Universe Sandbox
 |
| Original author(s) | Dan Dixon |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) |
|
| Initial release | May 2008 |
| Stable release | 2.2
/ October 1, 2012 |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Educational software |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
| Website | universesandbox |
Universe Sandbox is a series of
in 2015.Universe Sandbox was designed by Dan Dixon, who released the first version in May 2008. Dixon worked full-time on the project since 2010, founding the company Giant Army the following year.[1] Since then, he has hired eight additional designers for the company.[2] Work on a new version of the game, originally called Universe Sandbox², began in 2014. In November 2018, the original Universe Sandbox was renamed to Universe Sandbox Legacy,[3] and the new version was then renamed to Universe Sandbox in December.
Simulations
Both realistic and fictional simulations appear in Universe Sandbox, with each area of outer space being placed by default or according to the player's preference.
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 83/100[7] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| PC Gamer (UK) | 84/100[8] |
Duncan Geere of PC Gamer UK gave it an 84/100 and spoke positively of the game, "Universe Sandbox is not going to change your life. It is not going to make you cry, and it won't sit in the top of your most-played list in Steam for weeks. But if you like the idea of an interactive orrery that you can rip apart and put back together in whatever way you like, and you're happy to feed it with a bit of imagination, it's hard to find a better way to spend £6."[8] Jules of Wired said in their review, "I've seen some pretty wonderful interactive programs that allow you and your family to explore the vast regions of the universe, but nothing nearly as enthralling as Universe Sandbox. [...] Unlike most astronomy software that just shows you what the sky looks like or where the planets are, Universe Sandbox is a powerful gravity simulator."[9]
Rewrite
| Developer(s) | Giant Army
|
|---|---|
| Initial release | January 24, 2014 (early access) |
| Stable release | 34[10]
/ December 14, 2023 |
| Engine | Unity |
| Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Type | Educational software |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
| Website | universesandbox |
The team began working on a complete rewrite of Universe Sandbox, originally titled Universe Sandbox², in 2014. Some of the new features include atmospheres being shown on planets, dynamic and procedurally generated textures on stars and gas giants, a more realistic and graphic collision system, 3D charts in chart mode, simulation of
See also
- Space flight simulation game – Genre of flight simulator video games
- List of space flight simulation games – List of some spaceflight games
- Planetarium software – Software to simulate day and nighttime sky
- List of observatory software
- Gravity (software)
References
- ^ "Giant Army | We create Universe Sandbox". giantarmy.com. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- ^ "Universe Sandbox". universesandbox.com. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
- ^ "Universe Sandbox Legacy". SteamDB. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ Alex Cox (2008-10-05). "How one man created his own universe - How Dan Dixon fashioned a whole universe out of mere bytes". TechRadar. PC Plus, Issue 274 and techradar.com - computing news. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
- ^ "Universe Sandbox". Universe Sandbox. Giant Army. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ Unity3D.com. Archived from the originalon June 24, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ "Universe Sandbox for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ a b Geere, Duncan (November 20, 2011). "Universe Sandbox review". PC Gamer.
- ^ Jules (August 4, 2011). "The Universe Is Your Sandbox With Universe Sandbox". Wired.
- ^ "Terraforming | Update 34". Universe Sandbox | blog. December 14, 2023. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "The Universe Just Got Bigger - Update 22". Universe Sandbox | blog. November 15, 2018.
- ^ "New Look, Same Great Sandbox". universesandbox.com. December 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
