The Sandbox has launched a new creative competition, the Quick Loop Game Jam, inviting developers of all experience levels to participate. The event offers a total prize pool of 50,000 SAND tokens, LAND parcels, and exclusive CATALYST Packs. The focus of this game jam is to create small-scale games featuring simple and engaging looping mechanics using The Sandbox’s Game Maker tool. Registrations for the competition are open until June 11 at 11:59 PM UTC, while all entries must be submitted by June 17 at 4 PM UTC.

Build to Earn 50K SAND in The Sandbox

About The Sandbox

The Sandbox gained popularity through its two successful mobile games, The Sandbox (2011) and The Sandbox Evolution (2016), amassing a total of 40 million downloads on iOS and Android. In 2018, developer/Publisher Pixowl made the strategic decision to transition this thriving User Generated Content (UGC) gaming IP and its extensive creator community from mobile to the blockchain ecosystem.

The objective was to innovate the gaming industry by empowering creators with genuine ownership of their creations as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and incentivizing their engagement in the ecosystem. The Sandbox is now described as a virtual metaverse where players can build, own, and monetize their gaming experiences on the Ethereum blockchain using the platform's utility token SAND.

The Sandbox’s Quick Loop Game Jam

The Quick Loop Game Jam is designed to challenge developers to build games with mechanics that encourage players to keep returning for repeated play sessions. These are games that use straightforward interactions combined with satisfying feedback to create an engaging loop. The aim is to produce experiences that are simple to understand but compelling enough to draw players in for multiple rounds. Examples of such mechanics might include fast-paced reaction challenges or decision-based gameplay that rewards timing and strategy.

Participants will use The Sandbox’s Game Maker software to build their entries. Game Maker is a no-code development tool that allows users to create experiences in the voxel-based metaverse environment of The Sandbox. Because it requires no programming knowledge, the software is accessible to creators regardless of their technical background.

Build to Earn 50K SAND in The Sandbox

$SAND, Prizes, and Participation 

The competition offers a variety of rewards, with top-ranking entries receiving SAND tokens, LAND parcels within The Sandbox, and different tiers of CATALYST Packs. The first-place winner will be awarded 10,000 SAND, a 1x1 LAND, and a Gold CATALYST Pack. Additional prizes will be distributed to the top ten entries, with decreasing amounts of SAND and variations in CATALYST Pack levels. Up to ten honorable mentions will also receive 1,000 SAND each. Furthermore, the first 100 valid submissions will earn a participation prize of 100 SAND, though this reward does not apply to those who place in the top ten or receive an honorable mention. To receive any prize, participants must complete the required Know Your Customer (KYC) verification process.

To join the Quick Loop Game Jam, interested developers need to first register through the application form linked in The Sandbox’s official announcement on X (formerly Twitter). Once registered, participants will receive further instructions via email, including the form to submit their completed games. All games must be submitted before the deadline on June 17. The final results will be announced during a live awards ceremony on Twitch, scheduled for July 5 at 6 PM UTC, and the winners will also be shared on The Sandbox’s social media channels.

Newcomers to Game Maker are encouraged to watch the official one-hour tutorial video to familiarize themselves with the development tools. Those looking to customize their projects can use VoxEdit, The Sandbox’s NFT creator, to design original voxel-based assets. Alternatively, developers can choose from a wide array of pre-made options available in the Asset Libraries introduced in version 0.11 of the software, which organizes free assets by brand and environment type to simplify the creative process.

Build to Earn 50K SAND in The Sandbox

Final Thoughts

The Sandbox has provided detailed guidelines and resources on its official blog to assist participants in preparing their entries. The blog includes information about the rules, judging criteria, and links to tutorials. Whether new to game development or an experienced creator, participants are encouraged to use the available tools and support to complete and submit their games in time.

The Quick Loop Game Jam offers an opportunity to engage with the growing web3 gaming community, experiment with accessible development tools, and compete for rewards within The Sandbox’s evolving metaverse.