Although I like a lot of your top 10 and some of your ‘other mentions’, I totally disagree with your definition of ‘sandbox’ games. I consider the only definite sandbox games mentioned are XIA and Western Legends, possibly Firefly( haven’t played yet) and M&M.

I really enjoy sandbox games. It is so interesting to play a game very differently from my opponents and gave an equal chance to win. As you mentioned there are different definitions of sandbox games and you broke that down so well.

This wouldn't be my intuition on what "sandbox" means. Having played D&D growing up (and I know you didn't), my connotation of "sandbox" comes from how the D&D community uses it. Basically there are two ends of a spectrum for D&D sessions - the "railroad" vs. the "sandbox". The railroad is heavily storyline-driven, and players are steered toward scenes or plot elements. Player decisions are important in the micro context of a battle or interaction, but not in the macro context of where the plot goes. The sandbox is, at its extreme, plot-less, though a good sandbox needs an immersive setting to make player decisions meaningful, as those make the plot. So that's not completely at odds with your use of sandbox in board gaming, but it does make me think of "open world" more than "point salad" or "multiple minigames". Personally (from my definition of sandbox), there is no better sandbox game than D&D. From your definition of sandbox, I am currently enamored with Paladins of the West Kingdom. Maybe you would count Concordia, as you can steer towards particular strategies based on the end game scoring bonus cards you pick up (going for certain goods cities, or spreading out on the map, etc.). Istanbul isn't epic enough maybe to fit this category, but there are multiple strategies to get gems (money, resources, mosques, expanding the wheelbarrow, using bonus cards). Of all the games on your list Trajan is my favorite, though I have only played a few.

Oh man, a Stonemaier open world/sandbox! All the hype! Also, thank you for these videos Jamey. I bought T'zolkin since it appears on your top 10 a lot and absolutely love it. However, Scythe will probably forever remain my number one. I'd also include Civilization on my list. You can focus heavily on one of the 4 paths to victory, everyone in the game could have a much different strategy.

Thanks for the video Jamey! Keep them coming. Very intrigued by your open world sandbox in progress.

There are so many games I still need to play. I love the sandbox element of 7 wonders with all the various point scoring systems. Thanks again for great info and descriptions

Just waiting for codename Sand to come out. Waiting. So. Patiently.

my top sand box game are: - Xia - Civilization Sid Meier - Pulsar 2849 - conquest of paradise - through the ages from what I read, very good sand box - fallen land

Thanks Jamey for this. I also love the lighting in this video.

1. Excited to learn more about the sandbox open world game you are designing. 2. MTG is not something I would consider as a sandbox "game" -- but it can be a sandbox "experience" if you have a lot of card options. It has the sandbox feel of developing a program for sure, and this is why I play this a lot and particularly Commander which allows me to use the entire history of cards of MTG. 3. This encourages me to try out Tzolkin, which I've been putting off for a long time.

#1 Unplayed Sandbox Board Game... Magic Realm!

Based on the definition, I would highly recommend Lisboa. There are a lot of different paths you could take, many of them with viable strategies to win, but you're not locked or required to do anything really. I've had fun playing this game and just trying to do new things.

I think one of the biggest missed opportunities in sandbox games is Dungeon Lords which is the spiritual boardgame of Dungeon Keeper. It falls short in that it limits the option of the players on what they can do and each game can feel much the same. I would like to see this game redone with that in mind.

I'm a video game dev, but I can't imagine how you'd do a sandbox board game...

Caverna is great... also, just wanted to tell you I got VITICULTURE last night... class all the way... love it. Thanks for the vids and the games, man. Have a great week.

Arent there any other real sandbox games which I dont know yet (especially games like Western Legends)? I was really excited to get to know such games....but it ended with most being Euro-games. ;-) Concerning sandboxy eurogames, I would add Village.

Watching this one year later and all I can think about is the Stonemaier Open World/Sandbox game that you mentioned and what it might be!

You are using terms from one medium and they map imperfectly at best to the other medium. Rubber Banding describes catch up mechanics that either punish leaders or reward losing players, which is more relevant than "latency issues". It's generally a good feture in a game to prevent "snowballing" & keep the game meaningful until the end. Sandbox does not map very well to competitive boardgames as part of the idea is that you set your own objectives as in Sims or Cities Skylines or Minecraft. In a boardgame you may well be able to choose your path but you are still trying to get points. That said I do see the sandboxy elements in A Feast for Odin et al. the paths to points are very different. They are also different to "point salad" as what you get points for is essentially the same just the way you get there differs. I can only make open world apply to RPGs and boardgames that are essentially RPGs eg the WOW game or Gloom of Kilforth, but very much not Gloomhaven. I'd be interested to see it applied to something else.

Xia might look like an all-random-all-the-time, but at least with the expansion its a really great game. You can really try something new every time you play, and in my group every player tends to have their own style. Is it disqualified due to being a kickstarter game? But I agree that Caverna is fantastic, at least at lower player counts. With the faction expansion its even better!

Nice list. I love the way a sandbox game allows you to change paths relatively easily. I think of Western Legends where you can be lawful and suddenly become wanted by robbing the bank and taking off to the hills. The biggest aspect I think is choice and not being pigeon holed once you start to go down a path. Hey this isn't working, I think I will change paths.

I just played Maracaibo and it definitely gave me sandbox vibes in terms of paths to victory and how many different ways you can combo and get points.

Very interesting. I have to say I never gave it much thought to applying sandbox to board games. Just wondering would you then look at Wingspan as a sandbox type of game. Either way I enjoy your videos. thanks

Love Western Legends! The new Ryan Laukat to come will probably be amazing.

I enjoyed your sandbox list and your particular definition. I wouldn't consider MTG a sandbox game or even Scythe. I have played Firefly and definitely consider that a good example of a sandbox game. Western Legends would be another good example but I have not played many on your list so plenty to explore there for me. Thank you.

My sandbox games, would be Xia and The City of Kings. I could play TCoK for hours. Having so many Quest cards, exploration and character advancement, It's never the same game twice.

I can't take a sandbox games list seriously without the inclusion of Xia.

I had a little bit of trouble understanding the difference between Sandbox and Open World. But I guess it's the freedom to pursue victory or complete an objective in multiple ways/how you want? I guess along that style of gameplay, I've really enjoyed Abomination: the Heir of Frankenstein. In that there are multiple ways to build up victory points, and two ways to bring an end to the game. Although ultimately I've only found two ideal ways to play, one to gain humanity by completing the cards you get from the church and then trying to force a game end via the captain meeple reaching the end of the game rounds track. Or by building your monster as usual as efficiently as possible.

Ive been trying to think about the two definitions here. Arent these definitions more for video games anyway. It is a little tougher to use these terms for boardgames. I think Open World describes the type of MAP you are playing on, while Sandbox describes the WAY you can do things within a game.

Village is one of my favorites that didn't make the list.

Great video Mr. Stegmaier! When I think of sandbox games the first ones to come to mind are Empires of the Void II and Western Legends, and my #1 which can be on my list because I didn't design it, which is Scythe. ;)

Polar opposite: Yellow and Yangtze. There are a bunch of things to do and you have to do everything in perfect balance. And some other Reiner Knizia games, like Ingenious. I'm sure I'm personally getting hung up on calling any game with victory conditions a sandbox game. In video games, they're more like games with no win condition or where you create your own goals. Some of these have tacked on win conditions, like the dragon in Minecraft. Rimworld, The Sims, Cities: Skylines, Crusader Kings 2, Factorio, Dwarf Fortress. You can't beat other people at these games. They are more like art studios or storytelling generators. I have been trying to think of other tabletop games where the players are co-creators with the designer. I think legacy games fit the bill in a sense. You would want to imagine a legacy game where the forks were less defined, or perhaps spread in many directions all the time. Maybe the closest I can think of is Food Chain Magnate. The game offers a tech tree in a sense, and a growing company roster, and a map of a city that you can randomize. There are bonuses when you are the first to achieve a significant milestone. You could play the same map many different ways and you definitely pursue your specialization to the exclusion of other possibilities. However, the other players are constantly changing the game out from under you and not responding to what they are doing will just not work.

I haven't played that many Rosenberg games, but I wonder how you can get more sandbox than Fields of Arle. Also I was wondering if worker placement is a more likely mechanism for sandbox type games.

thx boss!!

I think I have a very different definition of sandbox game from you. Food Chain Magnate, 18xx

Sandbox, Open World, and Free Roam are fairly interchangeable terms denoting a lack of limits placed on the player to allow them to go, do and act freely within the game environment. This is opposed to progressive, railroad, or storyline (again, fairly interchangeable terms) games where the purpose and actions of the player are directed (but not necessarily forced).

I’m rather confused by this definition of sandbox game as well. Would you consider Viticulture a sandbox game in your definition? Because I could focus on making wine all game or just planting and uprooting vines. I don’t know what my definition of sandbox is, but to me something like Western Legends is clearly a sandbox game, but Architects and Viti are clearly worker placement games and not sandboxes.

You're gonna put magic in but not mention Istanbul?! The only SMALL rubber banding in that game is the assistants you leave behind but that's really just to add a puzzle aspect to working out your moves.

Hey why don't you include some images of games you talk about ? I think it would give a more representative image

This guys the man

I love Odin, but mostly solo. I don't want luck/dice in an competitive efficiency euro.

Based on your definition, would viticulture be considered a sandbox game?

Yeah, conflating sandbox and point salad a bit too much. Sandbox is not only “tools and environment “ but also has a stronger element of determining how you win. For a game to be competitive you need “victory points” but do you walk away because you hit a goal of victory points , or because of some amazing feat that happened during the game. This is why western legends fits for me, while a feast for Odin doesn’t

Is your new game Charterstone Non-Legacy? :)

This list is … strange. I’m confused as to how someone can make a sandbox game list, and both Xia and M&M only make Honorable Mention.

This guy designed Scythe?

I know it's a Stonemaier game, so it wouldn't have made your Top 10 but wouldn't you call Tapestry a sandbox game?

Rococo

Why is Xia not a sandbox game?