Summary
Game developers have leaned heavily onsci-fi settingsover the years. As nothing is set in stone in terms of how the future will look, they are free to exercise their full creative license. There are many fantastic sci-fi games that cover space flight and exploration, colony development, politics, war, and just about every other theme a game could follow.
Of course, there are sandboxopen-world gamesthat take place in a sci-fi setting. These are more recent in general, as it has only been in the last decade or so that gaming hardware has been capable of handling such large maps while maintaining immersion and delivering top-notch graphics. Even within such a short timeframe, some sandbox sci-fi games have proven themselves superior to others.
Outer Wildsis anadventure gamereleased in 2019, developed by Mobius Digital and distributed by Annapurna Interactive. Some players find the less detailed graphics used inOuter Wildsto be an annoyance, but others love it. The game features a non-linear plot, taking place in a sandbox open-world map.
The premise for this game is that the planetary system the game is set within is stuck in a 22-minute time loop, which results in the local star going supernova at its conclusion. Few games have tackled the concept of time loops as well as theOuter Wildsdoes. Players can explore on foot, or in a small spacecraft, trying to solve the puzzle of the time loop.
The Outer Worldsis a first-person action roleplaying game released in 2019 and developed byObsidian Entertainment. Once the player has created their character, they are then given a ship that acts as a mobile base of operations for the rest of the game, as they explore the sandbox universe. Even though the player never actually flies this ship themselves, it still starts to feel like home.
Much of the gameplay inThe Outer Worldsrevolves around the many NPC companions the player will encounter as they explore the open-world. Each of them has their own backstory and questline. These companions take on a range of roles, but are primarily of use as combat support. Overall, aThe Outer Worldsis great sci-fi sandbox game only slightly let down by the lack ofany real spaceflight.
Developed by Bethesda and released in 2018,Fallout 76is an FPS action roleplaying game based in the same world as other games in theFalloutfranchise. WhereFallout 76differs is that this is a competitive sandbox PvP game, rather than a solo RPG as all otherFalloutgames have been.
Players take on the role of one of the residents of Vault 76, who has left the Vault and have to explore and survive in apost-apocalypticWest Virginia outside; all the while competing with other players for resources, loot, and equipment.Fallout 76had something of a rocky launch initially, but has now matured into an excellent competitive sandbox game.
Released in 2014 by Bethesda,Fallout 4is generally seen as the definitive game in theFalloutfranchise. Even more so since the high-res texture pack was released in 2017. Following the usualFallouttrope, the player takes on the role of a survivor in a world ruined by nuclear war.
The main story arc revolves around the player trying to locate their baby, which has gone missing after its mother was murdered while in cryosleep. This game presents a deep storyline, and the player will come into contact with a wide range of potential companions as they progress. Base building is an optional part of this game as well, which some people focus on instead of questing. However, players are free to ignore the plot altogether and simply enjoy the sandbox experience.
In 2016, Hello Games released the long-awaited sci-fi sandbox game,No Man’s Sky.The hype for this game was off the charts prior to the launch. Unsurprisingly, the original 2016 release ofNo Man’s Skywas the target of much criticism because it failed to live up to this hype. Hello Games bit the bullet, and promised to solve all the issues with the game, and to never charge for DLC in the future.
No Man’s Skyis a low bar-to-entry space and planet exploration game. Fun to play, simple to learn, and backed up by several major updates and lots of new features since 2016. No other game has come back from such a spectacularly terrible launch to become one of the most beloved games in the sandbox genre. TheNMSuniverse is huge, allowing players to make their own unique discoveries. Although procedurally generated, the sandbox experience is rich and varied.
The third Bethesda game on this list,Starfield, was released in 2023 following a long period in development, and was highly-anticipated by players. Bethesda made the same mistake as Hello Games when building hype forNo Mans Sky. Too much was promised and not enough delivered.Starfieldlaunched to mixed reviews, based on criticism of the immersion-breaking loading screens and high volume of bugs.
Players who can overlook the problems withStarfieldwill find that space is merely the background, not the playground, asStarfieldis primarily a ground-based game, with space playing a only marginal part in player activities. That being said, for players who like the way Bethesda creates RPGs, thenStarfieldis a solid contender for the top sandbox sci-fi game spot, despite its issues. Players can complete quests in any order they wish. Simply visiting a new planet to explore will often spawn side quests or new POI to discover, or players can just go off on their own and see what they find.
There is a trend developing here. The top three picks on this list are all games that had something of a rocky launch, but ended up being loved by players regardless. This time around, it is the 2020 action role-playing gameCyberpunk 2077from CD Projekt Red. Yes, it had issues at launch. Yes, it was overhyped for years before being released. Yet it has now matured into one of the most definitive sci-fi games ever. A sandbox game that allows the player to progress in a non-linear fashion, completing the story arc whenever they wish, or ignoring it completely.
Taking on the role of the oddly named character V, the player is accompanied by afully voice-acted NPCnamed Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves. Few games have ever had a storyline as deep asCyberpunk 2077, and its all set against the backdrop of the dystopian Night City. Plenty of side quests and a great main storyline make this a fantastic game that gets better with every update.
