Sandbox games give players an open world to explore and interact with at their own pace. Direct control is prioritized by handing players a set of tools and letting them build and explore, unlike structured approaches in simulation games. Designers create weakly tuned challenges with multiple solutions, resulting in emergent gameplay. Sandbox games gain their success through immersive worlds that have built-in mechanics and systems catering to player agency.
Designing a sandbox game requires prioritizing player agency, system interplay, and curiosity. Designers then need to understand the sandbox-specific design principles and mechanics integral to open-world gameplay. I recommend creating a game design document to cement the sandbox game concept and its production goals. Read on to learn about the fundamentals of sandbox game design, inclusive of templates and examples.
What are the principles of sandbox game design?
The principles of sandbox game design are player agency, emergent gameplay, and open-world exploration. Players are given a toolbox and toolkit that allow them to build, craft, and explore the world on their own terms. Designing the sandbox game to enable creative freedom means integrating gameplay mechanics that optimize player agency.
Player agency refers to the freedom, control, and influence players have over their gameplay. Players come up with self-directed goals, make meaningful choices, and engage in expressive play. In Kerbal Space Program’s sandbox mode, players set engineering goals, experiment with rocket design, and learn through trial and error with all essential tools free for use.
Flexible gameplay mechanics help maximize player agency and give players creative challenges. Gameplay mechanics refer to the systems that impact how players engage with the game. They need to be adaptable to multiple player inputs, have repurposable modular units, and interconnected systems to produce emergent outcomes. Minecraft’s block placement and crafting are modular units that players combine to build anything they want.
Minecraft is a popular sandbox title that integrates a tool-first design and presents players with the choice between creative and survival modes. Minecraft has cross-generational and cross-genre appeal with an expansive reach as a result. Another sandbox game, GTA V, caters to multiple viable playstyles. The GTA series has open worlds that are reactive and packed with systems that enhance immersion.
Devs need to create multiple reusable parts so the gameplay mechanics support players without restricting them. Modular units turn players into creators in the game and integrating open progression systems lets them decide on their own goals as well. Sandbox games have to support multiple playstyles as well, so outcomes aren’t overly scripted or predictable. The systems integrated need to shape the outcomes and consequently generate paths for combat, creativity and exploration.
Emergent gameplay is when players interact with the game in ways that weren’t anticipated by the devs, resulting in unscripted outcomes. Making sure the game has this feature entails putting in systemic mechanics and feedback systems. You also need to leave a lot of room for player freedom. Systemic mechanics connect to each other and interact across domains. Legend of Zelda: BotW has systemic mechanics for weather and rain physics that make surfaces become slippery and restrict movement.
Feedback systems incorporated alongside systemic mechanics motivate players to experiment and learn with rewards. Feedback systems send out messages or warnings based on player actions, creating teachable moments in-game. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 doesn’t immediately trigger combat when players approach a bandit camp, for example. Players are simply told to leave to avoid trouble. The game encourages players to try a more stealthy approach by waiting until night, attacking from a distance or poisoning the food supply.
Integrating emergent gameplay lets players take control of how they play the game, which automatically increases replayability. Players are able to generate unexpected outcomes that are shared and discussed on relevant platforms, increasing community engagement. All those discussions are key to modding, content creation and social storytelling. For example, Roblox became popular because of all the user-generated games that brought core mechanics into new genres.
Open-world exploration is another way to increase creative freedom in sandbox games. Open worlds let players move around and create stories based on what they discover, on their own terms. Devs need to design a game world that reacts and evolves with the players but also lets them interact with the game elements, like NPCs. This means integrating non-linear progression systems alongside spatial freedom and environmental interactions. Skyrim’s dragon encounters are unpredictable, and the added random groups of Stormcloaks or Imperials make it feel alive and open.
Non-linear progression, when players decide how, when and why they move forward in the game, draws a clear line between open worlds and closed, level-divided worlds. Non-linear progression means being able to choose not to take on a challenge or boss immediately, but instead explore different regions, which appeals to both exploration-focused players, and combat-focused players. Prioritizing player freedom in this way ensures players are motivated, and partake in emergent gameplay. Elden Ring is an action RPG that has sandbox elements such as non-linear progression in an open world, for example.
Successful sandbox games use other related principles in their design, as indicated below.
| Principle | Design Strategy | Sandbox Games |
|---|---|---|
| Your game needs to account for unexpected outcomes | Use tools and mechanics that encourage creativity and experimentation | Minecraft, Garry’s Mod |
| Your systems connect with each other across domains | All your mechanics blend into one another to support player actions | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Dwarf Fortress |
| Players are free to choose how they progress with directives | Guide players without restricting how they move, like using environmental and narrative cues | GTA V, The Sims |
| Keep fixing and play testing the game for new content and updates | Make prototypes for internal testing and allow players to mod so you’re able to keep refining | Roblox, Kerbal Space Program |
Overall, sandbox game design prioritizes player agency using emergent gameplay and open-world exploration. Players are given freedom to experience the game in multiple directions. Successful sandbox game design results in games with high replayability, player immersion, and an active game community.
What mechanics are frequently found in sandbox game design?
Mechanics frequently found in sandbox games include functional design mechanics, exploration and navigation mechanics, and interaction mechanics. Sandbox games’ core mechanics serve specific design purposes such as helping players navigate, create, explore or interact with the entities in the world.
Functional design mechanics are interactive systems serving clear gameplay functions. They enable strategic depth, creativity, and replayability and contribute to player agency and immersion. Functional design mechanics include resource gathering, crafting, building and environment shaping, physics-based interactions, and multiplayer systems.
Resource gathering refers to players getting resources for crafting and building from the environment. Minecraft has players gathering ore to build weapons and sometimes the ore, like iron, is in danger zones like near mobs or underwater which adds risk and reward. Resource gathering also lets players explore while looking for items, which helps them learn about their surroundings. In the end, players feel like they’re putting in effort to survive in-game on their own terms, which adds up to player agency.
Crafting mechanics then let players combine their collected resources into functional tools and items. Players need to be able to choose the resources being used so that crafting becomes more personal and encourages them to experiment with different recipes.
Designers need to bring in building and environment shaping so players are able to change terrain and construct buildings. Using physics-based placement makes construction feel easy. Functional blocks help simplify the process of territorial control. Players need space to express creative freedom so they’re able to engage in social storytelling and stay immersed.
Gravity, momentum and collision physics incorporated into the gameplay make sandbox games feel more realistic. Basic physics helps generate unscripted outcomes that also count as problems for players. Players are then given a space to solve these problems on their own, which encourages exploration and learning. Players are able to keep coming back to the same problem to try generating different outcomes in new scenarios, increasing replayability.
The multiplayer systems need to let players communicate with each other, so designers include tools such as in-game chats and activity status bars. Having a space for social interaction lets players trade, team up or compete while moving forward in the game together. Shared experiences consequently spawn emergent outcomes and storytelling since worlds are created by players working together, which motivates them further and increases immersion.
Exploration and navigation mechanics are important when you want to keep player agency on the top of your list of priorities as they enable both player-driven exploration and open-world navigation. Exploration is key because it lets players decide how they want to approach the game world and throwing in open-world navigation lets players move and interact with the world how they want.
Players are curious by rule of thumb so reward their curiosity by bringing in exploration mechanics like hidden lore, rare resources, or unique encounters. Environmental storytelling is a recommended element to include using world objects or ruins that add depth to the world’s history. Make use of soft barriers like environmental obstacles so players are guided to explore in a way that results in significant rewards, like currency or gear. Rewards for exploration immerse players in the game, and provides them with choices on where to go and what to do.
Using navigation mechanics alongside exploration mechanics lets players execute movements necessary for exploration. You need to use traversal mechanics such as climbing and environmental interactivity, like when rocky terrain restricts movement, so gameplay is realistic. Putting in landmarks and visual cues play a role in easy navigation as well.
Designers need to incorporate interaction mechanics so players are able to interact with the game world and all its inhabitants, which helps generate unscripted outcomes. Players being able to interact with terrain or NPCs in unaccounted ways generated unexpected outcomes that motivates players to replay to generate different outcomes. The Legend of Zelda: BotW for example, lets players use bombs or weather to get past puzzles. The takeaway from that is to design various challenges that are open-ended so players have the space to come up with different strategies that consequently result in emergent narratives.
Integrating elements that enable customization lets players express their identity, and creativity with minimal restrictions. The freedom of expression that comes with customization increases emotional depth since it encourages roleplaying and progression, which lengthens long-term engagement. There are different types of customization for you to include which are character design, tool and vehicle creation, and base or world design.
Character design provides players with a visual identity and allows for roleplay. Unlockables motivate players to engage with the sandbox game in the long run. The Sims lets players customize avatars with certain clothing and items tied to levels and achievements. Players are able to design avatars in their likeness or emulate a celebrity figure in-game, encouraging creative freedom.
Tool and vehicle creation enables strategic optimization and creative problem-solving during exploration. Players attaching special wheels to navigate rough terrain or being able to switch between land vehicles and water vehicles contribute to freeing gameplay. Minecraft has boats to traverse water terrain, incentivizing exploration.
Base and/or world design play key roles in creating a personalized gameplay experience. Players shape how their territory looks and responds, which encourages them to gather resources and progress in the game. For example, No Man’s Sky’s basebuilding lets players create intricate, functional cities, underwater bases, and orbital bases that their friends are able to visit. Customization overall increases players’ emotional investment in the game.
Mods that alter the mechanics and world structure are another common feature of sandbox games. Modding gives players the chance to alter, expand, or reinvent the game itself, increasing the sandbox game’s lifespan and helping foster online communities. Minecraft boasts the most individual mods, while Skyrim is considered to have the widest library of every type of mod from sources like Nexus and Steam. These mods let players reinvent the game, helping sustain an active community. Types of modding include content mods, system mods, and total conversions.
Content mods let players put in new assets like items, quests or characters and add variety to the existing core gameplay which keeps player engagement stable. For example, Stardew Valley Expanded is a content mod with additional crops, animals and new romanceable NPCs. Once Stardew players are done with the main storyline, adding mods lets them keep exploring the game which increases its overall engagement.
System mods directly change game rules, mechanics and progression logic so they’re used by advanced players who want to switch up mechanics. RimWorld has combat extension mods that change combat mechanics and let players change their weapons to penetrate armour. In the same sense, Fallout: New Vegas’s combat mods have improved realism and weapon handling. Advanced players are handed more creative control as a result which keeps immersion and engagement up.
Total conversions are a league of mods that involve players revamping the game into a new genre or theme. Players are able to decide what the genre of the game is through online toolkits and community support. For the game to support total conversions, there need to be flexible engines, open scripting and asset replacement systems.The Skyrim Mod, Middle-earth Redone is a total conversion mod that lets players explore Middle-earth from the Lord of the Rings within Skyrim. These kinds of mods give players creative freedom with the game and helps with keeping communities alive in the long run.
Risk-reward systems and the mechanics supporting them are frequently found in sandbox game design, too. Throwing players into scenarios where they have to choose between danger and reward increases tension and lets them make choices directly affecting outcomes. For example, players choosing to fight a boss for big loot counts as a risk-reward moment. It’s recommended to bring in risk-reward systems using mechanics for high-stakes exploration, and by giving optional challenges with varying rewards.
During risk-reward gameplay, survival elements emerge on their own by reflecting basic human needs and any environmental threats like hunger, thirst or stamina. Rust is a survival sandbox game where players are expected to manage their hydration, radiation zones and PvP threats, for example. Players go into high-risk zones, such as areas with low oxygen which counts as survival elements that add tension and realism to the game. These elements motivate players to plan and adapt, so gameplay ends up feeling intense and immersive.
Where to find a sandbox game design template?
A sandbox game design template is found on platforms such GitHub and IndieDB. Design templates are frameworks that are reusable, containing core mechanics, modular components and documentation. The templates vary from asset packs to downloadable builds, all of which are helpful when developing a sandbox game. The table below gives an overview of platforms that have design templates.
| Platform | What you’ll find | What they have |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub | Open source repositories | Full sandbox engines, modular engines, and starter templates for engines like Godot, Unity, and Phaser |
| Itch.io | Template marketplace | Pixel art terrain packs, Unity and Godot starter templates, GUI kits, crafting systems, and procedural generation modules |
| GameDev.net | Resource sharing forums | Design theory and mechanics breakdown, links to engines, open-source kits, and asset libraries with tutorials |
| IndieDB | Indie game showcases | Full sandbox games with downloadable builds, inspiration from emergent gameplay, and open-source projects or dev blogs |
GitHub’s open source repositories have codebases, making it ideal for code-level systems and collaborative iteration in sandbox game design. Itch.io is recommended for indie developers or teams with a small budget. Itch.io’s template marketplace has affordable asset packs geared towards prototyping.
Designers about to initiate the design process must build a base of ideas and understand sandbox game design concepts first. GameDev.net’s forums have curated lists and information explaining design theory and mechanics, making it an ideal source. IndieDB is open-source and useful for gameplay inspiration as it showcases the design process for indie sandbox games.
What is an example of a sandbox game design document?
Examples of sandbox game design documents (GDD) include Grand Theft Auto’s (GTA) 1995 GDD and Minecraft’s 2019 GDD. A GDD outlines the game concept, systems, and production strategy. Sandbox GDDs emphasize player agency, systemic interactivity, and non-linear progression, guiding the team through development. The GDD evolves along with each new version of the game.
A sandbox GDD’s title page introduces the project with the logo and ownership. The game title in an initial GDD often changes during development. GTA’s 1995 GDD had the provisional title ‘Race’n’chase’ before it eventually became ‘Grand Theft Auto’. The table of contents lists all sections for easy navigation, organizing the content using section headers and page numbers.
The game overview section provides the genre classification and game concept summary. The game concept summary highlights what makes the sandbox game unique in the market. Minecraft continues to be popular because it mixes a simple layout with open-ended systems, for example.
The design goals section explains the objectives of the game and the player experience targets. Design goals for sandbox games include the gameplay mechanics and systems that encourage emergent gameplay and player-driven progression.
The sandbox world description is for devs to explain the world layout and its interactive elements. GTA’s 1995 GDD describes the world layout as three cities with their own respective graphic styles. The devs expected players to complete a certain number of missions per city, learning all the different viable routes and becoming more familiar with each city’s layout.
The interactive elements in the world description refer to all the objects, systems and entities the players interact with, like NPCs and weather. The GTA GDD describes interactive elements such as the different types of roads and police NPCs players are predicted to encounter.
The GDD’s level and environment design section offers an overview of the environment layout, including all the interactivity points with multiple possibilities for emergent gameplay. A volcanic zone that has important resources and NPCs to trade with is one common example of an interactivity point.
The core gameplay features section discusses gameplay mechanics and player freedom elements. Gameplay mechanics expand on what players do to navigate the open world, such as building and climbing. Minecraft lets players explore the world by jumping and breaking down blocks using weapons. Weapons are crafted using crafting tables, supporting player agency and freedom.
The technical specifications section outlines what platforms the sandbox game is optimized for. Engine specifics, like tech stacks, and system requirements, like the PC specs needed to run the game, are expanded upon in detail.
The art and audio guidelines section gives information on the visual style, like whether it’s more realistic or pixelated. Sandbox games use voxel graphics or pixels to increase performance with open worlds. Sound design is crucial for maintaining player immersion. Minecraft has ‘scary’ sounds that pop up at night to increase the tension, for example.
The GDD production plan section maps out the sandbox game’s production strategy asa timeline with all the development phases and their durations. Noting down milestones helps track progress for both the team and investors to view.
