The Sandbox Evolution
- November 15, 2016
- PIXOWL INC.
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"The Sandbox Evolution" is a pixel art world creation game where players can use godly powers to craft worlds or destroy universes. With over 200 elements, controllable heroes, and various tools, players can create their own games or levels and share them online. The game features HD pixel art graphics, larger world sizes, and the ability to draw original art, compose chiptune melodies, and save progress online.
iPad
iPhone
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game offers a lot of creative freedom, allowing players to build and destroy their own pixel worlds.
- It's free to play, making it accessible to a wide audience.
- The variety of elements and game modes, including the ability to create levels and share them, adds depth to the gameplay.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, making it nearly unplayable for many users.
- There are significant performance issues, especially on modern systems, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The developers seem to have abandoned the game, with little to no updates or fixes for the ongoing problems.
- graphics48 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the high-resolution visuals, clear artwork, and retro pixel art style that enhance gameplay. However, significant issues such as major graphical bugs, crashes, and lack of support for older graphics cards have rendered the game unplayable for others. Overall, while many appreciate the aesthetic improvements, the technical problems detract from the experience for a substantial number of users.
“The sandbox evolution comes in, with scrollable levels with few new elements and much nicer graphics.”
“Great graphics!”
“Graphics are amazing for a pixel game.”
“Display is broken, no visuals; audio is there.”
“Game is unplayable due to major graphic bugs; development and maintenance of the PC version is abandoned.”
“Games dead due to a graphics bug and the devs are definitely not going to fix it.”
- story36 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized, with many users noting a lack of a coherent narrative and frequent technical issues that hinder gameplay. While there are some story levels and missions available, they often do not function properly, leading to frustration. Overall, players express a desire for more engaging content and improvements to the game's stability.
“The game offers a variety of campaigns and daily quests to keep players engaged.”
“If story was food, there would be no world hunger.”
“Story levels are pretty good.”
“You can still tinker around in create mode and play some story levels, but the story levels don't give you rewards anymore.”
“The game crashes every time I try to enter a world, like if I create a world, go to the story mode thing.”
“Almost nothing works; you can't save games, load a world, play sandbox after a mission, etc. It is not worth playing even though it is free.”
- music32 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback, with some players praising its relaxing quality and the ability to create original compositions, while others express frustration over technical issues, such as low volume and glitches. Many appreciate the broad range of notes available for music production and the overall good soundtrack, although some have encountered problems with music continuity during gameplay. Overall, the game offers a creative platform for music and art, but technical shortcomings detract from the experience for some users.
“With over 200 elements and controllable heroes, players can craft unique levels, draw pixel art, and compose chiptune music.”
“Has a very broad range of notes to choose from, allowing you to create all sorts of musical masterpieces!”
“If you love music, you'll love creating it in this game.”
“The settings do nothing, the music is at a very low volume, and the whole game is a mess of glitches now.”
“I used to not try to create a world for it to give me the music, then a bug splat crash report screen.”
“Wtf is wrong with you? You made a mobile version, not Steam. Hopefully, TotalBiscuit makes a series on this; this is so broken. The music is broken, and the total is mobile. You idiot, Namco, you kick your boot and others, and you get delisted on Steam. Fix this.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with users noting enjoyable sandbox mechanics and a variety of creation modes that enhance the experience. However, technical issues such as crashes, frame drops, and limited content in the mobile version detract significantly from the overall enjoyment. While the community and creativity aspects are praised, the persistent bugs and lack of structured gameplay modes leave many players frustrated.
“I only recommended this game due to the enjoyable gameplay that's hidden among the rest.”
“So far, this game offers so much variety of gameplay and browsing players’ creations in the gallery is really mind-blowing what others can make!”
“Then they added many creation modes, which add different gameplay to this sandbox game and I found them unique.”
“Nope, because for some reason the game seems to have killed itself from the inside out and none of the sandbox mechanics in a sandbox game?!”
“It's a very fun game when it works, but now every single time I try to load any kind of gameplay outside of the menu, it crashes instantly.”
“For playing around in creative mode, this game may be an interesting pastime, but it doesn't bring any career gameplay or stage modes on its own like the first game did.”
- stability22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- -9 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game suffers from severe stability issues, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and lag that render it nearly unplayable. Many players express frustration over the game's buggy nature, indicating that it requires urgent fixes to improve the overall experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game's stability is a significant drawback, overshadowing its potential.
“It runs great on computers.”
“The game maintains a smooth performance without any crashes.”
“I've experienced no bugs or glitches, making for a stable gaming experience.”
“There are way too many glitches that need to be fixed immediately.”
“It's way too buggy and crashes a lot.”
“As it stands, this game is a buggy mess.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as exploitative, with many users labeling it a cash grab that prioritizes profit over player experience. Players express frustration over excessive microtransactions and a shift to a subscription model that restricts access to a significant portion of the game, leading to a decline in player satisfaction and ratings. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as detrimental to the game's community and longevity.
“Despite all monetization and 'karma' being removed, the 'paid' campaigns are playable without spending money, and the karma symbol still seems to pop up occasionally by mistake.”
“Not as good as the original mobile app; there are too many in-game purchases.”
“The game on mobile was one of my favorites until an update introduced a premium subscription model, making about 85% of the game inaccessible without paying. The ratings have plummeted, and many players are frustrated with the lack of response from the developers.”
“Microtransactions are scummy.”
“All it is is a cash grab and a waste of time.”
“If you like this game or even hate this game, you don't have it as bad as mobile players. The game on mobile was one of my favorites until a recent update introduced a premium subscription model. About 85% or more of the game became premium-only, and the ratings plummeted from almost five stars to a 3.4. They need to read the reviews and change this because they are losing so many players.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its lightheartedness, with players finding amusement in its quirky character mutations and the inclusion of nostalgic campaigns like Pac-Man and Shrek. Overall, it offers a blend of relaxation and comedic elements, appealing to those looking for a fun sandbox experience.
“It's quite funny that the Pac-Man and Shrek campaigns are still in the game, though.”
“It is well built, with some funny mutations to the characters sometimes.”
“Sandbox for relaxing or funny games.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players consistently express that the grinding required in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it feels like a second job or life is necessary to keep up with the demands.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, particularly on PC, leading to a subpar performance experience for users. Many players express a strong need for improvements in this area.
“It's cool and all, but it has awful optimization.”
“This game needs optimization for PC.”
“Clearly not optimized for computer.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's replayability, noting that even with the removal of monetization elements, the paid campaigns remain accessible without additional costs. The presence of occasional karma symbols adds an unexpected layer to the experience, enhancing the overall enjoyment and replay value.
“Good game, lots of replay value.”
