The Sandbox, a popular metaverse platform, has announced its 2024 Sandbox Awards, an event set to recognize the outstanding contributions of its community of creators. Following the success of the “SANDIES” awards held in Hong Kong in 2023 (see image below), this year’s ceremony aims to highlight the talent and dedication within The Sandbox’s growing digital ecosystem. The awards ceremony will take place on December 11, 2024, and will be broadcast live on Twitch.
The Sandbox Awards encompass 20 distinct categories, honoring creativity in areas such as game development, art, storytelling, and social impact. With a prize pool of 100,000 SAND tokens (The Sandbox’s in-platform cryptocurrency), winners in each category will receive 5,000 SAND tokens as recognition for their contributions.
Recognizing the Best in Metaverse Creation
The Sandbox Awards are divided into two main sections: Game Type Awards and Achievement Awards. Game Type Awards highlight innovation across different genres, while Achievement Awards focus on accomplishments in game design, narrative, and social impact.
Game Type Categories
These categories cover popular game styles within the platform, including:
- Best Platforming Game
- Best Action/Adventure Experience
- Best Resource Management Experience
- Best Horror Experience
- Best Survival Experience
- Best Puzzle Experience
- Best Shooting Game
Each of these categories seeks to honor creators who have excelled in crafting experiences that push the boundaries of their genres. For example, the Best Puzzle Experience will reward games with innovative and challenging puzzles, while the Best Horror Experience celebrates creators who have brought suspense and thrills to life in the metaverse.
Achievement Awards
Beyond game genres, the Sandbox Awards also recognize creators for achievements in areas that drive the community forward:
- Best Gameplay
- Best Art Direction
- Best Narrative Design
- Best Social & Environmental Impact
- Best Branded Experience
- Best Rookie of 2024
- Best Experience of 2024
These awards acknowledge creators for bringing unique perspectives and original contributions to The Sandbox platform. The Best Social & Environmental Impact category, for example, will reward games that address relevant social or environmental issues, while the Best Branded Experience category celebrates successful collaborations with external brands.
How to Participate in the 2024 Sandbox Awards
Creators interested in participating must register their work on The Sandbox Awards page by November 6, 2024. Each experience can only be submitted to one game type category, and Sandbox moderators will review submissions for relevance. Those submitting entries should carefully choose the category that best aligns with their work, as entries in multiple categories will be limited to the first category selected.
To ensure a fair and unbiased selection process, The Sandbox has appointed a community-based jury. Community members can apply to join the jury, but must meet specific criteria, such as having an account created before July 15, 2024, and completing Know Your Customer (KYC) verification. Jury members will be responsible for evaluating entries based on criteria such as gameplay, creativity, and art direction.
Applications for jury membership are open until November 6, with voting scheduled to begin on November 13. The final votes must be submitted by November 27. Jury members are also required to maintain confidentiality, and any breaches will result in immediate disqualification.
Key Dates for the Sandbox Awards
- October 25: Submissions open for awards
- November 6: Deadline for submissions and jury applications
- November 13: Voting begins
- November 27: Voting deadline
- December 11: Awards ceremony on Twitch
Community Engagement and NFT Trophy Design Contest
In addition to the main event, The Sandbox will host a contest to design the NFT trophies awarded to winners. Voxel artists within the community will have the opportunity to submit designs, with the winning design chosen to represent the 2024 Sandbox Awards trophy. Details of this contest will be announced shortly, offering artists a chance to contribute to the event’s visual identity.
A Platform Built for Creators
The Sandbox’s 2024 Awards not only acknowledge individual creators but also serve as an incentive for ongoing innovation in the metaverse. As the platform continues to grow, awards like these encourage a standard of quality and creativity, setting expectations for future experiences within the Sandbox ecosystem.
The December 11 awards ceremony aims to celebrate the community’s achievements and inspire creators to continue pushing creative boundaries in 2025 and beyond. By recognizing the platform’s top innovators, The Sandbox creates a culture of collaboration, creativity, and shared achievement within the metaverse.
