the 2.0...
Black Desert is now available for pre-order
After an accidental peek at its store page earlier this month, Black Desert now has the full, correct, and permanent page up for pre-orders.
The pre-order...
Now you can save EVE ship fittings from outside the game client
Have you ever wanted to tweak your ship fittings outside of EVE Online's client? If so, the latest CCP dev blog is worth reading....
Black Desert’s Sorceress gets a scythe weapon awakening
Black Desert's Sorceress is getting some love this week, thanks a new face template work-in-progress that was appropriately posted to the game's Facebook page....
EVE Evolved: Huge PvP battles and corp wars in Citadel
Huge PvP battles have always been a core part of EVE Online's territorial warfare gameplay, with fleets of hundreds or even sometimes thousands of...
Shroud of the Avatar talks release 23 postmortem and more
Portalarium published Update of the Avatar #151 this morning. It dives deep into Shroud of the Avatar, and it offers readers a look at...
The Daily Grind: Do you play MMOs contrary to their design?
If you play Final Fantasy XIV, you know that it is not a game that rewards players for playing multiple characters. Quite the opposite, in...
Catch up with Star Citizen via the weekly dev update
Star Citizen's latest development update came out last night. Cloud Imperium says that Murphy's Law was in full effect last week, as the team...
Nexus Telegraph: Evaluating WildStar’s free-to-play model and special events
It's been over a month since WildStar kicked its game -- and business model -- into high gear with the Reloaded update. Since then...
