Minecraft has been one of the most successful and popular sandbox and survival games for years. If you’re not a fan of Minecraft’s design, there are plenty of other Minecraft alternatives to choose from, such as Roblox, Terraria, or Rust, all of which have a similar principal or are completely unique.
The term “sandbox” is now commonly known since Minecraft became popular. Minecraft’s block worlds have become associated with “sandbox”, however, this is just a generic name for the versatile game principle. Like in sandboxes, sandbox players move freely through open game worlds where they can be active and creative thanks to the free interaction between the players and the game world.
Sandbox worlds are made to be explored, developed, worked on, and designed. This can be achieved through agriculture, industry, space travel, or architecture. The crafting is an essential characteristic of sandbox games. Another feature, known as survival mode, involves players being thrown into computer-generated worlds where they must assert themselves and evolve. The third sandbox feature is called adventure/RPG modes, where players can solve quests or choose their own game rules.
Minecraft was developed by Mojang Studios in Sweden and it is the current sandbox leader. As of 2021, it is the best-selling computer game of all time. The secret to its success lies in its simple graphics, which focus on creating virtual worlds with a childlike building block aesthetic. Stranded in a pixel world like Robinson Crusoe, Minecraft players can design real-time generated landscapes as they wish. Players can also create a game world alone or with friends with their own rules thanks to the dedicated Minecraft server. They can make tools, build houses, chop wood, lay mines, and create cities and landmarks. However, there are plenty of alternatives for those who don’t like Minecraft’s minimalist graphics or who are looking for alternatives with more story.
The name “Roblox” is a combination of “Robot” and “Blocks”. Like Minecraft, the game features minimalist graphics with textures and characters reminiscent of worlds in Lego. Roblox players choose between two game modes: creating their own mini-games or the user-generated free-to-play games. The possibilities when creating games with the Roblox studio construction kit and the scripting language Lua are diverse, and they range from racing games to simulations. There are over 57 million games currently available. They are available in both single player and multiplayer mode (6 to 30 players).
Stardew Valley is one of the best-selling games with over 15 million units sold. Its mix of role-playing, simulation, and retro pixel graphics is reminiscent of farming classics such as Harvest Moon. Players take on the role of the protagonist who inherits a farm. They renovate, farm, and build connections with the residents in Pelican Town. There are also mini games, where players must fight monsters and search for precious mineral resources. The game is open-ended, but it is not open world in the true sense unfortunately, rather it is similar to the classic RPG simulations.
The open-world game Terraria is rightly nicknamed “Minecraft 2D”. It is similar to Minecraft in the sense that players interact with a randomly generated game world in real time. This includes logging, mining, and production of tools, among other things. There is also an integrated day-night rhythm (in 24 minutes) which affects daytime and nocturnal enemies. The world consists of 2D block graphics and each element can be edited, mined, and reshaped. Another feature includes trading and creating your own empire from base camps into country estates and castles. There are unlockable game modes which offer new enemies and items. Lastly, players can explore the world as a team via multiplayer with their own Terraria server.
Starbound mixes elements from Minecraft and Terraria, the main difference being that the game world encompasses a universe. In this sense, it is similar to the sandbox/open-world game “No Man’s Sky”, but it presents itself in detailed 2D graphics. After the Earth’s destruction, players travel through the cosmos in a spaceship and travel between planets with fixed and computer-generated structures where they must fulfill various quests and trade. Houses can be built on the planets, artifacts found, and enemies defeated. A dedicated Starbound server also offers multiplayer fun.
Eco is a multiplayer simulation game where players find themselves on a planet which is being threatened by an asteroid impact. The relatively open gameplay focuses on building a civilization with other players and fending off impact. However, resource extraction must not disturb the ecological balance. Therefore, the principles of farming, mining, and crafting are originally supplemented with an ethical and educational aspect. Players specialize in certain skills and crafts which make teamwork very important. You can create an exciting, realistic team play with in-game agreements, contracts, and community obligations with your own Eco server. Governments can also be formed and the virtual ecological footprint can break down.
The adventure/survival game “ARK: Survival Evolved” takes fans of survival and sandbox games into the world of dinosaurs. Players start their adventure without any equipment and have to make clothes, houses, tools, and weapons from materials in the game world. At the same time, players must explore the world and its elements, as well as collect points and reach new levels. Dinosaurs can be fought, but they can also be tamed. The game began with a 49m2 map of “The Island”, but it has since expanded to other numerous maps. It is recommended to play ARK as multiplayer, as tasks such as dinosaur breeding take up a lot of game time. Users can join up with other players to form a tribe and distribute tasks with a dedicated Ark server.
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Vintage Story developed from a Minecraft mod, but it has since evolved into an independent sandbox survival game. Although it has the same characteristic pixel-block graphics as Minecraft, it focuses more so on realistic survival elements. Players begin the game as a blue-skinned seraph in a mysterious world, where they must ensure their own survival by building houses, raising animals, farming, and crafting in-game tools, as they must also fight monsters. The world and its background story can then be explored in single or multiplayer.
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Trove is a voxel-style sandbox game similar to Minecraft, so fans of Minecraft will have no trouble getting used to the cubic characters and designs in Trove. Trove is an MMORPG where players choose characters from a wide class system with their own crafting skills. The specialized skills promote team play as players must work together. Players start in the “hub” and move through portals into different in-game worlds. Access to portals will depend on the player’s level of experience. The game revolves around defeating dungeon bosses, solving quests, finding loots, and mining materials for crafting.
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The Forest is an atmospheric survival horror with sandbox elements and it is unsuitable for young players due to its dark elements. The main character is the survivor of a plane crash who has to defend himself against cannibal tribes on a peninsula where he must rescue his kidnapped son. Players can build shelters, weapons, and tools from materials and elements in the game world. The nonlinear game includes third-person and first-person shooter perspectives and can be played in single and multiplayer modes. There is a day-night rhythm, a diverse animal and plant world, and several versatile regions. The strength of The Forest is the deep story which is told in a minimalistic way, revealing the background of the island and its inhabitants.
In the survival game Rust, players find themselves naked and without equipment in the dystopian game world. From the beginning, players must ensure their own survival by crafting tools, clothing, and shelter, as well as by hunting and producing food. Enemies include wild animals such as bears and wolves, opposing players, and extreme weather conditions such as cold or radiation exposure. Players have the option to join clans with fellow players and use their own Rust server to get the best performance and fun out of the game. However, the player-vs. player principle with raids and battles is usually the focus on official Rust servers.
Minecraft is way more fun when you play the creativity and adventure filled game with friends. That’s why it’s a good idea to set up your own server. In order for you and your fellow players not having to enter a bulky IP address for the connection, you can link the Minecraft server to a domain. To do this, you just need to create two DNS records.
If a game you purchased on the popular gaming platform wasn’t a hit, you can request a refund and get your money back after a few days. Find out which requirements you have to fulfill to get a refund, which games can be exchanged, and how to apply for a refund on Steam. Our dedicated article holds all the answers. Read on for more.
The Steam Family Sharing feature lets you share games with up to five other users on a maximum of ten computers. We’ll explain what exactly the Steam Family Library is, what its advantages and disadvantages are, as well as its restrictions, and how you can share your games on Steam in just a few steps. Our article’s got it all covered.
Minecraft is one of the most popular online games worldwide. Public games with random players are just as appealing as private games with friends and acquaintances. For maximum freedom, we recommend using your own Minecraft server. Using Linux, you can easily install it via the terminal. Our detailed step-by-step instructions will tell you more.
Survival games such as Project Zomboid are extremely popular. Players often opt to play on a server since the fight for survival is even more fun in multiplayer. Keep reading our article to learn how to set up your own Project Zomboid server. Nothing will stand in the way of your gaming with our step-by-step instructions and server tips!
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