Ranking by genre

The best sandbox games.

45 games compete in this selection. Minecraft: Java Edition tops it with 1,778 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Minecraft: Java Edition 2011 · Sandbox 1,778
  2. 2 Terraria 2011 · Sandbox 1,674
  3. 3 SimCity 1989 · Sandbox 1,635
  4. 4 No Man's Sky 2016 · Sandbox 1,630
  5. 5 Satisfactory 2024 · Sandbox 1,593
  6. 6 Planet Coaster 2016 · Sandbox 1,578
  7. 7 House Flipper 2018 · Sandbox 1,549
  8. 8 Everything 2017 · Sandbox 1,537
  9. 9 WorldBox 2018 · Sandbox 1,532
  10. 10 Townscaper 2020 · Sandbox 1,519
  11. 11 PowerWash Simulator 2022 · Sandbox 1,513
  12. 12 Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis 2003 · Sandbox 1,508
  13. 13 Teardown 2022 · Sandbox 1,503
  14. 14 Dragon Quest Builders 2016 · Sandbox 1,502
  15. 15 Project Highrise 2016 · Sandbox 1,498
  16. 16 Pokémon Pokopia 2026 · Sandbox 1,488
  17. 17 Dragonheir: Silent Gods 2023 · Sandbox 1,485
  18. 18 Poly Bridge 2016 · Sandbox 1,477
  19. 19 Dragon Quest Builders 2 2018 · Sandbox 1,474
  20. 20 Opus Magnum 2017 · Sandbox 1,469
  21. 21 OpenTTD 2004 · Sandbox 1,463
  22. 22 Planet Zoo 2019 · Sandbox 1,462
  23. 23 Dude Simulator 2017 · Sandbox 1,457
  24. 24 Terra Nil 2023 · Sandbox 1,455
  25. 25 Cube World 2019 · Sandbox 1,451
  26. 26 Black & White 2001 · Sandbox 1,449
  27. 27 Potion Craft 2022 · Sandbox 1,447
  28. 28 Islanders 2019 · Sandbox 1,432
  29. 29 Universe Sandbox 2008 · Sandbox 1,428
  30. 30 Rec Room 2016 · Sandbox 1,422
  31. 31 Roblox 2006 · Sandbox 1,418
  32. 32 Robocraft 2017 · Sandbox 1,415
  33. 33 Transport Tycoon Deluxe 1995 · Sandbox 1,411
  34. 34 Shapez 2020 · Sandbox 1,409
  35. 35 Stronghold 2 2005 · Sandbox 1,401
  36. 36 Town Star 2020 · Sandbox 1,399
  37. 37 Besiege 2020 · Sandbox 1,398
  38. 38 Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives 2016 · Sandbox 1,397
  39. 39 House Flipper 2 2023 · Sandbox 1,379
  40. 40 People Playground 2019 · Sandbox 1,379
  41. 41 Crayon Physics Deluxe 2008 · Sandbox 1,377
  42. 42 Two Point Campus 2022 · Sandbox 1,369
  43. 43 Viscera Cleanup Detail 2015 · Sandbox 1,360
  44. 44 Dyson Sphere Program 2021 · Sandbox 1,337
  45. 45 Disney Infinity 2013 · Sandbox 1,318

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 1,778 ELO points, ahead of Terraria and SimCity. The 45 games competing in it have played 7,900 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 45
Duels played by those games 7,900
Game in the lead Minecraft: Java Edition (2011)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,778
Point gap between 1st and 10th 259
Best represented decade 2010s
Last reading November 3, 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 Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis 1,508 89
2010s 22 Minecraft: Java Edition 1,778 2,219
2020s 14 Satisfactory 1,593 200

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 41 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Planet Coaster +44 1,578
SimCity +33 1,635
Everything +31 1,537

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
Terraria Poly Bridge 3 100%
Black & White Dyson Sphere Program 3 67%
Minecraft: Java Edition Satisfactory 3 100%
Terraria Minecraft: Java Edition 3 100%

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 1,778 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Terraria and SimCity, 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 7,900 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?

Planet Coaster is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 44 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 41 games in the selection moved.

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