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What are the best Sandbox games on PC?

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May 21, 2018

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7 Options Considered

7 Options Considered	Price	Steam Rating	RECOMMENDED
-- Kerbal Space Program	$39.99	Mixed	Processor:Core i5 Memory:4 GB RAM Graphics:SM4 1GB VRAM Hard Drive:6 GB HD space
-- Minecraft	$26.95	–	–
-- 7 Days to Die	$24.99	Mixed	Mixed
-- Stardew Valley	$14.99	–	–
-- Conan Exiles	$39.99	Mixed	Mixed

Kerbal Space Program

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Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

RECOMMENDED:Processor:Core i5 Memory:4 GB RAM Graphics:SM4 1GB VRAM Hard Drive:6 GB HD space

MINIMUM:Processor:Core 2 Duo Memory:3GB RAM Graphics:SM3 512MB VRAM Hard Drive:4 GB HD space

Minecraft

Specs

Genre:Indie / Survival / Sandbox

Co-Op:8 Player Online / 8 Player Couch / 8 Player LAN

Controller Support:Yes

Native Resolution:1080p60

7 Days to Die

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Top Pro

The conditions of the scenario can be changed

If the current scenario that has been created is discovered to be too easy or too hard, or not enough loot is being dropped, the next time it is loaded up, there are options to change the settings, such as difficulty, zombie spawn rate, loot drops as well as others. See More

Top Con

Can be frustrating at times

This con is a bit dependent on RNG. Your character might end up starting in the middle of the snowy mountains with no clothes or the desert with no water, making it hard to survive at the start. Other times the area could be resource poor, making it hard to build a base and tools and weapons. Or, you could end up spawning in an area filled with some of the hardest zombies in the game with no weapons and poor fighting stats. See More

Top Pro

Constant sense of vulnerability, which keeps the player alert and on edge the whole time

As the player makes progress in the game by interacting with the environment, killing zombies or building things, they are rewarded with skill points that can be used to unlock new skills such as combat strength, higher stamina or new crafting options. But even though the skill system can seemingly make the game easier, the severity and size of the zombie hordes will keep increasing with the time spent in game and the progress made by the player, keeping them on the edge and making them feel a constant pressure that an attack may come at any time and that they should be prepared. See More

Top Con

Sometimes there will be a fog that never goes away

The weather in 7 Days to Die can change, adding a nice touch of realism. Typically, foggy weather will occur close to every 7 days, which is when a zombie swarm will hunt you down. Sometimes though, this fog doesn't go away for the rest of the game, leaving reduce visibility, even more so at night with rain and fog. See More

Top Pro

Great replayability

No matter how many times you start a new game (random gen) you will never get the same experience. The crafting is the same, enemies are the same, game mechanics are the same but the gameplay is not. If you add the mods available for this game then you will have a whole new experience with added/altered crafting, different enemies, more quests etc... See More

Top Con

Currently in Early Access

While the game is currently selling for $24.99, it isn't actually finished yet, so there will be bugs. Be sure to adjust your expectations accordingly before making the investment. See More

Top Pro

Creative mode gives the player a section to just trial things out in, for fun

The game allows players to make custom maps without zombies attacking to set up scenarios or make player made game types. See More

Top Con

Randomly generated open worlds has no generation options

Randomly gen has no option to customize how it is generated (like in minecraft for example) and could make it quite problematic if you want to have a good map, as there is no way to know how good or bad the map will be. Random gen also make unrealistic hills and road that almost go up/down vertically with vehicle spawning in such way they seems to be floating. See More

Top Pro

What you build is not only for creativity, but also for gameplay purposes

In 7DTD players don't build their homes only as bases or places to sleep in, or build cool looking things just for the fun of it and to test their skills. Every 7 days, a large horde of zombies will attack the player wherever he or she is, trying to destroy them and what stands in the way of the player and the horde. This is why the player needs to think about how to build traps that will help them kill a lot of zombies and how to make a strong enough house that will not be destroyed easily. See More

Top Con

People who dislike Minecraft will dislike this game

If you like Minecraft, you might like this game, a lot actually. But if you HATE Minecraft, you'll quickly realize this game is basically Minecraft with better graphics. It just downright sucks. See More

Top Pro

Randomly generated open worlds makes for a ton of replayability, as each playthrough is never the same

Recently added in the Alpha 9 release, randomly generated worlds allow the player a new play experience every time they open up the game. This means every server will have a different dynamic based on their layout of the world. See More

Top Pro

Single, co-op, and multiplayer gameplay modes give plenty of choice as to how one would like to tackle the game

Three different play modes including solo, with friends, or competitively over the internet gives a lot of choice as to how someone would like to play the game. Be it with friends or solo, the options are there. See More

Top Pro

Robust crafting system that allows the players imagination to run wild with possibilities

Create everything from a chainsaw to various guns to defenses for your fort - the crafting system lists what you can make with the materials you currently have in the player's inventory. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

Genre:Survival / Open World

Controller Support:No

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Stardew Valley

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Specs

Genre:Farming Simulation, Role-Playing

Platforms:Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita

Conan Exiles

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Top Pro

Extensive crafting system that encourages player interaction

Crafting in Conan Exiles is essentially the name of the game. There are hundreds of items available to craft, and even though it may seem a little daunting at first, the process is very intuitive. You're able to do most things right from your inventory screen with no added help, and other things are deliberately pointed out as needing other amenities to be able to craft them. As you level up, you acquire "knowledge points," allowing you to learn how to craft new things. However, one person can't possibly know how to craft everything in the game. This system is perfect for making players either raid others for the goods they need, or team up and work with people to get further in their quest for survival. See More

Top Con

Not suitable for younger players

Conan Exiles contains nudity and a lot of gore. See More

Top Pro

Exploring the world is fun

There are several different biomes in Conan Exiles. Barren wastelands, harsh deserts, sparkling rivers, and haunted forests are just a few of the ones you'll encounter, but you'll want to get out there and really explore the environment. Every biome holds different secrets to discover and, more importantly, different materials so you can craft new stuff, which is always satisfying. Exploring also lets you scout out enemies that you plan to attack, find new areas you want to settle, or even make new friends to cohabit the area with. You'll have to explore whether you want to or not, but Conan Exiles makes it very enjoyable by making sure it's a rewarding experience. See More

Top Con

Joining a server for online play can be problematic

If the multiplayer servers are full, then you're out of luck. So far, there's no user-friendly functions like queues or notifications to help you out. You're stuck with spamming attempts to join a server or rejoin if you get kicked out for whatever reason. It would have been nice to have some helpful features to ease this process along. See More

Top Pro

The developers are very interactive with the community

The developers of Conan Exiles do their best to maintain regular and transparent communication with the players, actively seeking feedback, requests, and ideas in order to make the game better. See More

Top Con

The game feels unfinished and unpolished

Even though Conan Exiles is no longer in early access, there are a lot of flaws here and there that add up over time. You have plenty of freedom to roam around, but there's no real sense of progression or a focused storyline. Some areas in the open world just have a bunch of enemies to kill for the sake of killing them. You may also lag a lot, with your character warping around as you try to move. On their own, these things wouldn't be such a big deal, but they really do become a pain as the problems start to stack up. See More

Top Pro

A great deal of fun to play with your friends

In Conan Exiles, you're able to team up with people and build cities, or even empires if your group is large enough to make it happen. You're also able to do things that simply couldn't happen as a solo player, like waging war on enemy cities, pooling resources to expand your territory quickly, or making group expeditions to find rare resources. As much fun as the game is by yourself, it really shines when you've got a few friends to team up with to take on the world. See More

Top Pro

The combat is fast-paced and brutal

In Conan Exiles you play as an exiled warrior, so it's no wonder that you know how to fight. You play in first-person and wield a large array of weapons in order to destroy your enemies. Combat often ends quickly, with decapitations, limbs flying everywhere, and blood spattered on the ground. You can even sacrifice your enemies to the gods in order to gain power if you want to. If you like brutality, Conan Exiles has it in spades. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

Genre:Survival, Sandbox

Platforms:PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

The Forest

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Survival / Open World / Horror

Controller Support:No

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Planet Explorers

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Specs

Steam Rating:Mixed

9 Community Recommendations

Request recommendations from the community

Contributor for a year

8

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Recs.

145

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Kerbal Space Program

Recommended 7 months ago

I am a physics grad student and I shamelessly admit I learned more about orbital dynamics with this game than in my undergrad course in classical mechanics.

Contributor for 6 months

3.4K

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421K

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Recommended 2 months ago

Not suitable for younger players

Joining a server for online play can be problematic

The game feels unfinished and unpolished

ArtisticKullervo

Contributor for 4 months

1

Total
Recs.

0

Total
Karma

Kerbal Space Program

Recommended 4 months ago

ArtisticKullervo hasn’t added their experience, pros or cons to their recommendation.

Contributor for 6 months

43

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Recs.

7.6K

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Recommended 6 months ago

Can be frustrating at times

The conditions of the scenario can be changed

Constant sense of vulnerability, which keeps the player alert and on edge the whole time

Contributor for 6 months

43

Total
Recs.

7.6K

Total
Karma

Recommended 6 months ago

Steve hasn’t added their experience, pros or cons to their recommendation.

Contributor for a year

2

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10

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Recommended a year ago

s4ndm4n2006 hasn’t added their experience, pros or cons to their recommendation.

Contributor for 4 years

2.9K

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1M

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Recommended 2 years ago

thermoplastics hasn’t added their experience, pros or cons to their recommendation.

Contributor for 4 years

2.9K

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1M

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Planet Explorers

Recommended 2 years ago

thermoplastics hasn’t added their experience, pros or cons to their recommendation.

Contributor for 4 years

2.9K

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1M

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Recommended 2 years ago

thermoplastics hasn’t added their experience, pros or cons to their recommendation.

Currently displaying 9 out of 9 total recommendations.

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