With the loss of one of the best sandbox games just last month, some players may be feeling a void. Others still are looking/hoping for the "ultimate" sandbox that contains nearly every virtual world feature. Certainly, there are some upcoming games that make some drool-worthy promises, but what about playing something now? There are actually games out on the market that have at least one aspect of the genre, if not more.
To start off the new year, Some Assembly Required looks at some of the top features of virtual worlds and lists games that incorporate these features. While this list isn't exhaustive (considering the sheer number of games when you include all of the smaller free-to-play titles, I'd run out of column space!), it is a comprehensive enough overview to point you toward some games worth playing that perhaps you hadn't considered before.
- EverQuest II -- Recently introduced, the Dungeon Maker allows players to create, decorate, and populate dungeons for fellow players to run through and earn special tokens for rewards; the creation feature, however, is only available to those who have the latest expansion, Age of Discovery (although all players can use the dungeons).
- Star Trek Online -- The Foundry offers players a specialized tool set to create custom missions (or an entire series of episodes) to enjoy and share; missions can be either in space or on the ground.
- City of Heroes -- The Mission Architect gives every player the opportunity to create stories that all other heroes and villains can play through.
- Ryzom -- Ryzom has a guild mission creator (you must be in a guild to create and do missions).
- Aion -- Currently only in Korea but will reach North America with patch 3.0.
- Champions Online -- Hideouts!
- Craft of the Gods -- Friends need to be added to a list in order to enter housing.
- Dark Age of Camelot -- Structures can be personal or guild houses and are placed in housing zones.
- Darkfall -- Very difficult and expensive to get; built out in the world.
- Eden Eternal -- Guilds can create personal towns.
- EverQuest -- Houses are placed on plots in instanced neighborhoods accessed through a gateway in the guild lobby.
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EQII -- Instanced houses of various sizes in each city; items can be sold directly to other players from the house (players can own 10 houses per character).
- Final Fantasy XI
- FlyFF -- Furniture pieces are purchased and last for only 30 days.
- King of Kings 3 -- Furniture can provide characters with special bonus effects.
- LotRO -- Four different racially styled homesteads (Hobbit holes, yes!) in instanced neighborhoods with detailed landscaping.
- Luna Online -- Can personalize walls, etc; item placement is free-form.
- Mabinogi
- Mortal Online -- Houses built out in the world by adding resources, can be done passively or actively
- RuneScape -- Instanced housing; exterior can be redecorated for a fee.
- Ryzom -- Can own one apartment in one of the four capital cities.
- Second Life -- Tremendous variety of types of housing, decorations, themes.
- Ultima Online -- Houses placed out in the world.
- Vanguard -- Along with guild halls, personal houses can be placed on specific plots on designated housing islands on each of the three different continents.
- War of the Immortals
- Wizard 101 -- Three levels of housing; players can own three houses at any particular time.
- Wurm -- Find location, prepare plot, and build the house.
- Age of Conan -- Guild and resource requirements are so high this option isn't viable for small guilds; city and buildings must be placed in specific places.
- City of Heroes
- Runes of Magic -- Castles allow entry into Siege War, which is the PvP environment.
- Xsyon -- Players can create a personal homestead, but space is very limited; the more people in the tribe (guild), the more land that is available to build on.
- Aion -- Unique can even mean very freakishly grotesque here.
- Champions Online
- City of Heroes
- EVE Online -- A unique system to fine-tune facial features.
- Star Trek Online -- The alien builder!
- Age of Conan
- Aion -- Appearance items must be skinned onto armor and weapons, destroying the original item.
- DC Universe Online -- New gear can be hidden so only your original outfit shows.
- EQII -- Appearance slots included for weapons and mounts.
- LotRO
- RIFT
- Vanguard
- Anarchy Online
- Darkfall
- Dofus
- EVE Online
- Fallen Earth
- Glitch
- Mortal Online
- PlanetSide
- RuneScape
- Ryzom
- Ultima Online
- EVE Online
- Second Life
- Ultima Online
- Wurm
- EQII -- In-depth crafting including furniture making.
- LotRO -- The music system is fantastic; growing crops, fishing.
- Mortal Online -- Taming, fishing, thieving.
- RuneScape -- Cooking, fire-making, fishing.
- Ultima Online -- Thievery, treasure hunting, fishing, basket-weaving.
- Vanguard -- The diplomacy system; very in-depth crafting including furniture making.
- Xsyon -- Lumberjack, basket-weaving, architect.
What other games have sandboxy-good features that you would add to this list? Share your choices in the comments below.