10 Best Sandbox Games on Xbox Game Pass (September 2025)

The feeling of being in a literal sandbox, with the freedom to mold the sand into literally anything you like, is exactly what sandbox games aim to capture. They want you to reach into your deepest creative mindspace and come up with all sorts of dreamy, beautiful, clever structures and environments. 

Sandbox games are broadly comprehensive, of course, stretching beyond a mere sandbox into vast open worlds, outer space, and beyond. But what are the best sandbox games on Xbox Game Pass today?

What is a Sandbox Game?

A sandbox game has no rules or obligations for you. All you’re given is an open world to do whatever you want. You can roam around interacting with locals, start up fun projects, build beautiful homes, and so on. Whatever your heart years, the game conforms to making it come true.

Best Sandbox Games on Xbox Game Pass

Not all of the best games will come up on the home page of Xbox Game Pass. So, to find the true hidden gems, you might want to check out the best sandbox games on Xbox Game Pass below.

10. Hello Neighbor 2

Let’s be honest, few of us love Hello Neighbor because of its competent playthrough. We’re here for the bugs and all of the ways you can break the game. It doesn’t mean that the foundation isn’t solid, either. What’s more fun than online players breaking into their neighbor’s house, collecting clues and evidence to unearth the secrets their neighbor is hiding?

The concept is fun, and so is the gameplay; however, it’s crippled with bugs. And Hello Neighbor 2 isn’t much different, only bigger to accommodate more houses to break into.

9. No Man’s Sky

The world is your oyster in No Man’s Sky. Or rather, the galaxy? Literally launch into space, setting course for whatever uncharted planet you feel drawn to. Whatever you’ll find there is anyone’s guess, whether hostile alien species or valuable minerals, you can’t know until you arrive.

And well, this makes every new launch into space exciting, curious to discover the new challenges that await. Perhaps your new colonization efforts will run smoothly, or you might need to whip out your guns to get your way.

8. Core Keeper

As for Core Keeper, it’s rather straightforward. At least in the sense of what you need to do. Given a shovel and more advanced digging tools you’ll unlock later, you’re tasked with mining to the core of the Earth.

And with all of the valuable minerals you find, they become your supplies for crafting equipment, weapons, and building new structures. Your weapons will come in handy when you run into rival core keepers, engaging them in intense combat.

7. Astroneer

Astroneer, on the other hand, is more or less space exploration, except that you’re sent to an alien planet, with purple vegetation and lots of unknown. As an astronomer, though, you have to make the most of what you find.

So, you begin setting up camp, going on expeditions to find supplies, and possibly discovering rare items that might not only be useful to you but also to people back home.

6. Minecraft

Among the best sandbox games on Xbox Game Pass, the most obvious choice for any avid gamer is Minecraft. It has probably been with you for decades now and will possibly be with you for many more to come.

And over the years, the franchise has gotten bigger and better with lots of content and things to do. Not only can you build actual cities, but you can also lead armies against a variety of mobs.

5. Palworld

Contrary to Palworld seeming like a Pokémon rip-off, it actually proposes lots of new ideas. Sure, you’re exploring for Pals, catching and training them back at base. The training system is more compelling, though, given the different types of Pals you collect.

You can have warriors who defend your base against invading Pals, gatherers to head out and bring back supplies for other Pals to use for building, and so on.

4. DayZ

If a zombie apocalypse were to happen right now, I bet it’d feel like a sandbox. You’ll essentially have the freedom to do whatever you want, whether that’s survival against all odds or helping one another.

In DayZ, you can rely on others, dividing core roles among yourselves. But you can rely on yourself, too, including turning against other humans to survive.

3. Terraria

Terraria begins its run with mining, charging you with digging for survival. When you’ve amassed enough resources, you can begin building a community base for your people. But this soon evolves into exploration, to gain more power and control.

Your dominance will depend on how well you fight rival communities, but also how far you’re willing to explore beyond your community’s walls.

2. Trailmakers

A plane that can fly, but also sail? That’s Trailmakers, making all of your automobile dreams a reality. It ranks highly on the list of the best sandbox games on Xbox Game Pass because of its deep and expansive gameplay. You can mix and match automobile parts to come up with all sorts of versatile and powerful machines.

But after that, a vast open world awaits, where you can challenge friends to race, fight one another in intense battles, or simply explore the far reaches of a diverse world.

1. My Time At Sandrock

Arriving on Sandrock, everything is a mess. There’s very little in the way of a stable economic system, buildings, or citizens; not much of a town, really. But after you’re done with it, Sandrock won’t just become a city, but your home, too.

You’ll grow closer to the residents and work together to establish farms, factories, and production centers. You’ll attract people to the town, coming to invest and even settle. It’ll all be an uphill climb, one where you’re free to decide how to proceed. You can choose to focus on specific industries in My Time at Sandrock, while exploring the open world as you see fit.