The weekend is finally here, and we all know that means, it’s time to game! This weekend, we’ll be venturing into our top five sandbox games that offer you incredible gameplay, in-depth storylines, and of course complete freedom with how you wish to play.
To ensure you’ve got all the tools you need to start exploring, each of these amazing sandbox games has been paired with a powerful gaming PC or laptop.
Rust
In Rust, your one and only objective is to survive. Armed only with a rock and a torch, you’ve been left on a completely deserted island. Build the ultimate shelter, find food to eat, craft tools or weaponry, and gather precious resources to help you stay alive against the threat of natural dangers.
In the meantime, you’ll have complete freedom to explore the island as you wish. Venture to its abandoned settlements or mysterious monuments, and meet the factions that inhabit the island. All whilst keeping an eye out for other survivors who might not be as friendly as you…
You can try to survive in Rust as either a solo explorer or team up with friends to build the ultimate settlement together.
Official PC System Specification:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 8 | Windows 11 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7 3770 or AMD FX 9590 | Intel Core i7 4790K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| Memory | 10GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 670 or AMD R9 280 | NVIDIA GTX 980 or AMD R9 Fury |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 12 |
| Network | Broadband Internet Connection required | Broadband Internet Connection required |
| Storage | 25GB available space | 25GB available space |
| Additional Notes | SSD recommended | SSD recommended |
Top PC to Play Rust:
OcUK Gaming Tanto Configurable PC:
With the OcUK Gaming Tanto, you’ll have all the powerful gaming hardware you need to survive in Rust. Armed with an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 enjoy ultra-fast performance and multitasking, perfect for both work and play! Plus, with an NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti unlock realistic visuals that have immersive lighting and shadows thanks to built-in support for Ray Tracing. As a configurable gaming PC, you can choose to adjust the hardware specification to ensure the OcUK Gaming Tanto perfectly meets your preferences and gameplay style. This includes opting for an included operating system, additional storage drives, or a Wi-Fi adapter.
OcUK Gaming Tanto
- Configurable gaming PC
- As standard includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options available
Minecraft
We can’t talk about sandbox games and not give a worthy shout-out to the number one sandbox, Minecraft. There are no rules or required in-game objectives for players to complete and you can even adjust the game mode to suit your gameplay style or preferences. Ranging from all-out survival mode to complete freedom in creative.
The world is constructed from 3D blocks that consist of different vital harvestable materials. Split into different biomes, including mushrooms forests, jungles, and underground caverns, each of these dedicated areas features exclusive resources that you’ll need to craft materials, armor, and weaponry.
What’s more, thanks to extensive multiplayer support, you can choose to team up with friends either online or via local LAN connectivity. Plus, with Minecraft Realms, you and your squad can even create your very own online server. Play with up to ten friends in a world of your own and let your creativity run wild!
In addition to all of this, the game regularly gets free updates or DLC granting players new exciting content or ways to play. One of which even allows you to venture to Bikini Bottom and grab yourself a tasty Krabby Patty.
Official PC System Specification:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 3210 or AMD A8 7600 | Intel Core i5 or higher |
| Memory | 4GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 400 series or AMD Radeon R5 Series or Intel HD Graphics 400 | DirectX compatible graphics card |
| Storage | 180MB to 1GB available space | 2GB available space |
Top PC to Play Minecraft:
MSI Sword 17 Gaming Laptop:
Create your dream house or a terrifying medieval castle with ease in Minecraft, thanks to the MSI Sword 17 Gaming Laptop. Harness the Intel Core i7 14700HX processor, built with the cutting-edge hybrid P- and E-core architecture, for blisteringly fast processing speeds and enhanced efficiency. Both of which are backed up further thanks to the intelligent Intel Thread Director, which effectively manages and splits your workload across all the cores. What’s more, take advantage of the NVIDIA RTX 4060 to unlock Ray Tracing and AI capabilities, along with NVIDIA’s suite of ground-breaking Max Q technologies. All of which combined result in realistic visuals, immersive gameplay, and an optimised gaming experience.
MSI Sword 17
- 17.0” QHD+ display
- Up to 240Hz refresh rates
- Includes an Intel Core i7 14700HX CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060
- 16GB DDR5 RAM
Planet Zoo
Animal lovers rejoice, there is a sandbox game dedicated to creating the zoo of your dreams! In Planet Zoo, you can design the ultimate zoo and pack it full of your favourite animals from across the globe. You’ll need to perfect the art of zoo management, to ensure your animals, staff, and guests are happy. Making money is an added bonus!
Whilst you’ll have complete freedom over the look of your zoo and what animals you have on display, you’ll have to tailor their habitats to suit their in-depth needs, wants, and personalities. Majestic elephants require a large habitat and a dedicated water zone for them to splash around in. Whilst playful monkeys need lots of climbing equipment for them to explore and swing from. If your habitats don’t suit the animal, they’ll be unhappy, and your zoo will ultimately suffer as a result…
Official PC System Specification:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel i5 2500 or AMD FX 6350 | Intel Core i7 4770K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 or AMD Radeon R9 270X | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or AMD Radeon RX 580 |
| Storage | 16GB available space | 16GB available space |
Top PC to Play Planet Zoo:
Refract Gaming Jade Pre-Built PC:
Equipped with the Refract Gaming Jade Pre-Built PC you’ll have everything you need to build the zoo of your dreams. This includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU, for powerful processing, seamless multitasking, and enhanced efficiency. All of which is boosted one step further with 32GB of DDR5 RAM. Enjoy near-zero input lag, thanks to fast loading times for an optimised gaming experience. Plus, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU will render your zoo in stunning high-definition, complete with realistic lighting and shadows, for heightened in-game immersion.
In addition to all of this, as a part of our Refract Gaming range, the Jade pre-built system also comes equipped with a three-year warranty which covers parts and labour, for extra peace of mind during any much-needed repairs. Unfortunately, any escaped animals or damage caused by troublesome guests isn’t covered…
Refract Gaming Jade
- Pre-built gaming PC
- Includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPU
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
- Comes with a three-year warranty which covers parts and labour
Cities: Skylines
In Cities: Skylines, harness the in-depth sandbox mode to build the ultimate city. As the mayor, you’ll need to be ready to make challenging decisions about essential city resources and buildings, including electricity, water, healthcare, policing, and much more. Plus, don’t forget that your city will need to make some money as well to fund further expansion.
Your citizens will react in real time to what you decide and build. They can either happily accept your decisions or completely reject them. What’s more, due to the intelligent day and night cycle, your city is ever-changing. As a result, you’ll need to be ready to make quick decisions based on how your city changes as the day progresses.
Official PC System Specification:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel i7 930 or AMD FX 6350 | Intel i7 2700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 or AMD Ryzen 7 250 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 or AMD Radeon RX 560 |
| DirectX | Version 9 | Version 11 |
| Network | Broadband Internet Connection required | Broadband Internet Connection required |
| Storage | 4GB available space | 4GB available space |
Top PC to Play Cities: Skylines:
OcUK Gaming Frosty MK2 Configurable PC:
Small yet mighty, the OcUK Gaming Frosty MK2 comes equipped with everything you need to enjoy playing Cities: Skylines. Harness the Intel i5 11400F CPU to achieve ultra-fast speeds of up to 4.4GHz, perfect for all your intensive city building! What’s more, with up to 16GB DDR4, you won’t have to worry about pesky slow in-game loading times, interrupting the flow of your city or your citizens day-to-day.
In addition to this, take advantage of the NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, with support for Ray Tracing and intelligent AI-powered technologies, to enjoy photo-realistic visuals and silky-smooth frame rates. Lastly, with both a 500G M.2 and optional secondary SSD, you’ll have all the storage space you need for Cities: Skylines, your other favourite sandbox games, and much more. As a configurable gaming PC, you can choose to customise the PC case and braided cables, upgrade the memory or operating system, along with opting for additional storage drives or a Wi-Fi adapter.
OcUK Gaming Radiance Frosty MK2
- Configurable gaming PC
- As standard includes an Intel i5 11400F CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU
- Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options available
If you can’t enough city building, there is a sequel! Cities Skylines hit our gaming libraries in October 2023. Check out our dedicated blog post if you want to know more.
GTA V
With both an in-depth story campaign and dedicated sandbox mode, GTA V is the best of both worlds. Create your own character, destined to explore the rugged depths of the criminal underworld as you explore everything Los Santos has to offer. Embark on challenging and not always legal quests to earn money that you can then spend on lavish luxuries including supercars, exotic yachts, and of course powerful weaponry. Or better yet, ignore the quests and just create all-out chaos.
In addition to this, thanks to its dedicated multiplayer mode, you can also opt to team up with friends for additional muscle during your quests or perhaps you just want to see whose tatty old car can make it up Mount Chiliad first.
Official PC System Specification:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Quad CPU or AMD Phenom 9850 | Intel i5 3470 or AMD X8 FX 8350 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA 9600 GT or AMD HD 4870 | NVIDIA GTX 660 or AMD HD 7870 |
| Storage | 72GB available space | 72GB available space |
Top PC to Play GTA V:
OcUK Gaming Karambit Configurable PC:
Equipped with the OcUK Gaming Karambit in your arsenal, enjoy maximum performance in GTA V. Utilise the Intel i5 14600KF CPU with twelve cores and twenty threads, to unlock blisteringly fast speeds and cutting-edge efficiency, which is perfect for both gaming and streaming alike! Plus, with Intel Thread Director, your workload is effectively managed and split across each of the cores, to deliver the best possible performance. What’s more, harness the NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti, with its next-gen RT and Tensor cores, to render all your favourite games in stunning high-definition.
In addition to all of this, thanks to an extensive selection of powerful Gen 3 and 4 M.2 SSDs to choose from, you’ll never need to worry about running out of precious storage space again. Especially when you can configure the Karambit to include extra drives, should you need them.
OcUK Gaming Karambit
- Configurable gaming PC
- As standard includes an Intel i5 14600KF CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti
- 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options available
The trailer for GTA VI has finally dropped. It looks like there is going to be a huge map to explore in GTA VI – we saw everything from the beaches and city, all the way to the Everglades!
Your Weekend Gaming Plans
In need of some inspiration for your gaming weekend plans? We’ve got plenty of blog posts packed full of incredible games that you can explore solo or with the squad this weekend.
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 11 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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