Jun 1, 20228 min read

The Sandbox Play-to-earn Metaverse Blockchain Game — Create, Play, Earn (Beginners Guide)

The Sandbox is a community driven metaverse that allows players to earn and creators to monetize 3D voxel models (ASSETs) and their unique gaming experiences on the blockchain.

The Sandbox Game Maker Splashscreen — The Sandbox Game Maker — Screenshot

The Sandbox is a virtual (metaverse) open-world online multiplayer game on the Blockchain network where you can work, create, play and earn or monetize your 3D models (gaming assets and experiences). Like in the physical world, you can have your office or run advertising to promote your business in the metaverse.

Anyone with a crypto wallet is ready to jump into the Sandbox metaverse and own a Snoop Dogg avatar, the $SAND (native utility token (digital currency) in The Sandbox ecosystem, $LAND (virtual plots of land — pieces of the metaverse), and make money with VoxEdit free Voxel art making software and the Game maker.

Pixowl, the creators of the Sandbox have been creating games for mobile phones (iOS, Android), and Microsoft Windows since 2011. They launched their first game in 2012 and another in 2016 (The Sandbox Evolution). These games have millions of users and they are still growing.

Pixowl in 2018, decided to bring this (UGC) User Generated Content gaming to the blockchain disrupting existing game makers like Minecraft and Roblox.

What is Play-to-earn gaming?

Play-to-earn games are online games that let players earn rewards with real-world value by completing tasks (quests), battling other players and progressing through various game levels. These rewards can be in the form of in-game assets like crypto tokens, virtual land, weapons or non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

“Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are virtual tokens minted on the blockchain for digital scarcity, security, and authenticity. They are unique, invisible, and non-interchangeable — allowing true digital ownership of in-game assets.” VoxEdit.io

The Sandbox Game Play Season 2 Alpha — Lobby Screenshot

What is SAND ($SAND)?

The $SAND is the utility token or native currency used in the Sandbox game or metaverse to buy and sell NFTs and as the basis of transactions and interactions. It is an ERC-20 utility token built on the Ethereum blockchain.

Players can earn $SAND by completing tasks or quests in the games created by fellow players and artists via the creator fund with VoxEdit Voxel NFT maker.

$AND is also used for staking on The Sandbox network on Polygon, Staking means that holders of the $AND token can participate in verifying transactions on the network by depositing and locking their tokens temporarily.

Recommended post: What is the Metaverse and Web3.0?

How to Get Started with The Sandbox Game.

Let’s look at how to get started in the metaverse, these steps are not limited to the Sandbox game. Most of the tips in this post can be applied to other Play-to-earn (P2E) games like Decentraland, Axie Infinity, ZedRun, Theta Arena, among others.

Step 1: Create a Crypto Wallet

Similar to many of the other play-to-earn games like Axie Infinity, Decentraland, Crypto Kitties, Pegaxy, you will need a crypto wallet to get started. This wallet will be used as identity on the blockchain for your avatar as well as to store your game assets and rewards gained completing game quests and progressing through various levels.

Rarible & MetaMask NFT Tutorial — How to Sell NFTs on Rarible NFT marketplace

Luckily for you, in our last video, we looked at the Metamask wallet, one of the best web3.0 wallets you can use besides Coinbase, Binance Chain wallet, Nexo, Crypto.com, and Trust wallet to buy and sell NFTs on other marketplaces like Rarible, and Open Sea.

Step 2: Create or Choose an Avatar

The Sandbox Game Avatar NFT Maker — Screenshot

The first thing you will be asked to do once you connect your wallet, is to create an Avatar. You can get started easily with a predesigned avatar.

All avatars come with specific set of Attributes that define their abilities in The Sandbox Game Maker: Power, Defense, Speed and Magic. You can boost your Avatar by equipping it. Equipment are Tokens that can be traded on the Sandbox marketplace. For example weapons, helmets.

It’s interesting to note that you can customize your Avatar however you want.

Snoop Dogg Avatars — The Doggies NFT Collection (The Sandbox Website Screenshot)

You can also purchase custom made avatars from The Sandbox marketplace. The Sandbox game gives you a free Avatar to use in your gaming experience. The Sandbox marketplace also has a collection of 10,000 Snoop Dogg Avatars (Doggies) you can purchase and use in the metaverse from Open Sea. The 10,000 Snoop Dogg avatar NFTs are divided into seven rarity tiers — Human, Blue, Alien, Zombie, Dogg, Robot and Golden. Golden being the most rare and expensive.

What is the Sandbox NFT marketplace?

The marketplace is where you discover and collect NFTs used in the Sandbox metaverse, also known as entities. Entities can be everything you see in the Sandbox game like the weapons, alligators, trees, houses, music instruments, Snoop Dogg avatars or Deadmou5 characters and portals.

The Sandbox Game NFT Marketplace (Screenshot)

Event tickets or game passes are also sold on the marketplace as NFTs. For example the private party pass to Snoop Dogg's house party costs as much as 0.29ETH on Open Sea (A gas-free marketplace for NFTs on Polygon).

Check out my YouTube to learn more about NFTs and how to sell them.

OpenSea is the world’s first and largest digital marketplace where you can discover, buy and sell exclusive digital items, crypto collectibles and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

But you can buy and sell digital items or game assets (NFTs) across marketplaces. Blockchain technology makes it possible. Other marketplaces include Rarible, Foundation, Sorare, NiftyGateway, among others.

Keeping in mind that these marketplaces use all sorts of blockchain types like Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, the list goes on.

Step 3: Choose a gaming experience or Buy Land (Optional)

Once you have an avatar, you can start exploring the Sandbox game. You can play games and complete quests and progress through the levels as you collect voxels (shiny cubes in The Sanbox game) and win $SAND.

For example 10 million $SAND was distributed in the Sandbox Alpha season 2 along with many other gifts like NFTs and other Alpha passes to Alpha Season 2 players.

The other way you can earn $SAND as passive income, is to buy LAND and monetize it by creating games within The Sandbox game or renting the LAND.

How to Use The Sandbox Game for Investors and Creators

What is LAND?

Virtual LAND in the metaverse, just like physical land, in this case the Sandbox metaverse LAND allows you build experiences using ASSETS, host events, and invite friends to join you for a house party. LAND allows you to have your own metaverse like Snoop Dogg metaverse (Snoopverse) where you require a Doggie (NFT) to attend private parties.

What is VoxEdit?

VoxEdit is the leading software that allows you to create, rig, and animate your own voxel-based game assets. VoxEdit is the software capable of exporting assets to The Sandbox marketplace, so your assets are turned to NFTs very fast and easy.

You start with VoxEdit if you want to create your game with no coding skills required. The process of launching your game experience in the Sandbox metaverse is fairly simple.

Create your models (game ASSETs) in VoxEdit
Rig and animate using the Animator in VoxEdit software
Test your rigs in the Sandbox Game maker and export them to the marketplace for sale or for using in other people’s games.

The VoxEdit Software is made up of 3 Parts

Modeler
Animator
Game Maker

To get started with VoxEdit, first, you need a creator account. You can get one via the creator fund.

1. VoxEdit Modeler

These are the robust set of tools within the VoxEdit software with a user-friendly interface that allows anyone from beginners to experts, to make amazing 3D creations. The interface and buttons are easy to master in a very short period, especially if you have ever used any 3D software or application.

How to use the VoxEdit Modeler

VoxEdit is way cooler, and way more fun to use. All you do is choose from 3 modes using tools like the Pen tool, Face tool, Line tool, Box tool. You can even move your 3D anchor point using the Pivot tool or pick a color faster with the Picker (I call it the eyedropper) tool.

Creator Mode — Keep clicking to add or remove voxels based on the tool selected. A voxel is 2x2 in The Sandbox metaverse environment.
Paint Mode — Keep clicking to paint based on the color chosen.
Erase Mode — Keep clicking to erase what you have built based on the tool selected. You can erase faces or single voxels by choosing between the Face tool, Box tool or Pen tool.

It that is not easy enough, at the bottom of VoxEdit, you will find info and tips on the tool selected. These tips show up whenever you hoover your mouse over a tool or button.

VoxEdit Software Screen of Top menu buttons

The rest of the buttons include Rotate for flipping your model in any angle, Crop for deleting extra space outside your model, among other cool VoxEdit features.

2. Animator

The VoxEdit Animator allows you to rig and animate anything that you want using the very easy-to-use timeline via an easy-to-use keyframing mode. The key frames can be made by making changes to your rotation, scale or movement of your game assets (models).

If for any reason you need to make changes to the model, you can click on the Pencil icon and make edits in the Modeler that will instantly reflect in the Animator.

3. What is The Sandbox Game Maker?

The Sandbox game maker is a visual scripting toolbox that allows anyone to build 3D games completely code-free. But before you use your game assets in your game environment, you have to publish them on the marketplace.

You can also buy the models from the marketplace. Publishing Sandbox game assets requires a creator account. You can get one by applying through the game maker fund.

Is the Sandbox Game Maker free? How to download Sandbox game maker.

Yes. The Sandbox game maker is free to download from the Sandbox website. Once you are on the website, click on the “Create” button and under the Game maker tab, click the “Download” button and follow through the installer.

It is a free NFT maker that allows you to sell, trade, and buy VoxEdit assets on The Sandbox’s marketplace and monetize your creations.

Once you download and installed it, login and you can check out the templates, see what other artists are creating. Now you can start creating awesome 3D games for free using thousands of voxel models (NFTs) made by the community with VoxEdit.

Tip: Follow The Sandbox Game on Twitter for weekly creator contests

What is The Sandbox Game maker Fund?

The Sandbox game maker fund is an initiative that supports all talents and creators (game designers) in The Sandbox’s metaverse by rewarding them for crafting unique game experiences using the Sandbox game maker (The toolbox you need for your imagination to come to life). The goal of the game maker fund is to generate awesome games and innovative experiences.

What are The Sandbox Game Maker Fund’s Benefits?

You keep full ownership and copyright of your games.
Get paid on a per-game basis.
Get access to support and consultants for each project phase.
Get free promotion for your project
Monetize your content with the Sandbox native cryptocurrency, SAND.
Create a game on your plot of virtual LAND.

How to earn in The Sandbox Game?

Play the Sandbox game and progress through levels and complete quests to earn $SAND rewards plus other gifts. Thanks to the Play-to-Earn model.
Build games using the Game maker and monetize them on your LAND.
Create The Sandbox game assets and sell them on the marketplace. 95% of all transactions go the creators.

The Sandbox Game Maker system requirements

It is also very interesting to note that The Sandbox Game Maker system requirements are fair for every level of user equipment. The Sandbox game maker and VoxEdit software should run smoothly on a fairly strong machine with standard 4 Gigabytes of RAM.

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 7 and higher
Processor: Dual Core 2GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: 512 MB VRAM
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 2 GB available space

As always better graphics cards like AMD or NVidia and more processors like Intel Core i7 or higher make your work faster and more fun.

Conclusion

That’s not there is to The Sandbox Game, but at least it gets you started in this play-to-earn blockchain metaverse game that onboards new partners almost every month. From Adidas, Atari, Animoca Brands, South China Morning Post, The Smurfs, Snoop Dogg, Blondish, The Walking dead, Care Bear, the list is super long. Feel free to read more on The Sandbox Game Website.