Platinum Arts Sandbox review
A flexible free engine for collaborative 3D creation, with a narrower platform scope.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Platinum Arts Sandbox is a free, open-source standalone 3D game maker based on the Cube 2 engine. It is aimed at children, educators, hobbyists, and game designers who want to create interactive 3D worlds, levels, quests, and games. Its in-game editing approach supports free-form creation, while built-in modes cover FPS, sidescroller, kart, movie, and RPG projects. The software runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
There is no purchase tier to compare: Platinum Arts Sandbox is free, and its open-source model allows source-code modification and recompilation. That makes it suitable for users who want to inspect or change the engine itself, rather than work only within a fixed editor. C++ and CubeScript are part of its technology profile, with CubeScript supporting scripting and triggers. Users should expect source changes and custom builds to require more technical involvement than ordinary in-game editing.
The standout feature is collaborative world creation. Editing can take place over the internet or a LAN, and the toolset includes terrain work for mountains and caves, model import for MD2, MD3, MD5, IQM, SMD, and OBJ files, plus dedicated server support. Those features fit teams, classrooms, hobby projects, and communities building shared spaces. Choose it for accessible, multiplayer-oriented 3D experimentation and engine customization; choose another engine if AI features or a broader platform scope are central requirements.
Platinum Arts Sandbox pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free and open source with source-code modification
- In-game editing with cooperative LAN and internet building
- Supports terrain, scripting, servers, and multiple game modes
- Where it doesn't
- No AI features
- Source modification and recompilation require technical work
- Platform coverage is limited to Windows, Linux, and macOS
Platinum Arts Sandbox fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update