Space exploration is at your fingertips in this sandbox adventure game. Traverse an entire universe in your own ship and scavenge whatever you discover. Craft your own kingdom, complete quests for extraterrestrials, and go planet-hopping in the infinite world of Starbound.

Publisher: Chucklefish Games Playerbase: High Type: B2P Survival Sandbox Release Date: December 4, 2013 PvP: PvP can be enabled by server Pros: +Insane exploration available. +Build whatever you want. +Mod support. Cons: -Slow updates. -Feels a bit pointless. -Lack of story accessible via gameplay.

Fight and scavenge to survive in this dark and whimsical sandbox game, beautifully crafted in a 2D cartoon style in a 3D world by Klei Entertainment. Players must maintain sanity, health, and hunger to thrive in a world where nearly everything is out to kill them.

Publisher: Klei Entertainment Playerbase: Medium Type: B2P Survival Release Date: December 15, 2014 PvP: PvP can be enabled by server Pros: +Unique art style. +Randomly generated maps (tons of replay value). +Hundreds of unique items to craft. Cons: -Steep learning curve (No tutorial).

DayZ is a sandbox survival game set after the zombie apocalypse. Scavenge the remains of an enormous world, Chernarus, searching for resources and weapons to defend yourself against zombies and other players.

Publisher: Bohemia Interactive Playerbase: High Type: Sandbox Survival Release Date: April 12, 2012 Pros: +Huge open world (225km²). +Dynamic weather system. +Customizable weapons. Cons: -Unoptimized client. -Zombies glitch through objects. -Clunky gameplay animations.

Project Zomboid is an open world survival game taking place in a zombie infested apocalypse. Explore Kentucky suburbs searching for loot, while leveling skills, crafting, and building a base. Hordes of zombies force players to work together, until they inevitably die.

Publisher: The Indie Stone Playerbase: Medium Type: Survival Release Date: November 8, 2013 Pros: +Extensive, simple crafting system. +Realistic zombie survival. +Customizable sandbox mode. Cons: -Limited character customization. -Top-down graphics makes PvP difficult. -Clunky combat.

Ark: Survival Evolved is a sandbox survival game where players are stranded on a tropical island inhabited by dinosaurs. Gather, hunt, and build to survive the unforgiving wilderness. Compete with other players for precious resources and tame dinosaurs to ride and protect you.

Publisher: Studio Wildcard Playerbase: High Type: Survival Release Date: June 2, 2015 (Early Access) Pros: +Extensive crafting and building. +Tons of dinosaurs to fight and tame. +Tribal PvP. Cons: -Demanding system requirements. -No tutorial makes learning mechanics difficult. -Several optimization issues.

In Rust players must survive on a procedurally generated map by collecting resources, hunting wildlife, and crafting tools. But you’re not alone, other players are also enduring the wilderness. Survive by building a shelter and arming yourself with weapons in an unforgivable environment.

Publisher: Facepunch Studios Playerbase: High Type: B2P Survival Game Release Date: December 11, 2013 Pros: +Intricate building tools. +Procedurally generated maps. +Extensive crafting system. +Regular updates. Cons: -No tutorial makes learning systems difficult. -Poor optimization causes crashes. -Time consuming to play effectively.