Best Sandbox Video Games of All Time

A sandbox game is a game where you are free to do anything you want, when you want and how you want in a big open area. San Andreas is the game which meets these requirements fantastically. There is so much to do and such great other qualities of a game packed with it like awesome graphics (at the time), fantastic soundtrack, interesting story and memorable characters.

Not only is this the best sandbox game, San Andreas is the best game of all time.

Quite possibly the best game ever! There is so much content in this game that you never run out of interesting things to do, even after you have completed the main story line. Also, the vehicle assortment is phenomenal. You can pilot an Apache helicopter and wreak complete havoc with it. Awesome game. AWESOME.

Grand Theft Auto 4 got second to the King of San Andreas, well 5 will take it's spot soon enough. Tring to vote 4 second to the KING CJ, is like putting a T.V. dinner on the same table as cavi and wine, " just a bad move ". SA the best besides 5 and vice city.

The biggest and most varied world in video-game history.

Was tempted to vote for Red Dead Redemption, but the amount of hours I've put into that, versus that amount of hours I've put into THIS... Well, let's just say that a competition like THAT would be horribly unfair to RDR.
Minecraft is only fun if your creative enough to make the best of the world. It's less of a game, and more of a giant virtual box of Legos. Sure you can wave your sword at monsters until they disappear, but mining, crafting, building... That's what it's all about. And when you get your friends involved so your not forever alone, it gets that much better.
You can't get much more sandbox-y than Minecraft, ladies and gents.

It is basically a huge and blocky CAD, a real pure sandbox with literally anything inside for ANYTHING, but requires you to make them real. Some others here has limitations but this one? Of Course Not. You can make a huge spaceship, an impressive kingdom ready to move in, scenes of world war II, or just a simple cottage. The only limitation is your's. It is the most sandboxish game out there and so deserves its title.

I find it sad when people confuse sandbox games with open world games. A sandbox game is where you have a bunch of basic elements to build whatever you want with, an open world game is where you're simply free to do what you want. Sandbox games are pretty much always open world, but open world games aren't always sandbox.

Grand Theft Auto fans. If you don't like Minecraft give me a reason why. remember that people have literally created Minecraft versions of Grand Theft Auto. Even if you don't like to play with other people because you don't have friends then just get the Grand Theft Auto mod

I had San Andreas as #1 but this game is better in every way. Endless stuff to do, plus the car handling is fixed from IV. The new sandbox champ right here, and one of the greatest games ever made.

Will be hard for Rockstar to top this one. A huge, truly amazing game. Blows IV out the water.

Why this game is after RDR? Grand Theft Auto 5 is better all the way! Multiple vehicles planes, boats... It have so much stuff to do thanks. for the 3 caracters switch.

Why does Minecraft thing it deserves such a high place? This game is way better than minecrap!

This is the best sandbox Wild West experience and the finest game today to my opinion. The multiplayer still rocks!

Takes the Wild West and shakes the cobwebs out of it.

The second best game on my sandbox list... First is Grand Theft Auto San

The only Sandbox game with a good story.

Best sandbox game? Everybody loves gta4? Nope, sorry, terrible driving, once you die in a mission, you have to restart the whole mission, that's a huge slap to the face to gamers, every single time Grand Theft Auto releases a screenshot for its' upcoming game, everyone throws a party, too much hype and too many people kissing rockstar's ass, reality and graphics don't make a game, fun does and Grand Theft Auto 4 is just one of the most boring games ever

Rockstar rocks! Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series are loved by every corner of people. Grand Theft Auto iv received many awards including Game of year, Best story, Best voice acting, etc.

If you look SandBox in the dictionary there is a picture of Niko on it. GTA is the best sand box game.

Lower on the list than Grand Theft Auto games? I don't recommend main story, it sucks. It has like 350 different settlements, first playthrough is amazing. It takes a while to get bored of it, despite it being an older game. Just Cause 3 isn't nearly as good and only has 100-some settlements.

Best Sandbox game ever. Nothing else comes close, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Just Cause 3 could be the best game ever if done right.

You can have a lot of fun by not completing missions, fully accessible transport too!

Does Grand Theft Auto have a grappling hook?

Not only do I believe this to be the greatest sandbox game, but one of, if not the greatest game of all time. This game had it all: great quests, excellent level progression and hours upon hours of quality gameplay. Of course it wasn't without flaws, but then again there's no such thing as a perfect game. It's just a shame that many early Fallout fans denounce it so much.

Amazing environment, game play, and story. Only lacks a little bit graphically.

It is purely great. Only bested by GTA.

Although people say Saints Row 2 was better, they are just butthurt fanboys who can't get over the fact that fun beats serious. I enjoy SR2 and SR3, but you can do almost anything you want in SR3. Yet, Grand Theft Auto fanboys won't even bother to play the game, but would go crazy for ANY of Rockstar's upcoming titles. For all they care, Rockstar could make a game about Barbies, and it would get like 100 million preorders within the first few days. This game sets itself aside from reality and throws logic out the window to make one of the most fun games of all time. Just give this game a chance, and you'll understand what I mean.

Truly an amazing game, I used a be a Grand Theft Auto fan and I still am, but saints row made me a bigger fan with its' craziness and lots of fun things to do.

Crazy ass game but lotta fun, and lots of stuff to do.

The most fun you can get in Mafia II in my mind is how much cash you can make from the moment you escape the burning house because from that moment on any cash you earn from car exports and selling cars to the scrapyard, you can keep.

Mafia II, a much better game than people give credit for. Grand Theft Auto San Andres, an overhyped game that isn't what it's all cracked up to be.

This is much better than Grand Theft Auto 4.

How can this game be left behind at #20

This is the most perfect game we have ever witnessed, you can play up to 40 hours without feeling you did.

This game is one of ubisoft's all-time masterpieces!

This game good me like

What? Grand Theft Auto ain't got nothing on this! Terraria is the greatest sandbox game ever and one of the greatest games period!

This is one of the best sandbox games!

Terraria is too good for me to even talk about. Terraria have guns, npcs, swords, bows and even the underworld, dungeons, dungeon and lihzahrd and an EVIL AND GOOD BIOME!

Made me want to stroll around and whistle tunes of Bugsy Malone, while shooting random people.

Has a rich and insanely fleshed-out world that you're dropped in. You can explore, quest, or just screw around. You can easily plug over 300 hours into one character. Then, you can reroll as a new kind of character and create a new story. Then choose any combination of over 30,000 (and growing) modifications to further customize your experience and add infinite replayability. You don't play the Elder Scrolls; you live them.

Why isn't this in the Top 15?! It should be number one!

I love it even without mods.

Unlike Grand Theft Auto 4 Saints row the third doesn't forget that people play games to have fun, not to rag on GTA4, it was a pretty good game but with the constant whine of your cousin and the grinding driving mechanics, Saints row shines all the more brighter. Additionally the wackiness of the game is emphasized all the more when mixed with a game that tries to play Mr. Straight face. Also the character customization is a hella lot better

Just pure fun. Like the first Saint's Row, it doesn't take itself too seriously but unlike the first one there is a lot more polish, way more things to do, hidden activities, character upgrades, and more that make you want to keep playing.

Funner than GTA, more vehicles, more weapons, way more customization and you can create your won character. Much better

Despite being an obvious Grand Theft Auto rip-off, it does it's unintentional job very well.

The first BIG open world game, if this didn't get big you would even have the Other Grand Theft Autos

What an amazing and pretty extreme sandbox this is, a really nice improvement from what FC3 was; I really praise the wide map, the brutality and sadism that they added in comparison with the previous titles, the tons of main missions as well as the lots of side quests to do and the story, which is pretty decent and with a charismatic and a very memorable villain too. A 10/10 in my opinion, this one should be placed in at least the top 3.

Most fun to explore from this list.

Fun level maker

This game brought me into the sandbox world. It has great faction choices one of the best car selection ever and its only T so everyone can play it.

Grand Theft Auto gets boring after 30 minutes. There aren't much game that offer what this game does