Best Sandbox Games on Steam
Unlike generic lists, our strategy game recommendations use a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews to identify and feature only the best, community-validated sandbox games.
Filters & Lists
Project AURA
Project Aura is a micro management game where you lead a Colony of Climate Disaster Survivors. You have been assigned the mission to build an habitat capable of survival in this new unknown world.
Farm Manager 2018
Manage your own farm in the game Farm Manager 2018! To expand your farm business, produce cheap and sell your products in high prices. Control the process of land cultivation, employ the best staff, buy the most appropriate farm equipment, raise livestock and process the harvested crops.
Sword With Sauce
Sword With Sauce is a fast-paced stealth-action game where you pick weapons, gadgets, and a playstyle to eliminate enemies. Go in loud or stay unseen—it's your choice.
Galimulator
Galimulator is a galactic empire simulation and sandbox game. See how Empires rise and fall, and how the people in them climb through the ranks to bring prestige to their Dynasty. Then throw in an invasion of self replicating Smatter monsters if you want to spice things up.
Surviving Mars
There will be challenges to overcome. Execute your strategy and improve your colony’s chances of survival while unlocking the mysteries of this alien world. Are you ready? Mars is waiting for you.
Pure Farming 2018
Use the latest technology and state-of-the-art licensed machines to manage all aspects of modern farming. Travel between Europe, Asia, and both Americas to plant region-specific crops such as hemp, coffee beans, and olives. Farm your way thanks to three unique game modes tailored to both simulation veterans and newcomers to farming games.
Game Dev Studio
Welcome to your own Game Dev Studio! How will you run your own offices and ascend to greatness in the gaming industry?
Bio Inc. Redemption
Bio Inc.: Redemption is a realistic simulation and strategy game in which you make life or death decisions. Create a deadly illness to infect and torment your victim or play as the head of a medical team and hopefully find a cure to save your human patient. Will you be the plague or preserve humanity?
Demolish & Build 2018
Your company is going global. Use big machines to demolish huge buildings or go close and personal and use your hammer. Buy land properties, upgrade your machines and hire workers in different parts of the world.
Crest - an indirect god sim
Your word is gospel in this god sim set in Sub-Saharan Africa. Influence and try to control your followers using commandments but beware, free will leaves these open to interpretation. Will you create a flourishing civilization or lead them to death and destruction?
Diesel Railcar Simulator
Drive vintage diesel trains, shifting gears manually and trying to reach a perfect score. Create new routes, trains and timetables. Share your creations and download new content from the Workshop.
Escape The Pacific
Raw, real survival in the Pacific. Build a modular floating base. Master realistic sailing mechanics. Face challenging Pacific-like weather & seasons. Hunt, craft, build & navigate using Sun Dial, Sextant & Triangulation. Explore an endless island cluster-based world. Simulate real life scenarios!
Beast Battle Simulator
Beast Battle Simulator is a physics based battle-simulation sandbox game featuring dinosaurs, animals, and humans. Kamikaze Zebras VS. T-Rex with laser guns, Lions VS. medieval knights; anything is possible! Watch as the beasts dismember and rip each other apart in gory detail!
The Islander
The Islander is a fast building/farming game set somewhere in an exotic Polynesia. Plant crops, bushes and trees, build livestock pens, but don’t forget to make it look classy by adding various decorations.
Verdant Skies
Verdant Skies is a life simulation game born from a love for games like Harvest Moon and a desire to create something unique with modern gameplay and deep storytelling. Ensure the success of the colony as you make friends and pursue romance with a diverse cast of characters.
BREAK ARTS II
Faster than anyone. Stronger than anyone. And more stunning. Customize your robot for “cyber battle racing” in a game that offers all the thrills of racing, battle, and customization. Online, Offline, Time-Attack... which mode will you dominate?!
Salt
Salt is an open world exploration game where you sail from island to island looking for loot and new discoveries! Relax and explore at your own pace, picking a direction and setting sail across a vast ocean filled with quests, merchants, ruins, pirates, and other mysterious places.
cyubeVR
Immerse yourself in a voxel game exclusively designed for VR. A beautiful infinite procedural world. Explore, gather resources, craft with your hands in 3D, and build anything you can imagine. Featuring great VR controls, near-infinite view distance, Steam Workshop mod support, and much more!
Railway Empire
In Railway Empire, you will create an elaborate and wide-ranging rail network, purchase over 40 different trains modelled in extraordinary detail, and buy or build railway stations, maintenance buildings, factories and tourist attractions to keep your travel network ahead of the competition.
Subnautica
Descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more - all while trying to survive.
Nantucket
Chase after Moby Dick, and live through the Golden Age of American whaling in this seafaring strategy game. Set sail around the world, manage your ship and crew, and live Ishmael's story, the sole survivor of the Pequod, a few years after the events narrated by Herman Melville in his masterpiece.
Total Miner
Total Miner is an open world voxel sandbox game. It is primarily designed for creative RPG game builders, but also has two action/adventure style game modes where you can just jump in and play.
Wooden Battles
Build a wooden fort, place your units, watch the mayhem!
Bridge Constructor Portal
Enter the Aperture Science Enrichment Center and experience Bridge Constructor Portal – the unique merging of the classic Portal™ and Bridge Constructor™ games.
Stationeers
Stationeers puts you in control of the construction and management of a space station to run by yourself or online with your friends. Complex atmospheric, electrical, manufacturing, agriculture, and gravitational systems require your thought and management at all times!
Hello Neighbor
Hello Neighbor is a Stealth Horror Game about sneaking into your neighbor's house and figuring out what he's hiding in the basement. Play against an advanced AI that learns from your actions.
Opus Magnum
Opus Magnum is the latest open-ended puzzle game from Zachtronics, the creators of SpaceChem, Infinifactory, and SHENZHEN I/O. Design and build machines that assemble potions, poisons, and more using the alchemical engineer’s most advanced tool: the transmutation engine!
Disassembly 3D
Disassembly and destruction physics sandbox simulator. Detailed models of objects and vehicles and their internal parts. Disassemble objects successfully to unlock weapons mode and destruction. Fight evil mannequins with everything you got in physical combat!
Hold Your Own
A single player open world sandbox, crafting and survival FPS game set in a multi-island land where you'll fight to survive. Build your base, hunt and craft to defend yourself from aggressive wildlife, enemies or friends. Do you have what it takes to Hold Your Own?
Shark Simulator
Shark Simulator is a WTF physics sandbox. Play as Ed the shark, and give those tourists a vacation they will remember!