Ranking by genre

The best sandbox games.

45 games compete in this selection. Minecraft: Java Edition tops it with 1,849 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Minecraft: Java Edition 2011 · Sandbox 1,849
  2. 2 No Man's Sky 2016 · Sandbox 1,710
  3. 3 Terraria 2011 · Sandbox 1,699
  4. 4 SimCity 1989 · Sandbox 1,606
  5. 5 Satisfactory 2024 · Sandbox 1,598
  6. 6 Black & White 2001 · Sandbox 1,564
  7. 7 Dragonheir: Silent Gods 2023 · Sandbox 1,543
  8. 8 Project Highrise 2016 · Sandbox 1,506
  9. 9 Dude Simulator 2017 · Sandbox 1,500
  10. 10 Roblox 2006 · Sandbox 1,499
  11. 11 Everything 2017 · Sandbox 1,497
  12. 12 Dragon Quest Builders 2 2018 · Sandbox 1,495
  13. 13 Pokémon Pokopia 2026 · Sandbox 1,495
  14. 14 Planet Coaster 2016 · Sandbox 1,486
  15. 15 Townscaper 2020 · Sandbox 1,485
  16. 16 Terra Nil 2023 · Sandbox 1,482
  17. 17 House Flipper 2018 · Sandbox 1,480
  18. 18 Besiege 2020 · Sandbox 1,479
  19. 19 Dragon Quest Builders 2016 · Sandbox 1,479
  20. 20 Shapez 2020 · Sandbox 1,475
  21. 21 Transport Tycoon Deluxe 1995 · Sandbox 1,458
  22. 22 Teardown 2022 · Sandbox 1,455
  23. 23 Poly Bridge 2016 · Sandbox 1,454
  24. 24 PowerWash Simulator 2022 · Sandbox 1,453
  25. 25 Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives 2016 · Sandbox 1,446
  26. 26 Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis 2003 · Sandbox 1,440
  27. 27 Rec Room 2016 · Sandbox 1,436
  28. 28 OpenTTD 2004 · Sandbox 1,436
  29. 29 Potion Craft 2022 · Sandbox 1,425
  30. 30 House Flipper 2 2023 · Sandbox 1,424
  31. 31 WorldBox 2018 · Sandbox 1,424
  32. 32 Islanders 2019 · Sandbox 1,422
  33. 33 Town Star 2020 · Sandbox 1,422
  34. 34 Planet Zoo 2019 · Sandbox 1,420
  35. 35 Universe Sandbox 2008 · Sandbox 1,417
  36. 36 Two Point Campus 2022 · Sandbox 1,416
  37. 37 People Playground 2019 · Sandbox 1,406
  38. 38 Disney Infinity 2013 · Sandbox 1,403
  39. 39 Cube World 2019 · Sandbox 1,402
  40. 40 Dyson Sphere Program 2021 · Sandbox 1,396
  41. 41 Crayon Physics Deluxe 2008 · Sandbox 1,385
  42. 42 Opus Magnum 2017 · Sandbox 1,377
  43. 43 Viscera Cleanup Detail 2015 · Sandbox 1,376
  44. 44 Stronghold 2 2005 · Sandbox 1,365
  45. 45 Robocraft 2017 · Sandbox 1,343

Filter, combine and travel back in time in the full ranking

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In detail

The best sandbox games, what this ranking says

Minecraft: Java Edition leads this selection with 1,849 ELO points, ahead of No Man's Sky and Terraria. The 45 games competing in it have played 6,731 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 45
Duels played by those games 6,731
Game in the lead Minecraft: Java Edition (2011)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,849
Point gap between 1st and 10th 350
Best represented decade 2010s
Last reading September 18, 2026

The best sandbox game of every decade

A selection is not read in one block: here is what leads each of its brackets.

The best sandbox game of every decade
Decade Games competing In the lead ELO score Duels played
2000s 7 Black & White 1,564 158
2010s 22 Minecraft: Java Edition 1,849 2,203
2020s 14 Satisfactory 1,598 163

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 42 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Roblox +77 1,499
Robocraft +66 1,343
Rec Room +44 1,436

The most contested match-ups

These pairs of games have faced each other more than any others in this selection.

The most contested match-ups
Wins Against Duels played Win rate
Minecraft: Java Edition Satisfactory 3 100%
Terraria Minecraft: Java Edition 3 100%
Terraria Poly Bridge 3 100%
Black & White Dyson Sphere Program 3 67%

How this ranking is established

No jury, no press score, no sales figures: two games face off, players vote, and every vote updates an ELO score. This page is a view of the world ranking, never a standing kept apart.

Understand the method in detail →

FAQ

What players ask

What is the best sandbox game?

According to community votes, the best sandbox game is Minecraft: Java Edition, with 1,849 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of No Man's Sky and Terraria, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many sandbox games are ranked?

45 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 6,731 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which sandbox game is climbing right now?

Roblox is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 77 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 42 games in the selection moved.

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