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. For those who prefer not to search, check out lists of the most played, top deals and best free to play Sandbox games on Steam.

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Fallout: New Vegas Welcome to Vegas. New Vegas. Enjoy your stay!

Price -90% 1.03€
Rating 9.5
Release 21 Oct 2010
X: Beyond the Frontier The Human Race had advanced to the point where we could travel among the stars, we developed giant automated machines to help us colonise other worlds, but there was a fault in their programming and they turned and attacked. Forcing us to lay a trap to protect Earth and exiling the Human race to stay on Earth once again.

Price -91% 0.49€
Rating 7.0
Release 08 Oct 2010
Lugaru HD Follow Turner, a rebel bunny rabbit with impressive combat skills in his quest to find those responsible for slaughtering his village. Uncover a far-reaching conspiracy involving the corrupt leaders of the rabbit republic and the wolves of the nearby lands. Streamlined Combat: Gone are the days of combo memorization and button mashing.

Price 9.75€
Rating 7.5
Release 08 Oct 2010
Dead Rising® 2 The sequel to the million-plus selling Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2 takes the zombie survival horror to Fortune City, America’s latest and greatest entertainment playground.

Price 19.99€
Rating 7.6
Release 27 Sep 2010
Victoria II Carefully guide your nation from the era of absolute monarchies in the early 19th century, through expansion and colonization, to finally become a truly great power by the dawn of the 20th century. Victoria II is a grand strategy game played during the colonial era of the 19th century, where the player takes control of a country, guiding...

Price -89% 2.24€
Rating 9.0
Release 30 Aug 2010
The Guild II Renaissance For centuries Europe has been dominated by the church and nobility. On the shoulders of ordinary people the servants of god and the noble families justified their power and wealth. This was the incontrovertible, divine world order. A truly dark era… In the 14th Century the world order is beginning to transform itself.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 28 Jul 2010
SimCity™ 4 Deluxe Edition SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition includes the bestselling SimCity 4 and the all-new SimCity 4 Rush Hour Expansion Pack. Create the most massive region of cities ever, with a farming town, bedroom community, high-tech commercial center, and industrial backbone.

Price -75% 4.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 20 Jul 2010
Moonbase Alpha NASA has once again landed on the lunar surface with the goal of colonization, research, and further exploration. Shortly after the return to the Moon, NASA has established a small outpost on the south pole of the moon called Moonbase Alpha.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.8
Release 06 Jul 2010
Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead Three years after the conflict in Chernarus, portrayed in the original Arma 2, a new flashpoint explodes in the Green Sea Region. Coalition forces led by the US Army are deployed to Takistan to quickly restore peace and prevent further civilian casualties.

Price -94% 0.91€
Rating 9.0
Release 29 Jun 2010
The Guild II The Guild 2 is the shining successor of the ultra successful medieval life sim, Europe 1400. The Guild 2 is a unique mixture of RPG and life simulation in an immersive middle ages scenario. The player and his party become part of history and can even change it in real-time. Go back to the dark middle ages and found a new dynasty!

Price -94% 0.64€
Rating 6.8
Release 24 Jun 2010
Mount & Blade: Warband In a land torn asunder by incessant warfare, it is time to assemble your own band of hardened warriors and enter the fray. Lead your men into battle, expand your realm, and claim the ultimate prize: the throne of Calradia!

Price -91% 1.96€
Rating 9.7
Release 31 Mar 2010
Just Cause 2 Dive into an adrenaline-fuelled free-roaming adventure with 400 square miles of rugged terrain and hundreds of weapons and vehicles.

Price -97% 0.50€
Rating 8.9
Release 23 Mar 2010
Assassin's Creed 2 An epic story of family, vengeance and conspiracy set in the pristine, yet brutal, backdrop of a Renaissance Italy. New low price!

Price -75% 2.49€
Rating 8.8
Release 04 Mar 2010
Supreme Commander 2 Includes 47 Steam achievements, leaderboards, and stats!

Price -78% 2.88€
Rating 8.6
Release 01 Mar 2010
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat is the direct sequel of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. As a Major Alexander Degtyarev you should investigate the crash of the governmental helicopters around the Zone and find out, what happened there.

Price -53% 9.59€
Rating 9.4
Release 11 Feb 2010
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition Prepare for the Future™ With Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, experience the most acclaimed game of 2008 like never before. Create a character of your choosing and descend into an awe-inspiring, post-apocalyptic world where every minute is a fight for survival.

Price -67% 6.59€
Rating 8.0
Release 17 Dec 2009
Gothic® 3 A nameless hero becomes a legend! Myrtana, a world in upheaval: overrun by orcs from the dark lands in the north, King Rhobar is defending Vengard, the former stronghold of the humans, with his last troop of followers.

Price 19.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 02 Dec 2009
Gratuitous Space Battles Who needs backstory? Who needs resource-gathering? Diplomacy is so last year. Gratuitous Space Battles cuts right to the chase of sci-fi strategy games, and deals with large, completely unjustified space battles between huge opposing space fleets.

Price 14.79€
Rating 6.9
Release 16 Nov 2009
Tropico 3 Become the dictator of a remote island during the Cold War. Charm, persuade, intimidate, oppress, or cheat your people to stay in power! Are you a kind and generous leader? A corrupt and ruthless tyrant ruling with an iron fist?

Price -92% 0.87€
Rating 8.5
Release 13 Nov 2009
Risen Delve into a gritty, raw and atmospheric fantasy world in which every action has a consequence. In the epic world of Risen, filled with mysterious earthquakes, fearsome monsters and unimaginable treasures, forge your path with the sword, learn the art of staff fighting or become a powerful mage.

Price -88% 1.80€
Rating 8.6
Release 02 Oct 2009
Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game Fallout® 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed game that took RPG'ing out of the dungeons and into a dynamic, apocalyptic retro-future. It's been 80 long years since your ancestors trod across the wastelands.

Price -75% 2.49€
Rating 9.2
Release 19 Aug 2009
Hearts of Iron III Hearts of Iron III lets you play the most engaging conflict in world history, World War 2, on all fronts as any country and through multiple different scenarios. Guide your nation to glory between 1936 and 1948 and wage war, conduct diplomacy and build your industry in the most detailed World War 2 game ever made.

Price -50% 5.01€
Rating 7.4
Release 07 Aug 2009
Tropico Reloaded TROPICO RELOADED is the ultimate game compilation for hobby-dictators and those dreaming of their own Caribbean island. Tropico combines real-time strategy and simulation elements with a healthy dose of political intrigue and Caribbean flair to create a unique and critically acclaimed game experience.

Price -89% 0.80€
Rating 8.3
Release 24 Jul 2009
SPORE™ Galactic Adventures Take Your Creature From Zero To Galactic HeroGet out of your starship and turn your Spore creatures into legendary Space Captains. For the first time, beam down with your allies to take on action-packed, planetside adventures. Complete quests, collect rewards, and even create your own missions.

Price -75% 4.99€
Rating 8.6
Release 23 Jun 2009