We all know the big sandbox names, Minecraft, Terraria, GTA, The Sims, but what about the ones quietly thriving in the corner while everyone’s busy punching trees or stealing cars? Some of the best sandbox games out there aren’t household names, but they are full of surprising depth and silly moments.
From zombie survival to medieval micromanagement, these underrated gems offer just as much player freedom, sometimes more. You might’ve missed them when they first dropped, but it’s never too late to dig in. Here are five underrated sandbox games that deserve more love.
1) Project Zomboid
The zombie genre is stuffed to the gills, but Project Zomboid does survival better than almost anyone. It’s less about mowing down hordes and more about quietly trying not to die from starvation, injury, or sheer stupidity. From patching up a safehouse, boiling rainwater, or discovering the hard way that leaving the oven on attracts zombies, it’s all about slow-burn tension and realism.
The multiplayer scene is a cult favorite, but if you’re not already in the know, it’s easy to miss. The joy here isn’t in flashy moments, it’s in surviving another quietly miserable day. Build a fortress, break a leg, burn it all down by accident. It’s all part of the experience. The graphics may look simple, but the systems underneath are impressively deep. It’s not about if you’ll die, but how. And that’s the charm.
2) Manor Lords
If Banished and Total War had a medieval baby, it’d be Manor Lords. This sleeper hit lets you build rustic towns, manage production chains, and command armies in sprawling, real-time battles – all while trying not to starve your peasants to death. It’s still in early access, but what’s already here is shockingly robust.
You can lovingly place every building, watch your people go about their day, and then zoom out to send your militia to fight for your turf. It balances a chill city-building pace with the looming stress of enemy lords, poor harvests, or an economy that suddenly collapses because you forgot to make clothes. It’s not flashy, but it’s rich in detail and genuinely satisfying if you like games that respect your intelligence. Manor Lords rewards careful planning and punishes overreach, just like real feudalism, but with fewer plagues (probably).
3) Kenshi
Kenshi is a game that throws you into the desert with no tutorial, no story, and no idea what you’re doing, and that’s exactly the point. It’s a sandbox RPG where you can be anything: a one-legged swordmaster, a brainwashed cultist, or a wandering trader who definitely wasn’t mugged by bandits five minutes ago.
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You manage a squad, roam a lawless wasteland, and try to build something resembling a life. There’s lore here, but it’s buried beneath rust and broken bones, and you’ll have to earn every bit of progress. What makes Kenshi special is its sheer openness. You’re not the chosen one. You’re not even a one. You’re just trying to survive in a world that doesn’t care about you. It’s janky and it’s brilliant.
4) Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Not every sandbox needs to be grim and punishing. Yonder is what you get when someone takes the exploration of Breath of the Wild, removes all combat, and replaces it with a gentle farming-and-foraging loop. You’re on a beautiful island filled with secrets, side quests, and surprisingly robust systems like crafting, guilds, and animal care.
It’s breezy in the best way, which is perfect for players who just want to wander and decorate a cozy farm. There’s no health bar or death. Just vibes. If that sounds boring, it’s probably not for you. But if you want a game that feels like a walk through the woods, Yonder deserves your attention. It’s the kind of peaceful sandbox that reminds you not everything has to be about saving the world. The only threat here is how cute everything is.
5) Oxygen Not Included
Oxygen Not Included starts with a few tiny colonists and a big problem: you’re stuck inside an alien asteroid and slowly running out of breathable air. From there, it becomes an absurdly deep sim about managing heat, gas exchange, stress levels, and poop. Yes, poop. You’ll need to build machines, research tech, and carefully dig your way to survival. Every choice matters. Build a toilet too close to the food storage, and you’ll have a very bad time.
It’s cute and cartoony, but don’t be fooled, this game is complicated. If you love logistics puzzles and watching your entire colony crumble because you forgot to install a vent, it’ll be gold for you. Oxygen Not Included might just be the most underrated engineering sim out there. You’ll fail often, but you’ll learn something every time.
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