Join us for an exciting new City Builder! This community-focused event aims to bring international cultures into The Sandbox, one city at a time. Win prizes, develop your skills, enjoy the company of other creators, and immerse yourself in diverse cultures. Nine experiences will be featured on a special, dedicated ‘City Estate’ to represent one of the world’s cultural hubs!

Recreating New York:

New York City is an iconic hub for innovation, culture, and creativity — a perfect inspiration for a Game Jam! Known as the “City that Never Sleeps,” NYC is a place where history meets modernity, offering a vast array of settings to bring to life in the Metaverse.

Picture yourself in the Metaverse, standing beneath the dazzling lights of Times Square or walking through the lush greenery of Central Park. Every block in New York has a story, and we’re inviting you to reimagine and recreate these stories in unique ways on The Sandbox platform.

From the historic charm of the Brooklyn Bridge to the towering majesty of the Empire State Building, there’s no shortage of inspiration. Let your imagination soar as you recreate the bustling energy of Wall Street or the creative vibrance of neighborhoods like SoHo. Whether it’s the cultural diversity of Queens or the trendy streets of Williamsburg, New York’s distinctive neighborhoods offer endless possibilities for exploration and creativity.

We aim to highlight the best experiences that showcase a specific landmark, neighborhood, or the distinctive “vibe” of New York. Use famous landmarks or craft custom ASSETs inspired by the city’s unique architecture and cultural diversity.

Here’s a list of iconic New York elements to draw inspiration from for your Game Jam creations:

• Times Square’s neon brilliance
• Central Park’s serene landscapes
• The Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom
• Brooklyn Bridge’s architectural beauty
• Empire State Building’s breathtaking views
• Wall Street’s financial buzz
• Harlem’s rich cultural heritage
• The vibrant art scene in SoHo
• Williamsburg’s hipster vibes
• Chinatown’s bustling streets and flavors
• Yankee Stadium, home of baseball legends

You can explore any era you like, whether it’s the gritty charm of 1970s New York, the Art Deco glamour of the early 20th century, or the ultra-modern skyline of today. Each interpretation is a unique journey through the city’s dynamic history and culture.

Embrace this creative freedom to develop diverse interpretations of New York’s essence. We can’t wait to see how you’ll bring the Big Apple to life in the Metaverse!

No gameplay mechanics are required — focus on capturing the magic and spirit of New York City.

Prizes 🏆

We have an outstanding 30,000 SAND up for grabs, as well as the chance to represent New York on The Sandbox’s Map. You will be hosted on a dedicated New York Estate owned by The Sandbox.

We will minimize showcasing the same neighborhood or monuments multiple times, so expect the selected experience to be chosen among a variety of experiences.

See the prizes below.

🥇1ST — 9TH PLACE

• 3,000 SAND + Published on our New York Estate

🎖️ Extra Reward

• 500 SAND

If you made a great terraforming but were not among the top 9 experiences you can still win a 500 SAND reward if selected.

In order to minimize redundancy, creators can disclose what they are working on on the Creators Forum.

We also encourage you to team up with a talented artist! Feel free to use this topic on the Forum to find a partner. This is not a requirement.

Please note that you must have a wallet which has completed KYC to receive prizes.

❔ Read more about KYC and our other Terms and Conditions.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE BY March 12, 2024

This City Builder starts now, on January 30, 2024. You may join any time as long as you submit by the March 12 deadline.

Join our Creators Forum to stay up-to-date and get access to experienced creators and expert staff who are happy to help.

Key dates

Find below all key dates connected to the event. Any changes or additions in the dates will be publicly announced.

🗓️ January 30: The contest goes live!

🗓️ March 12 (4:00 pm UTC): Submissions close.

🗓️ March 13th — 26th: Votes open.

🗓️ April 3rd: Winners are published on the City Estate.

How do I participate?

You must create a game with our free, no-code Game Maker software to take part in this City Builder. We also encourage you to team up with an artist or use VoxEdit to create Paris-themed ASSETs!

You must also either share your game to the Game Maker Gallery or publish the game on the Map. In addition, the game must be posted in the dedicated Forum thread (coming soon).

Please follow these steps to participate in the City Builder.

• ☑️ Create a The Sandbox account by following these steps.
• ☑️ Download our no-code Game Maker software to create your game for free here (required).
• ☑️ Download our easy-to-use VoxEdit software to create custom ASSETs for free here (optional).
• ☑️ ️️Join our Creator Forum and Discord to stay up to date, get help & feedback, and meet other creators!
• ☑️ Make sure to look at the 📚Resources section below for useful documentation to get started.
• ☑️ Share your completed experience to the Game Maker Gallery or publish on the Map.
• ☑️ Submit your entry to the submission form linked in this article.

Important rules ⚠️

Please make sure that you read all the standard Game Jam rules HERE!

City Builders are different to our regular Game Jams and some rules may differ. It is important that you read both the rules linked above and the rules specified in this article.

*Please note that, if a rule stated in this article differs from one stated in our official documentation, the rule stated here takes precedence.

It is your responsibility to carefully read all the rules. Not following these rules will in most cases disqualify your entry.

• Software: Your game must be designed with our Game Maker software. We recommend that you use the latest version of the software and update if an update occurs during the event.
• Updating your entry: You may freely make updates to your entry throughout the event, including after the submission deadline.
• Size: Your game must be no larger than 1x1.
• Multiple Entries: You may submit more than one entry for this contest, only one entry can reach the top 9.
• Staff: The Sandbox staff and any contractors working directly with Game Jams are not permitted to enter City Builder or Game Jam competitions.

Voting 🗒️

The voting will be held externally by a judging panel made of external trusted partners. The voting will exclusively made based on following criteria :

- Visual quality (is the experience good looking ?)

- Asset quality (are assets well designed?)

- Reconstruction fidelity (does the experience recreate precisely the real place in The Sandbox?)

- Atmosphere (do I catch the city vibe in the experience?)

Gameplay mechanics won’t be considered in this Game Jam format.

Resources 📚

• Learn to use the Game Maker here.
• Learn to use VoxEdit to create ASSETs here.
• Join our community of creators on the Creators Forum, where you can ask for help, find teams to work with, read important updates, and make connections with other passionate game developers.
• Save time and buy ASSETs from our Marketplace here.

FAQs — ❓

If you have any questions or concerns, please read the rules and FAQs carefully first or consider whether the answer could be found in the resources linked above.

If you did not find an answer, we look forward to welcoming you in the Creator Forum where you can find other creators and staff who are happy to help.

Good luck to all participants!