Universe Sandbox

About

Universe Sandbox is a physics-based space simulator that allows players to create, destroy, and interact on an unparalleled scale. Experience realistic gravitational pull, collisions, and stellar phenomena as you build and manage your own universe. With accurate models of known celestial bodies and the ability to create your own, this game offers a sandbox for both education and entertainment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+16

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 15,024 reviews

graphics317 positive mentions

story38 negative mentions

graphics
539 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
38%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and realism, with many users highlighting the beautiful rendering of celestial bodies and cosmic phenomena. However, some players report occasional glitches and performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game's graphics are generally considered a strong point, contributing to its immersive and educational gameplay.
- “The graphics are stunning.”
- “The visuals in Universe Sandbox are nothing short of breathtaking.”
- “The game's graphics are rich and vibrant, with beautifully rendered celestial bodies and mesmerizing cosmic phenomena.”
- “Its fun but it has terrible graphics; if you care about graphics, I wouldn't recommend.”
- “The game's graphics are not as visually polished or detailed as other mainstream games.”
- “The graphics are really pretty and the controls are easy to use, but when you land on the planets, the resolutions are off, and the planet looks low poly.”
music
241 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience of exploring the universe. Many players find the soundtrack beautiful and soothing, often describing it as meditative, though some note a lack of variety in tracks. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere, making it a relaxing and enjoyable experience for players.
- “The music adds so much to the experience; it's like a meditation but having fun at the same time!”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and it's a great game to come back to every once in a while!”
- “The music is beautiful, I almost cried.”
- “I wanted to have fun making solar systems and play around with multi-body orbits, and I open up the game and loud, super repetitive music that all sounds the same is playing.”
- “When you first load it up, the music is really loud, and you're immediately in a tutorial that walks you through how to get started with everything.”
- “While the vast majority of my feedback to this game is positive, I do have one major complaint - there is no setting I can find to disable the music.”
gameplay
210 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
73%
3%
The gameplay of Universe Sandbox is characterized by its immersive and realistic simulation of celestial mechanics, allowing players to experiment freely with physics and orbital dynamics. While many users praise its educational value and engaging mechanics, some criticize the lack of structured gameplay and a steep learning curve, which can lead to a sense of repetitiveness after initial exploration. Overall, the game offers a unique sandbox experience that appeals to those interested in astronomy and physics, though it may not provide extensive replayability for all players.
- “Very immersive and realistic gameplay; there are absolutely no restrictions to what you can do in this game. 10/10 must play.”
- “Whether you want to launch a planet into orbit, create your own star system, or collide galaxies together, Universe Sandbox faithfully represents the laws of physics, gravity, and orbital mechanics, ensuring that each action produces believable and captivating results.”
- “Its immersive and educational gameplay, coupled with its realistic simulations and vibrant community, create an unforgettable experience.”
- “The gameplay is so bad, I've been playing for an hour and I'm already bored of it.”
- “Make no mistake, there is no 'game' here; it's a sandbox to experiment with orbital mechanics and other aspects of our solar system and universe that make it tick.”
- “This is a great game for about 1-2 hours, and 1-2 hours of enjoyable gameplay for €22.99 is simply not worth it.”
story
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
66%
25%
The game is largely described as lacking a traditional story or narrative, with many users noting that it functions more as a sandbox experience where players can create and destroy celestial bodies at will. While some players express a desire for a storyline or missions, the general consensus is that the game's appeal lies in its open-ended gameplay rather than a structured narrative.
- “You could make a system that has tons of lush worlds, beautiful planets with rings, and a couple frozen/molten worlds that you fit into a perfect storyline.”
- “It's really well thought-out, and it's addicting to get to explore the universe and, not only easily explore the specifics of objects, but also to get to create my own universes for storytelling, see the historical simulations and, of course, crash things into other things and watch the explosion.”
- “I've been using Universe Sandbox 2 to help me model and simulate fictional star systems for a sci-fi story I've been working on, and I gotta say...”
- “No story or lore, unless you count how our solar system was made.”
- “There are no missions, story objectives, or anything guided like that; Universe Sandbox is exactly what it says on the tin.”
- “But unlike Kerbal Space Program, you have to entertain yourself, because, apart from a few scenarios, the game doesn’t provide something akin to a story or 'career mode.'”
atmosphere
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The atmosphere in the game is a focal point for creativity and experimentation, allowing players to modify planetary conditions extensively, though many users express a desire for more realistic atmospheric effects and customization options. While the ambient music and visuals contribute to an engaging and immersive experience, there are notable complaints about the lack of detail in atmospheric interactions and the need for improved graphical fidelity. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its potential and creativity, but players seek enhancements to make it more realistic and responsive.
- “The images, atmosphere, music, and all else fits to the perfect amalgamation of the universe(s) beyond our own.”
- “This game has given me one of the best experiences I've had from a game; it's very atmospheric and somewhat delicate.”
- “Awesome atmosphere of the game with beautiful graphics and music.”
- “Textures have no detail close up and obvious artifacts, collisions lack volume, atmospheres are vague colored blurs.”
- “When an asteroid or large body enters the atmosphere of another large body, there are no atmospheric effects or heat whatsoever... someone tell me I'm wrong and I'll change this review.”
- “This game just got worse, I don't recommend this game for now, but until the developers remove the advanced terraforming update, only then will I recommend this. The only reason why many people (not just me) want this update to leave is probably because the atmospheres of planets looked realistic but not too realistic.”
optimization
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
53%
12%
The optimization of the game receives mixed feedback, with many users praising its ability to run smoothly even on lower-end systems, while others report significant performance issues, particularly with CPU usage during complex simulations. Some players highlight that the game is well-optimized for modern hardware but still struggles with performance in demanding scenarios, such as when simulating multiple celestial bodies or detailed environments. Overall, while the game is generally considered optimized, there are calls for further improvements to enhance performance across a wider range of systems.
- “The optimization for this game is also very good, despite all of the calculations the game needs to do, including n-body physics.”
- “You don't necessarily need a great/decent PC or laptop to run this game because it is extremely optimized to run well.”
- “It has also been very noticeably optimized as max graphics always run smoothly for me, even with lots of calculations and thousands of particles constantly colliding.”
- “They dropped the Linux native build after some update and now I am forced to use Proton/Wine, which isn't ideal for this game because it's not the most efficient on CPU and GPU, and now the performance is subpar with the additional overhead.”
- “I mean, yeah, it's cool and all, but it's so badly optimized with the CPU. All I did was spawn Mars and launch the moon at it, then boom, 80% CPU usage.”
- “The only reason I'm not recommending this game is that it frequently crashes and has horrible performance issues. I've lost a lot of hours of progress due to all the crashes.”
stability
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
3%
85%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting frequent bugs and glitches that can lead to crashes and freezing, particularly during intense gameplay scenarios. While some players find the game enjoyable despite these issues, others describe it as borderline unplayable due to the severity of the glitches. Overall, while the game runs well on certain systems and has potential, its current state is marred by significant stability problems that detract from the experience.
- “Runs great on VR mode, and on the regular mode too.”
- “Bugs: almost bug free, I didn't see a bug here for ages.”
- “Great simulation that runs great on multiple computers.”
- “The glitches are glaring and something I simply can't deal with long term.”
- “This game doesn't work well at all, and has many glitches in it, yet it crashes completely now, and it's unplayable.”
- “Love it except for the fact that it keeps on freezing and sometimes crashing on me every 1-10 minutes; whenever it freezes and I click 'x', it does nothing.”
humor
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this game is widely praised, with players enjoying its absurd and chaotic scenarios, such as smashing planets and creating explosive events. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke laughter through its silly mechanics and playful interactions, making it a fun and entertaining experience. Overall, the humor is described as both lighthearted and engaging, appealing to those with a whimsical sense of fun.
- “Funny space game where I can shoot 100 suns into the sun.”
- “Hilariously intriguing would probably be the best way to describe it.”
- “It's hilarious throwing moon-sized teapots at Earth and throwing one planet at another.”
grinding
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
81%
19%
The reviews overwhelmingly indicate that grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, with many users humorously suggesting that players will need "a second life" to manage the grind effectively. While some acknowledge that it can be a bit tedious, the consensus is that the grinding aspect significantly detracts from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's a bit grindy sometimes.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players describe the emotional aspect of the game as deeply touching and awe-inspiring, often evoking feelings of wonder and introspection about the universe. Many express a sense of omnipotence and connection to cosmic events, with some even moved to tears by the experience. The game's ability to facilitate contemplation and exploration of space is highlighted as a unique and heartwarming aspect, making it a perfect companion for reflective moments.
- “What these people made here is really heart touching; I spent the last 3 hours flying with my mind, marveling in wonder watching this beautiful simulation!”
- “This game honestly gives me a very touching experience and another view of space and how everything works.”
- “I absolutely fell in love with the panel with the planets' descriptions and also the elucidation of the events like the supernova, etc. My mind is blown; I'm clapping and crying from how emotional I am right now <3”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting limited replay value while others find it infinitely replayable. Enhancements to multiplayer features could improve community engagement and replayability. However, many reviewers express that the current experience lacks depth, leading to a consensus that replay value is generally poor.
- “Expanding the multiplayer features could enhance the game's replayability and foster a stronger sense of community among players.”
- “🔲 infinitely replayable”
- “Replay value is unlimited and the possibilities go through the roof.”
- “The only downside I see to it is that the game doesn't have much replay value.”
- “It just lacks replay value; you can have fun blowing up the earth, but very little of it.”
- “But, I have to get a little critical here... I understand that it's an alpha, and I love the game and all, but the replay value is poor.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization of the game is criticized as a lazy cash grab, with users noting a lack of meaningful updates. Despite this, some players express their enjoyment of the game, indicating that it still has a dedicated fanbase.
- “Lazy cash grab just like the last one, hasn't had a real update in ages.”