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
As its Kickstarter nears $600K, Stars Reach aims to feature reactive music – but maybe not voice acting
When you're indulging in some eye candy with MMORPGs, don't neglect the equally delectable ear candy that's the product of hard work by the...
Terraria is still crushing it as a sandbox after 14 years
For a game that originally came out back in 2011, Terraria is aging like fine pixelated wine 14 years later. As the studio keeps...
The Stream Team: Getting a taste of seasons and events in Stars Reach’s pre-alpha
It's time once again for MOP's Chris to get his paws on the pre-alpha of Stars Reach this week as the sandbox is giving...
MMO Hype Train: Why are Monsters & Memories’ vibes so intriguing?
What attracts you to an upcoming MMORPG project? There are a few factors in my mind that result in a rather quick assessment of...
The Steam spring sale is upon us with deals on MMOs from New World Aeternum to Pantheon
Is it actually spring? No. But do you actually need an excuse for a Steam sale? Also no! But that's exactly what we got...
Massively Overthinking: Toxic positivity in the land of MMORPGs
As I type this, we've been watching the Lord of the Rings Online transfer situation unfold for over a week now, and I've personally...
Pax Dei hands players a compass, lets them boogie and browse markets, and plots a new EU server
After weeks and weeks and weeks of talking and showcasing and teasing, Pax Dei's big deal quality-of-life patch has officially come online, which introduces...
Trove’s St Patrick’s Day event, St Qubeslick 2025, has returned to the sandbox
I don't mean to alarm you, but St Patrick's Day is coming up on Monday, which means a whole lot of leprechauns, pots of...
Black Desert opens its new hardcore server and makes the first of several PvE class changes on PC
Those who feel like life in Black Desert is a little too soft and cuddly can now show off how rough 'n' tough they...
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.
