The first time I launched the game, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. There’s no tutorial, no mission markers, and no hint of a storyline. You just appear in a blocky city with a car nearby and absolute freedom to do whatever you want. At first, I thought that was a problem. But after a while, I realized that’s the whole appeal.
It’s ridiculous. You can steal a car, do donuts in the middle of an intersection, crash into pedestrians (who barely react), and launch off ramps for no reason other than the fact that you can. The physics are janky in the best way — unpredictable, over-the-top, and sometimes completely broken. I’ve had cars fly into buildings, NPCs vanish mid-air, and once the sky literally turned purple for a few seconds after I hit a lamppost too hard. And all of it made me laugh out loud.
There’s definitely a rough quality to everything, though. The graphics look like something from a game jam project circa 2013. The animations are stiff, the textures are flat, and don’t expect any day-night cycle or weather effects to add immersion. But weirdly, that low-budget vibe adds to the charm. It feels like a DIY sandbox built just for laughs.
Is it perfect? Definitely not. The controls can be clunky, and if you’re expecting a polished driving experience or deep mechanics, you’re going to be disappointed. The lack of goals also means there’s nothing to really work toward — no unlocks, upgrades, or high scores. But if you approach Sandbox City as a toy rather than a game, it starts to make more sense.
This is the type of thing I’ll boot up when I’ve had a long day and don’t want to think too hard. Just pure, chaotic nonsense in a bite-sized format. You don’t need to learn anything, commit time, or even finish anything. You just mess around for ten minutes and move on.
It won’t be for everyone. Some players will see the rough edges and bail immediately. But for others, especially those who enjoy weird internet games or loved fooling around in old GTA titles without doing missions, Sandbox City might scratch a nostalgic itch.
It’s a mess — but it’s a fun one.