New sandbox games where you make your own fun

A sandbox gives you tools and a world, not a goal. 2026 brought two big new ones: Hytale in early access and s&box, the successor to Garry's Mod. Here they are, the sandboxes everything is compared to, physics toys for a phone, and the biggest sandbox of all: describing a game and playing it.

New sandbox games of 2026

Hytale. Hypixel Studios' block-building adventure entered early access on January 13, 2026 on PC and passed a million players soon after. Think Minecraft with more combat and modding built in.
s&box. Facepunch's successor to Garry's Mod launched on Steam on April 28, 2026. It is a platform where players make and share their own games. Facepunch said in October it is going free to play.

The sandboxes everything is measured against

Minecraft. Mojang's block world. Survival if you want a goal, creative if you do not.
Garry's Mod. The physics sandbox from 2006 that started countless game modes.
Teardown. Tuxedo Labs' 2022 voxel game where everything breaks. Plan a heist by knocking holes in walls.
Roblox. Less a game than a place full of games other players made.

Physics sandboxes on Roam

Roam is a free iPhone app with small sandboxes you can open for a minute. Hard Hat Havoc is a first-person physics job: grab it, throw it, punch it, get paid. Volcano Creator lets you raise a volcano and burn the camp. Steal Every Car is a top-down sandbox where anything with wheels can be yours.

For pure toys: StressBoy is a ragdoll who can take your bad day. Tumble Hill launches a ragdoll down a hill, and every broken bone is a point.

The biggest sandbox: describe a game

On Roam the tool is a sentence. Describe the world and the rules, play it, then change it by talking: more gravity, a second player, everything made of jelly. A photo works too, so your room or your dog can be the starting point.

Play it on Roam

Make your own sandbox with Roam

Write the world and what you can break or build in it. Roam makes it playable, and friends can join the mess. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.

Try: "physics sandbox in my bedroom, everything can be thrown, the bed is a trampoline, low gravity button, friends can join"

Create it with Roam Pre-register on Android See Roam

Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.

Questions people ask

Is Hytale out?

Yes, in early access on PC since January 13, 2026.

What is s&box?

Facepunch's successor to Garry's Mod, released on Steam on April 28, 2026. Players use it to make and share their own games.

What is a physics sandbox?

A game where objects behave like real ones and you play by throwing, stacking and breaking them, with no fixed goal. Teardown and Garry's Mod are examples.