Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sandbox

Find me a sandbox to dig in

rikschell — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:51:36 -0800

I love Sid Meier's Pirates! I loved the original back in the '80s, and I love the remake even more. What other games might I love? I like sandbox games in general, but this one has a lot of action and adventure, and the historical setting is very atmospheric. The violence is minimized/stylized (I'm not interested in GTA-type gangbanging), but there are plenty of choices on how to play and what to do.

I find myself wishing there was a game where I could be an explorer (a remake of Seven Cities of Gold!) or a knight or something. No RTS or God games.

I haven't been up on gaming in about 20 years, though I've played various Dooms and Quakes and stuff. I spent a long time having only Macs, which didn't help. Now I have a netbook, which means I can run older PC games pretty well. New, not so much. I don't care about vintage. Story is not what I'm looking for (I started Deus Ex once, but didn't feel like I could give it its due). Free play, like the classic games I've already mentioned, plus maybe Elite (but faster paced) and Wasteland (though that gets a little too RPG-y). I've tried just playing the old games emulated, but they don't always work too well, and after seeing how great the Pirates! remake came out, I want more like this...

Best sandbox video games?

micahmertes — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:34:20 -0800

I'm trying to make a list of the best open-ended, non-linear sandbox video games of all time. Any suggestions?

Zip! Bang! Pow!

Inspector.Gadget — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:30:51 -0800

Please recommend to me your favorite open-world/sandbox-ish third person shooters for the Xbox 360. I've enjoyed playing Crackdown for a few months now and I'm looking to expand my experience beyond that. The open, beautifully rendered world and non-linear gameplay that still retains definite objective appeals to me. I also love the fact that it comes with a "Keys to the City" mode where you can manipulate your character's abilities and the environment to the limit to experience new aspects of the game.

If I had to pick a gripe, I would mention the fact that the combat wasn't really fluid: the shooting was fine, the driving was reasonably good, but the melee combat was awkard and limited.

In essence, I want a similar open world game (skyscrapers and climbing ability/jumping and driving are a plus) with improved melee combat, whether or not there is any actual shooting involved. Driving is also fun. The ability to go into a "god mode" and check out unexplored areas of the game, push the physics engine, etc. is a big plus.

Thanks!

Make my city a sandbox

dirtynumbangelboy — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:32:07 -0800

SimCity4 question: make my city a sandbox. So I love simulation games of all sorts... SimCity, Roller Coaster Tycoon, etc. It's some fun fantasy stuff--"If I was boss..."

What frustrates me about SimCity4 is that there is no way to have a true 'sandbox' mode. RCT allows a sandbox mode that lets you do whatever you like, unlimited funds, but doesn't count towards scores or whatnot. Is there any way to get this in SC4? Yes, I know all the cheat codes.. but pasting in 'weaknesspays' a few bazillion times is just no fun. All I want to do is play in a sandbox!

What's the best/simplest DIY sandbox design?

odragul — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:37:43 -0800

What's the best/easiest design to build a sandbox? I'd like to build a sandbox for my boys -- who are currently ages 4, 2 and 2 months, though hopefuly they (and any more kids we happen to have) would use it for a long time. A google search yielded many, many results, but I'd like to know if anybody out there has done it and can point me to a relatively easy design (my skills exist but are limited). I'm thinking 4 feet square would be enough, though if you also have advice for size, I'd like to hear that, too.

I knew this dame was trouble...

Happy Dave — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:07:55 -0800

Police procedural/gumshoe, sandbox games? I was watching LA Confidential for the Nth time over the weekend, and have recently finished a couple of other Ellroy books. Then, while playing GTA San Andreas, I started to wonder if there were any decent, sandbox, 1950's themed cop/private investigator games out there.

I've got an xBox and a Mac, and will soon be upgrading to an xBox 360, but if there's a good PC game out there that would run on Windows on a Macbook, I'd be willing to go get a license.

So, to summarise -

sandboxy or at least with an explorable setting that's not totally linear.

1950's themed

Ideally console-based

Playing the 'good guys' rather than gang/criminal based, although I'd also be interested in being on the wrong side of the law if it's a game with the flexibility and enjoyment of the GTA series.

Could be FPS, more likely to be 3rd person (or even isometric, if there's a strategy/team management aspect).

Cheers!

If MeFi was on rails, it wouldn't be hosted here.

furtive — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 19:37:31 -0800

Textdrive seems to be a good hosting company for my Ruby code, but I'm rather put off by their no dev/tinkering sandboxing policy. Any alternate suggestions?