Sometimes, people just want to unwind with a cozy video game after a long and tiring day – for some players, their cup of tea are sandbox games, which are essentially open worlds that you’re able to mould into whatever creation.
Some sandboxes have limitations, others don’t. The same can be said when it comes to plot. That said, the possibilities are endless.
10 Video Games With Rich Ecosystems
Our world is vibrant and full of life, and the ecosystems in these video games rival that richness.
These sandbox games are so cozy, theycould even trigger ASMRif you’re sensitive to the tingles and indulging in some much-needed relaxation.
Not only are these worlds delightful to reside in, but they are also fun to shape into whatever idea you’re able to conjure. Either way, the world is literally your oyster – and your pearl.
10Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Literally Saved Us During the Pandemic
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you like video games that feel like work, whereyou’re doing chores and absolutely loving it, you’ll get a kick out ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizons. Of all theAnimal Crossing gamesthatNintendohas released, New Horizons is without a doubt the largest and with the most to do.
With afixed camerakeeping you focused on your character, you’re quite literally tunnel-visioned into whatever project you’re committed to. Whether you’re terraforming waterfalls, adding furniture, building bridges, or just cleaning the island, you’re working hard to make your island a home.
It’s a game that saved us and our sanity during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, being our tether to social connection and to a semblance of control. Hell, I was a senior in college when the pandemic hit, and so my friends and I hosted a graduation in New Horizons since we couldn’t walk that year.
It’s a peaceful, relaxing game for those wanting to take their mind off the world, only to set your mind to building a new one.
9Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Sandbox But With Plot
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chroniclesis a cute,open world game that doesn’t have any combatthat you need to worry about. This creates a chill, stress-free adventure with a light plot to follow along (if you want).
It’s not the most traditional sandbox, but it is one nonetheless; the only thing that is truly “required” for you to do is to complete the first quest. This way, you get your tool set, and from there you may do whatever you want.
Plus, with the sole focus of the game being exploration and repairing the world, the game becomes surprisingly packed, despite its simplistic world. Thankfully, exploration and evolving your farm isn’t a laborious task, it’s instead rather relaxing.
This is a good sandbox for those that want a crumb of plot to chew on while out and about, and this game gives you just enough.
8Tiny Glade
Castle Diorama Simulator
Tiny Glade
Normally, building games get stressful incredibly quickly. With hazards, resource management, and other barriers, you do more upkeep than you do actual building. That’s not the case forTiny Glade, though.
Tiny Glade is a game that has youbuilding castleswithout any barriers, allowing you to just create stunning landscapes with medieval vibes.No architecture degree is required, just a vision.
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For players who want to explore, but not be overwhelmed by a world larger than the story.
This is the building game equivalent of painting on canvas. Hours and hours could go by without you noticing. The only indication that time has progressed is your own in-game progress. The only limit is your own imagination and understanding of your tools, as your design possibilities are endless.
It’s a cozy game that’s somehow managed to slip under the radar, sonow is as great of a time as ever to playit for yourself.
7The Sims 4
The Ultimate Life Sandbox
The Sims 4
When it comes to full control of a world and everything (and everyone) within it, there is no greater example of this thanThe Simsgames, the ultimate simulator.The Sims 4, in particular, is packed to the brim with content and, as a result, possibilities for creativity.
You can do everything in The Sims 4 –work any job, be who you want to be, decorate your dream home, and even get freaky with the Grim Reaper. It’s a sandbox in every possible way, with the only people being affected are your digital victims.
Of course, that’s if you want to mess with the human side of the sandbox. After all, the game is perfect for fans of building games andinterior design enthusiasts. You arguably have infinitely more options during house building and decorating.
It’s a fun, cozy game if you want it to be cozy. If you ever get tired of the coziness, it’s a sandbox after all – just sow the seeds of chaos, remove the ladder from the pool.
6Medieval Dynasty
It’s Your Empire
Medieval Dynasty
The Medieval era is one that has captivated (and fascinated) players for decades, and it will continue to do so until the end of time.Medieval Dynastyis an excellent way to live a little in this time period, without the threat of dying from a common cold.
In this, you’re quite literally creating a dynasty, an empire that is meant to last for generations. To do this, you have to utilise your resources and build your village from the ground up,farmingand funding each new addition.
There are multipledifferent settlement locationsthat you’re able to plant your feet in, each offering various perks and drawbacks with resources and other details. It’s a more realistic sandbox, if that hasn’t been made clear, but the resource management isn’t unbearable – it’s rewarding.
The game is so cozy that people genuinely don’t realise it’s a survival game first, which should tell you how fun the farming is.
5Minecraft
The Most Iconic Sandbox Game
Minecraftis a game that doesn’t need any introduction. After all, it isthecozy sandbox gaming experience, especially if you’re playing on Creative or Peaceful difficulties.
It has one of therichest ecosystems in all of gaming, each and every single biome offering a different experience for the world that you’re trying to craft and build. That is, if you’re not like me and spend all your time in the mines.
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Sometimes, all players want is to explore without fighting. These games offer that exact experience.
Minecraft is a sandbox in the purest and most fun sense, especially if you’re playing in creative mode where you don’t have to worry about any resource management. The things that people have been able to create in Minecraft are outright insane – I’m still not over the fact you can make a working computer with Redstone.
It’s a great game to turn your brain off and just create with, the gift that keeps on giving with each new update.
4My Time Series
Various Simulation RPGs
My Time At Sandrock
There are a handful of games in theMy Timeseries, all of them following a similar plot and gameplay loop: crafting and town improvement in various cities in the same world. Many revert toMy Time at Portiaas their favourite in the franchise.
This is a sandbox game that works entirely around farming in a gentle post-apocalyptic world, unlike other games in this list that try to remove any high stakes. In the series, the stakes are long gone, and you’re just building your own little world with what’s left.
Plus,the cooking in this game is actually pretty tactileand fun to tinker with, similar to how cooking is in real life (but without the risk of burning down your kitchen).
You could also play the game simply exploring through ruins and meeting new people, but there’s not as many sandbox elements in that regard.
3No Man’s Sky
Forever In Awe of the Cosmos
No Man’s Sky
Players have genuinely been spoiled withNo Man’s Sky. Endless, sprawling biomes that you candrop in and out of, hundreds of thousands of hours of content, no combat, and it’s gorgeous? Space has never been cooler.
No Man’s Sky is aspace-based RPGthat has you, an astronaut, exploring the galaxy and doing literally whatever you want. You’re in space, you’re in the final frontier, and now there are no frontiers to your exploration and creativity.
It’s genuinely hard to explain what makes this game so great without actually sitting down and experiencing it, which I would highly recommend you do if you’ve never played the game before. If you’ve always dreamed of space exploration, then this is a game you should have played yesterday.
No Man’s Sky will have you wearing many hats (or astronaut helmets, in all actuality) for creativity, and you’ll end up wanting to collect them likePokémon.
2Stardew Valley
New Farm, Who Dis?
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valleyis an absolute classic when it comes to cozy video games, a sandbox that lets you set up your town and farm however you wish.
The game starts with you inheriting a decrepit farm in Pelican Town,one of the most iconic small towns in gaming. From there, you work to bring the area back to life, restoring it to its beauty and shaping it into your very best ideas.
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Just because a game looks wholesome, doesn’t mean it always is.
Plus, you’re not done when the game ends, as you’re givencountless hours of end-game content, making for an experience that’s just as refreshing on repeat playthroughs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two playthroughs alike.
This is a game that’s gone on to inspire many others like it (such as the My Time series mentioned earlier), and there’s no shortage of new things to come. It just makes us all the more excited.
1Portal Knights
Cooperate to Create
Portal Knights
Games that are specifically designed around multiplayer understand that sometimes, all you need to have a little fun is to have someone share that joy with you. InPortal Knights, that means being in a sandbox together, just like when you’re kids.
Portal Knights is similar to Minecraft in that regard, where the only limit is your creativity in a beautifulvoxel block world. That said, it’s also an RPG, making exploration and levelling up even more important for each player involved.
Basically, if you’re wanting to be a gaggle of heroes on a grand adventure like something out of aDungeons and Dragonsmodule, you’ll have a fun time with Portal Knights. You get to be the literal knight in shining armour, making the world around you a better place with each quest.
And since each sandbox world is randomly generated, it guarantees a different experience every single time.
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