What Is the Sandbox and How to Get Started?

The terms "metaverse" and "play-to-earn" are increasingly being used interchangeably with gaming and cryptocurrency. If you want to explore this new universe but don't sure where to begin, a crypto game called The Sandbox may be the answer.

The Sandbox is an Ethereum blockchain virtual environment where users may develop, control, and sell their game experiences using SAND, the platform's utility token.

What is The Sandbox?

The Sandbox is an online multiplayer open-world game in which players compete to win non-fungible tokens (NFTs). It's one of a new generation of online games that have grown in popularity alongside the buzz around NFTs. Decentraland is another example.

The Sandbox has really been operating far longer than the NFT explosion, having released mobile games since 2011, with no blockchain feature at all. Only in 2018 did the company make the switch to the blockchain.

The Sandbox's migration to blockchain represents a significant advancement in that players may trade the objects they develop in the game and make their ownership traceable outside of the game area.

Also Read: Will Metaverse be able to survive?

Types of Tokens in The Sandbox ecosystem

The Sandbox platform has four sorts of users: gamers, creators, curators, and landowners. Tokens come in six varieties in The Sandbox metaverse.

To build an enclosed economy among users, four user-specific tokens will be used: SAND, ASSET, LAND, and GAME. The other two are stored for use with VoxEdit when creating assets. These are GEMs and CATALYSTS, as detailed more in this article.

SAND TOKEN

This utility coin can be used within The Sandbox for all ERC-20 transactions and interactions. Consider SAND to be the native currency or Sandbox coin of The Sandbox.

TOKEN ASSET

An ERC-1155-compliant NFT created by VoxEdit users and offered for purchase and sale on the Marketplace. Vehicles, animals, structures, and other items are examples of assets.

LAND TOKEN

A LAND token is a digital piece of real estate in The Sandbox metaverse that users can populate with games developed using Game Maker and ASSETS created with VoxEdit. Each LAND token is nonfungible and adheres to the ERC-721 standard.

GAME TOKEN

A GAME is an interactive experience made possible by the combination of assets and game code. Games must be paired with a LAND token in order to be active in The Sandbox. Creators can use Game Maker to create games, which results in a non-fungible GAME token based on the ERC-1155 standard.

The First move in The Sandbox

To begin, open any browser and navigate to The Sandbox. As is customary with online blockchain projects, the first thing you'll be asked to do is connect a crypto wallet. If you don't have one, don't worry: making one is simple and free.

To begin using The Sandbox, you do not need to have any crypto tokens in your wallet. You only need a secure location to store any tokens you earn.

You must then enter your email address and select a nickname.

You'll be asked to design an avatar and personalize various bodily components such as hair, top, legwear, shoes, and so on. You can look considerably different than you do in real life if you have blue or green skin, or you can try to create an avatar that looks like you. 

Given the abundance of options, the most difficult difficulty you'll face at this stage is indecision.

You'll notice that you now have an avatar. To facilitate navigation, the Sandbox world is laid out on a map. You can view all of the digital land plots in the world and select the one that interests you. This geographic depiction of projects-within-projects is rather common in metaverse games.

If you move your cursor over the map, you'll notice that many of the items are "experiences," which are often games with levels to finish. They are created by your other players, not by the developers of the setting.

You will most likely notice pop-up boxes stating that you have finished "0/15 missions." You can go right into one of the quests if you choose. Before you can, you must first download The Sandbox client program, which is a free and short process.

Naturally, investing some of your own money allows you to start doing more things faster. You may, for example, begin designing your own game. But don't worry; if you're not comfortable or ready, you may just begin playing without spending any money.

It's best to investigate and research as much as you can to fully comprehend the experience and choose whether it's worth your time and money.

Given its boxy style, the Sandbox aesthetics have been compared to the globally popular game Minecraft. These cubic components of the world are referred to as "voxels."

Is The Sandbox a worthwhile investment?

The Sandbox is a sound investment since it incorporates blockchain technology with the enormous global gaming industry. While previous attempts have been made in the past to adapt blockchain to gaming, The Sandbox may be the first to succeed due to its complete concentration on an entirely decentralized gaming environment in which users have the final say in everything.

Other projects, on the other hand, exclusively use blockchain to store in-game assets. The Sandbox environment may evolve and adapt spontaneously at a far faster rate than centralized game settings since users have complete control over it.

Many blockchain investors believe that The Sandbox is a good investment since the SAND token is not just an in-game cash but also a governance asset that allows individuals to make important decisions about the project's growth.

What is the future of The Sandbox?

The Sandbox protocol worked with over 165 different businesses, including well-known franchises like The Walking Dead, Smurfs, and Atari. Virtual performances by Deadmau5 and Snoop Dogg, as well as a Walking Dead game, are among the partnerships.

To date, the project has raised $93 million, and the team is hard at work expanding its product suite and metaverse.

LAND owners who have produced great game experiences will be granted more metaverse features in 2022. The Sandbox DAO is set to go live in the second quarter of 2022. The mobile version and new community tokens are due in Q4 2022.

Final Thoughts on The Sandbox

Lastly, none of the aforementioned require much technical knowledge. The software used by The Sandbox is intended to be user-friendly, so don't be put off if designing a video game or creating an NFT sounds beyond your ability level. 

The easiest method to find out is to simply explore and experiment with the surroundings to see what else you might want to do. It can be easier than you think.

Metaverse FAQs

What exactly is a sandbox in the metaverse?

The Sandbox (2018) is a decentralized NFT game metaverse built on the Ethereum blockchain. The Sandbox enables non-technical individuals to design, sell, utilize, and monetize virtual reality NFTs.

Are the metaverse and sandbox the same thing?

Sandbox and Decentraland are examples of metaverses, digital worlds developed with blockchain technology. Both metaverses have similar concepts: one can lay a claim to a virtual plot of land — or buy it from someone else — and develop it, allowing you to invest in digital or crypto assets.

Is The Sandbox a worthwhile investment?

There is a very good probability that the Sandbox will be a good investment option in the long run.

Is there a metaverse coin called sandbox?

The Sandbox is a virtual metaverse in which gamers may create, own, and sell their gaming experiences using the platform's utility currency SAND.

Who controls the sandbox metaverse?

The Sandbox is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based Web3 investment powerhouse.

Is Sandbox a free game?

Playing The Sandbox is completely free. Having a plot of land is not.

Is the Sandbox metaverse profitable?

There are numerous methods to make money in the Sandbox environment. Using VoxEdit to create ASSETS is one example.