Cover-Credits:
The Sandbox Evolution is a game on Ethereum where players can build, own, and monetize their gaming experiences. Originally launched in 2012 as a 2D mobile game, the game has grown to amass over 40 million downloads on both Android and iOS platforms. It had over 2.6M active users each month at its peak and was also named Apple's game of the year in 2012.
Like every other sandbox game, players are allowed to explore, interact with and modify the in-game world without a definite goal or objective to follow. Many sandbox games have been major hits across the global game market.
To disrupt existing sandbox giants like Minecraft and Roblox, the developers of The Sandbox game decided to implement blockchain technology in the game. The game went on to become a huge success as a result of this pivot, becoming one of the pioneers of blockchain Gaming. It was finally acquired by Animoca Brands in 2018 for up to $4.875 Million USD and the launch of The Sandbox Evolution - the decentralized version of the game was later announced in August of that same year by Sebastien Borger, the co-founder and COO of The Sandbox.
How does The Sandbox Evolution work?
The Sandbox integrates Ethereum-based blockchain gaming with decentralized finance and the metaverse. The Sandbox is powered by an in-game utility token, SAND, and runs on an interesting play-to-earn model. Users can generate their in-game assets. User-generated creations include avatars, virtual assets, and 3D games which can be monetized.
The Sandbox Ecosystem
One of the main drivers of the Sandbox ecosystem is the exciting tools that give users a lot of creative freedom on the sandbox metaverse. Users are free to design and control their worlds and experiences within the Sandbox with these three essential tools:
VoxEdit: This powerful 3D voxel editing software enables users to create voxel-based NFT assets on the game. Voxels are the smallest unit of three-dimensional design. The VoxEdit software is unique due to the ability to not only rig the 3D character voxel models created in VoxEdit but also animate them as well. These 3D NFT objects could be in-game characters, tools, buildings, weapons, animals, and any other object. These NFTs are called ASSETS and use the ERC-1155 token standard.
Game Maker: This no-code gameplay design and development tool makes it possible for users to build fully-fledged 3D games without any coding experience. These games are built on LAND [hyperlink to the LAND heading below] and the 3D elements created using the VoxEdit can be used to populate it. Anyone can use this tool but must own LAND in the Metaverse to publish their created
The Sandbox marketplace: This in-game marketplace exists for players who'd like to sell their items created using VoxEdit. These ASSETS can then be bought and sold using SAND.
The Tokenomics of the Sandbox Evolution
The Sandbox Token
Sandbox (SAND) is the native token and in-game currency of The Sandbox Evolution. It is an ERC-20 token with a total supply of 3 billion. SAND can be used to buy and sell LAND and other assets on the in-game marketplace or pay for in-game experiences, such as character customization. It can also be earned while interacting with the game and staked to earn even more SAND, along with two other tokens known as GEMs and CATALYSTs
LAND
Users can buy one or several land plots in the Sandbox. These LAND assets exist as 166,464 ERC-721 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain that represent pieces of digital real estate on the Sandbox Evolution. With LAND, players can build their games using the Game Maker tool and populate them with their ASSETS. Each LAND can be combined to form ESTATEs with the maximum size being 24x24. DISTRICTs are a collection of ESTATEs owned by multiple players.
What are ASSETs?
ASSETs are ERC-1155 tokens that represent user-generated in-game content like avatars, wearables, buildings, other interactive items, and even sounds. ASSETs can be created using the VoxEdit software and added to games built using the Game Maker tool. They cannot also be bought on the in-game marketplace. ASSETs can be modified by other ERC-20 tokens called GEMs and CATALYSTs.
How to Get Started on The Sandbox Evolution
Despite all the different and seemingly complex elements that make up the game, it's pretty easy to get started on the Sandbox.
Using crypto-enabled browsers, go to the official Sandbox website. Always double-check the address to make sure it's the correct website.
Once there, connect your favorite wallet to the website. Metamask is often the most recommended but there are also tons of other great recommendations.
Once your wallet is connected, you can proceed to create your account.
Once that is done, choose the platform you'd like to continue your game on Web, macOS, or PC.
Whichever one you choose, the next step is to create your avatar
After choosing your perfect avatar, you can now start exploring Sandbox Evolution's map.
You can simply dive into one of the quests or explore other in-game modes.
Consider buying LAND to start designing your own game or simply explore without investing any dime. The game can still be very interesting either way. Quests to level up can only be completed on the Sandbox client software on PC and Mac.
How to Earn on The Sandbox
There are a lot of ways you can earn money in the Sandbox ecosystem.
Creating ASSETs: Using VoxEdit, you can easily create ASSETs that are tradable on the SAND marketplace. ASSETs can have GEMs and CATALYSTs attached to them. CATALYSTs define the tier and scarcity of the ASSETs, while GEMs can be burnt to upgrade the ASSETs by adding attribute points to them. The more attributes your ASSETs has, the better their in-game stats will be and consequently the better their value.
Earning through LANDs: You can acquire LANDs, design your very own play-to-earn games using the free Game Maker software, and charge players a small SAND fee to play your game. ASSETs can be added to the LAND to enhance the experience on it. You can also offer advertising space on your LAND to other players for a fee. If you don't have time to build a game or "experience" on your LAND, you can rent it out to other creators who'd like to build their own "experience" or game. GEMs can also be farmed by staking SAND on your land. These can then be sold on the marketplace to ASSET designers.
Staking: As stated earlier, SAND can be staked on liquidity mining pools to earn even more SAND. LANDs that have been migrated to the Polygon network can increase the staking rewards earned on the same wallet you're holding them.
Playing the game: You can also potentially earn SAND by simply playing games on the ecosystem and entering contests with SAND rewards hosted by game designers on their LAND.
The Sandbox game has truly matured over the years from simply being a two-dimensional pixel-art world-builder game to a metaverse that empowers players to craft their worlds and their very own games. It recently won the Binance "Launchpad Project of the Year" award and there have been tons of other high-value collaborations like the recent opening of the Gucci Vault Land and the launch of the first voxel digital collectibles in The Sandbox Marketplace by Gucci on October 27th.
Right now, most metaverse projects are struggling with adoption by the general public. A Database from DappRadar suggested that metaverse platforms like "Decentraland and The Sandbox each have fewer than 1,000 'daily active' users, despite $1 billion valuations."
The methodology for obtaining this data, though, has been heavily contested. It is also worth noting that the Sandbox Evolution is still in the early phase of alpha testing, and the game is not always fully available to be played by the public and there's still much growth potential.
