Sandbox games

[Booze Zombie]

What do sandbox games mean for you?

For me, they are a selection of choices and challenges I will either enjoy or regret, often I restart a game just to make a different choice with a character or get that joy of beating a challenge again.

 

[sargebw86]

To me, it means that the major goal of the game is not as big a focus as the typical RPG; the goal is there, but there's a lot I can do aside from it.

My favorite example is Mercenaries: I had info on four guys, captured two, and just screwed around the rest of the time, like demolition derbies with the North Koreans (I'd find them on the road and ram into their vehicles), swiping vehicles from China's base and bring them to the Russians for money, and calling in airstrikes on Propaganda Village.

 

[Ushario]

Sandbox to me means a contained world.

Where I have a lot of options, all of which have an affect on the world, for better or worse.

 

[Izakflashman]

Hmmm this thread is going to fail for one major reason, its quite a narrow subject. Some egg could just come in and give a clear definition then that would be that.
Sandbox games are the fun ones, when your not made to do anything in any particular order, and if you really wanted you could make your own goals.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

Sandbox to me means open world exploration, just a place for you to create your own havok. Pretty much what I do with GTA4 and Saints Row 2.

 

[SnowCold]

The abillity to play for hours and hours without toching the main plot

 

[Khazoth]

Fallout 3, I got so caught up and immersed in the world and I realized a half hour later I hadn't even been to Megaton yet.

 

[HaruHearts]

For me its KILL everyone who you thinks insulting you... Sorry Megaton it was for the best.

 

[Yokai]

An open world with the ability to help or hinder its inhabitants as you please. And if one interprets "hinder" as "brutally murder and pile the corpses in the middle of an intersection" then by all means....

 

[Beefcakes]

The abillity to play for hours and hours without toching the main plot

I loves myself a bit of this, which is sometimes how I get a majority of enjoyment from games

 

[sneak_copter]

What a sandbox provides: The ability to make whatever you want out of a few smaller pieces.
I don't think there has been a game like this yet. Mabye when the Playstation 4 and Xbox 720 come out.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Sandbox to me means a game environment that I can explore and mess around with as much as possible. An open world that isn't interactive or forgets my actions isn't a sandbox to me. A game that's a series of levels that you can only go forwards through isn't a sandbox. Unless each level is a sandbox.

 

[Zersy]

What do sandbox games mean for you?

For me, they are a selection of choices and challenges I will either enjoy or regret, often I restart a game just to make a different choice with a character or get that joy of beating a challenge again.

You do what you want at your own pace

 

[Sevre]

When I think Sandbox,I think GTA but those games bore me nowadays, Oblivion took sandbox to new levels even if the combat was a little dry and command prompt allowed you to complete the game in 24 hours on the PC at level 1.

 

[Woundingisfun]

Grand Theft Auto II ftw <3. If I were to pick from this gen. I would pick Saints Row 2

 

[Nivag the Owl]

Garry's Mod! Garry's Mod! Garry's Mod!

For me (thinking mainly about Garry's Mod), a sandbox game is a game I can play with friends, fuck around and do anything, yet also feel like I'm doing science.

 

[Flap Jack452]

The abillity to play for hours and hours without toching the main plot

This sums up what I was going to say rather nicely.