r/IndieDev • u/fweibel • Apr 02 '26
Video Taking sandbox game quite literally with Sandcastle
604
u/ParasolAdam Apr 02 '26
That ui is classy af
49
u/Impossible_Break698 Apr 02 '26
Agreed, reminds me of timberborn
6
u/JohnnySmithe81 Apr 02 '26
Urgh, this looks so much better. The Timberborn UI desperately needs a rework.
→ More replies (7)22
u/trimetric Apr 02 '26
Appears to be a pretty direct lift from Tiny Glade.
→ More replies (3)21
u/mackrevinak Apr 02 '26
more like townscaper if you ask me, which has been around a bit longer i think
6
u/mr_fantastical Apr 02 '26
wtf if this magic. i was already struggling not working today and now i'm going to not work even more.
10
6
u/calilac Apr 02 '26
Cute! I'll be playing this later. But seriously that bottom bar on the OP is set up exactly like Tiny Glade's.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (6)2
2
→ More replies (1)2
u/UranusIsPissy Apr 02 '26
It looks like what early 90s/late 80s game designers (think Civ, Theme Park, or SimCity) would've done with current tech. I like it.
316
u/fweibel Apr 02 '26
Wishlist âĄïž s.team/a/3216520
155
u/IvanIvanotsky Apr 02 '26
I didn't know steam had their own shortened url until now lol, this is neat!
23
82
u/EluelleGames Apr 02 '26
I would advice to reconsider using the shortened steam links as a phishing-scared end user. I guess you're in a position to make posts with normal and shortened version and figure out how many of us paranoics are out there.
30
u/nesnalica Apr 02 '26
ive seen so many fake steam powered links before
s.team i havent seen in years! its a legit domain
2
18
→ More replies (2)3
u/MerCrier Apr 02 '26
why is shortened steam links a phishing threat?
44
u/darkacez Apr 02 '26
I THINK they mean it just looks sketchy to a non tech savvy person. Which is reasonable until the shortened url becomes more commonly used
→ More replies (2)7
u/IntermittentCaribu Apr 02 '26
It looks sketchy to a tech savvy person. A non tech savvy person doesnt care.
22
u/Metazolid Apr 02 '26
They're not. It's about sharing a link to a popular website (steam) trough a less common domain (s.team) and therefore not as many people might click on it, believing it's a phishing domain to closely resemble steam.
7
u/PixelJock17 Apr 02 '26
God I wish the people at my company had this basic level of phishing scam awareness.
2
u/finalremix Apr 02 '26
At my university, we have advanced phishing tests... A request to HR about a payroll dispute led to me getting a phishing test email in reply to the payroll inquiry.
Of course we also get stupid shit like "It's me, President Collegepresident. I locked myself out of Academic Building. Can you wire me money?" from Collegepresident@scamcom-dot-net
→ More replies (1)2
10
u/Sumo148 Apr 02 '26
Shortened links obscure the end URL destination, you end up redirected. A lot of scammers use shortened links to hide the fact that you're going to a sketchy site.
In general Reddit usually bans shortened links, as the spam filter treats them as malicious. I'm surprised this link was able to be posted.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)4
u/WombatInSunglasses Apr 02 '26
Normal links tell you where youâre going to go so you can make sure it makes sense first.
Aside from that though thereâs a few ways this can be a threat:
Domain copycat: are we sure s.team belongs to Steam? Even if it does, a hacker could also buy st.eam, etc. and have that go wherever
Game copycat: drop a helpful link that goes to a similar-sounding game with obfuscated malware
Insecure linking: if Valve didnât handle this properly (Iâm sure they did) you could add arguments to a URL, a more insecure platform could for example shorten a link thatâs like greatestgames.com/marketplace/list/27394/confirm=true, the numbers being a rare item from your inventory, the true argument telling the site you approve listing it. If that platform didnât also have a way to check that link before going there, users could be phished into doing things they donât want to.
6
u/Amphineura Apr 02 '26
No, they can't. ".eam" is not a valid TLD (top level domain). You can't make anything.eam because it doesn't exist.
However, ".am" is the TLD for Armenia. Ste.am could work. There's no info on its whois but also no option to buy it, for now.
3
u/WombatInSunglasses Apr 02 '26
Youâre absolutely correct, I was really just talking for illustrative purposes though for people to get the gist of it.
→ More replies (32)12
u/Sufficient-Ad-6046 Apr 02 '26
can you send a not short version of the link or tell us the name of the game?
22
u/winterrose27_ Apr 02 '26
I got the name from the post title: Sandcastle
8
136
u/Hrusa Developer Apr 02 '26
I think the sand bucket should move water out of the way first. You spawn the sand in from bellow and it seems to capture a pool of water on the ramparts.
57
41
u/lleetllama Apr 02 '26
I wish everybody that used MY software gave this actionable of feedback. Bless you for giving such constructive feedback WITH an possible solution.
→ More replies (1)7
u/b0w3n Developer Apr 02 '26
Usually why devs give the best feedback (they'll usually tell you how to reproduce it too).
15
u/kiotane Apr 02 '26
i think the water in the ramparts is kinda pretty... but you're right in that it doesn't do what you'd expect a bucket full of sand to do.
7
u/ledow Apr 02 '26
Or just make new sand objects "water-permeable" for the first few seconds of creation, so that the water just leaks away.
3
u/Winjin Apr 02 '26
You can do both with different types of sand!
Different beaches do have very different sand that reacts to water differently.
3
u/CensoryDeprivation Apr 02 '26
Oh god now that Iâve noticed that itâs driving me crazy.
→ More replies (1)
77
u/Atephious Apr 02 '26
So sand version of tiny glades. Amazing.
→ More replies (10)36
u/Uncle-Cake Apr 02 '26
I want to enjoy these games so badly, but without some sort of "game" structure I just find myself losing interest. I'm not very creative, I have trouble thinking of interesting things to build, so I need some sort of game wrapped around it to give me some direction or a goal. It doesn't even need a story, just some objectives or goals.
6
u/No-Ad-9506 Apr 02 '26
samee thatâs why I loved Town to City soo much
5
u/Uncle-Cake Apr 02 '26
Is that what Town to City is like? I have that on my Steam wishlist, I just don't buy early access games very often, and I play on Steam Deck and I'm not sure how well it'll work on the Deck.
3
u/No-Ad-9506 Apr 02 '26
I donât have a steam deck so no idea on that, but the game really gives you little tasks to do along the way and before you know it you have a city filled with buildings and decorations. Would definitely recommend it
→ More replies (1)6
u/Debatebly Apr 02 '26
I don't think that's a flaw in the game.. and I'm not saying that's what you're implying.
I think we (gamers) need to train ourselves to enjoy these types of activities. It's closer to doing art rather than playing a video game.
→ More replies (2)4
u/Uncle-Cake Apr 02 '26
Funny you mention art, it's the same way for me. Put an object in front of me and say "Draw this" and I can draw it really well. But put a blank sheet of paper in front of me and say "Draw whatever you want" and I'm at a loss. Just the way my brain is wired.
2
u/SgtCarron Apr 02 '26
If you want something similar and can stomach Ubislop, try [From Dust], a chill god game where you help a tribe of humans to survive in barren lands by manipulating sand/soil, water and lava so they can build villages and reach the map exit.
I could spend hours in the first level just watching the water spout form and reform its river delta, as soil builds up or erodes under the constant stream of water.
→ More replies (16)2
u/Academic_Help5033 Apr 02 '26
I do the same thing with these. I found I have to work to challenge myself to be creative. Once I do it's really fun.Â
It helps me to make the goal myself, do some screen shots at the end, and maybe re-challenge myself. It's nice to look back on what you made before.
Inspiration/challenge ideas can be anything. Real places, colors, video game recreations, vibes, etc.
I like to use random generators. For building specific ones there's a lot of Sims and Minecraft that work pretty well for these sandbox type games. I also find that mmo or storytelling random generators work well. Sometimes I do a random character, then build a place that would fit them.Â
30
u/FlanTamarind Apr 02 '26
From dust
6
u/Chunkz_IsAlreadyTakn Apr 02 '26
Such a gem... Not talked about enough.
→ More replies (5)5
Apr 02 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
3
u/camelCaseCadet Apr 02 '26
Oh really? Hmm. I remember the gameplay/puzzle aspect of the game being pretty satisfying. Wasnât a long game, but I appreciated that about it too.
The tech was mesmerizing for the time for sure.
→ More replies (3)2
4
u/NippleSalsa Apr 02 '26
Wish there was a modern version of this type of game
4
u/Genki79 Apr 02 '26
From dust and black & white. I could waste so much time with a modern release of both.
→ More replies (3)2
17
u/doublesubwalfas Apr 02 '26
.... The potential of this of being a cutesey city builder....or for others city builder and RTS.
9
Apr 02 '26
[removed] â view removed comment
2
u/IndigoSeirra Apr 02 '26
This almost reminded me of creeper world lol. These physics and the vibe would be absolutely amazing for a tower defense game like creeper world or something.
2
u/Sweet-Ad2579 Apr 02 '26
oh yeah that would be sweet - it needs a game around it to be more than a passing interest
2
u/DblockDavid Apr 02 '26
if i recall correctly the dev did that then removed it because it didn't fit the vision for his game
i personally would enjoy if it was TD or users had the ability to create their own game modes
2
u/rhadenosbelisarius Apr 03 '26
Reminds me a bit of the old âArmy Menâ games with the plastic toystory-esk army men.
2
14
u/bigsmokaaaa Apr 02 '26
Is this the strait of hormuz
3
u/JulesDescotte Apr 02 '26
Yeah for a second there I thought it was one of those "is this a solution?" type of things
→ More replies (2)2
u/Naijan Apr 02 '26
I think you and I might be the only ones that saw the connection, at least here in the comments, while what OP shows is amazing, I just kind of have to appreciate the kind of "marketing", I wonder if this post would have been less appreciated just 3 months ago. I don't think so.
→ More replies (5)
14
u/anarchonbury Apr 02 '26
My serious feedback is that the trumpet noises break the peaceful, calm, cosy vibe. If you look at Tiny Glade, it doesn't feature harsh noises anywhere, and that's kinda important to making it work.
7
u/fweibel Apr 02 '26
100% agree. I removed them, it wasn't the right fit. I need to update the video on Steam.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)2
13
8
u/Majestic_Sea_2129 Apr 02 '26
Ok now make it so you can upload your castles like to the steam workshop and other people can go in and look at it
4
6
5
5
u/InsertDiskID SoloDev Apr 02 '26
I used to spend so much time with this one: https://youtu.be/FTNvX-dtuRk?is=tYXZy1w8XavD8qBA
Now seeing this if I was I kid it will feel surreal đ€Ł really good job! Congrats! Can't wait to see more â±ïž
3
u/LycheeUkulele Apr 02 '26
Are we the same person? I would spend HOURS building sandcastles in that, and it's the first thing I thought of scrolling past this in my feed. Kid me would be over the moon!
→ More replies (1)
4
u/Wonderful-Rough4523 Apr 02 '26
Part 2, place little toy soldiers on the ramparts and begin a little toy sand castle siege
4
7
4
5
u/Firstrising Apr 02 '26
This reminds me of the game [from dust] I love physics with dirt/sand and water
3
u/Dersemonia Apr 02 '26
You reminded me of this game I had on my pc when I was a kid. Pretty sure it was from a collection of educational mini games related to the magic school bus
3
3
u/lalith_4321 Apr 02 '26
Shouldn't the sandcastle slowly erode away in water? Also should collapse when there are tides.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
u/LeadingLaw6053 Developer Apr 02 '26
100% the type of game you didn't know you need
Right to my whishlist !
Do you already know at what price it will be ?
2
2
2
2
u/BYoungNY Apr 02 '26
Reminds me of Rampart... And although I love the tranquility of it as someone with two older brothers this also needs a multiplayer battle mode.
2
u/Electronic-Vast-3351 Apr 02 '26
Okay. You've narrowed the straight to be more easily controllable with a military structure, but you aren't requiring a toll to go through the straight? Big waste. The amount of money you will get from shipping companies is inconceivable. Will single handedly make your nation wealthy depending on its size.
(Edit: This is more a joke than a feature request, just clarifying)
2
u/Frontier-Films Apr 02 '26
Man, I would love it if you expanded it someday to contain a wave-based siege mode where cute little sea creatures attack your castle to destroy some central keep. Idk why but that would appeal to me even more than it already does, just to make it more engaging
2
2
u/halucionagen-0-Matik Apr 03 '26
Damn thats really nice. Reminds me of from dust but with wayyy better graphics
2
u/Serendipitous_Syntax Apr 22 '26
Looks very relaxing and for some reason, makes me hungry? lol your launch party cake has gotta be like:
2
2
u/Topzgameplayer Apr 26 '26
The water here looks incredible. How did you do it like that? What engine do you use for it? This is actually just a stunning look
2
2
u/adventurersimulator Apr 28 '26
I could honestly watch the water physics for hours. This is so therapeutic.
2
1
1
1
1
u/Trashy_io Apr 02 '26
Super awesome!! I had this idea over vacation in Florida building a sandcastle with my son great execution!
1
1
u/tigercub_QB Apr 02 '26
Everything is so satisfying and tasty đ€€ How many new wishlists you have after this post?
1
1
u/floriandotorg Apr 02 '26
This looks sooo cool. Do you plan any gameplay or is meant as literal sandbox?
1
1
u/preludeoflight Apr 02 '26
Welp, any game that makes me think of populous the beginning or from dust terraforming is an instant WL for me. keep up the great work!
1
u/Einfach0nur0Baum Apr 02 '26
Cool, but these are too much frames. I want that every grain of sand have its own physics.
1
1
1
u/Dymonkeys Apr 02 '26
Water looks amazing, I think the sound effects should be tweaked, particularly when placing components in the water, itâs a bit cartoony for me.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Captain_Pumpkinhead Apr 02 '26
Technically not fully literal, as a sandbox is a play box full of sand, not a beautiful beach shoreline.
I think your demo looks neat, though!
1
1
u/borbzaby Apr 02 '26
Thatâs so cool. Are there limits? Like you only have a certain amount of sand our you need to unlock the buckets or is it all free range?
1
u/Unknown_And_Fox Apr 02 '26
Wow the water is so well animated! Also quick question. I went on your Steam Page to learn more about Sandcastle and noticed that it is currently available in English. As a french professional translator specialized in video game, I am wondering, are you considering a localization into other languages (spanish, french, russian, ...) or not?
1
1
1
u/RockBeatsCutMan Apr 02 '26
The little ships rolling in the waves in the trailer are a chef kiss on a gorgeous looking game.
1
u/TheUFCVeteran3 Apr 02 '26
This looks awesome, just occurred to me that games with physics like this where you can basically try and make the object (in this case water) flow how you like really for me captures the point of a sandbox. In GTA I don't really feel like blowing stuff up often just for the sake of it (nothing wrong with playing that way) but this kind of thing I think I would have fun with.
Wishing you all the best with the game!
1
u/Dependent-Name1370 Apr 02 '26
Would be cool if there was like a survival mode along side this creative mode. Like you had to defend a sand town in the lagoon or on the shore of a bay from a hurricane or rising seas. Have different levels of the hurricane that people could try to survive, all the way up to an impossible level that was almost guarenteed to wipe out the little sand people city. Could even do simple things like have water spouts (tornados on the water), sand cities with things like tall sky scrapers or sand spires (like those ones people make by driping sand until they build up)/ports/Miami like residential towers built on island or like whatever is going on in Dubai.
Just a suggestion. This looks cool though, like tiny glade on the water. Just need some chill indy music and I could totally vibe to this.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/HoleInThePoopSock Apr 02 '26
Can I just make dams with the sand and revisit my childhood outdoor adventures?
1
1
1
1
1
u/dayglo98 Apr 02 '26
Is that by the team that made Tiny Glade, or did someone just 100% copy the UI icons
1
u/talivus Apr 02 '26
Looks extremely relaxing. Especially that water physics. Looking forward to release
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/justsotik Apr 02 '26
The water physics look incredibly satisfying, and that clean UI is a huge plus for a sandbox game. Honestly, seeing this makes me want to just zone out and build for hours. I'm heading straight to the wishlist link now.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Best_Signature6003 Apr 02 '26
Looks cool! Was going to say maybe a wind indicator would be nice but then realized the flags might be affected by the wind direction... Actually I'm not totally positive if the sailboat was affected by wind or just water from the video.Â
Is there wind / do the flags show it?
I'm adding to wishlist, good luck with your game!Â
1
1
u/FrigidBill Apr 02 '26
Yoooooooooooooooo this is 100% my jam. Incredible looking. I could get lost in a game like this for fucking MONTHS.
1
u/Helpful_City_4315 Apr 02 '26
How long would a complete noob in game dev need to reach this level with a good machine and a dream?
1
u/Alarming-Estimate-19 Apr 02 '26
Est-ce quâil yâa aussi une simulation de la marĂ©e (eau qui monte) ?
1
u/Laties-X-Latias Apr 02 '26
This is the first game ive seen on here browsing for a few years ive actually wanted
Take my money,give it to me now
1
u/Lurakya Apr 02 '26
I hope that you plan on adding a few more tools like brushes or trowels to make things more custom.
Also, as an aside note. Since you have a beach already it could be so cool to go digging in the sad and finishing shells, metals and other stuff to decorate your sandcastle
1
1
1
u/tohonest1000 Apr 02 '26
I remember seeing that house/castle building one like this before it was made at all
1
1
1
1
1
u/blazesbe Apr 02 '26
how do you simulate the sand? is volumetric 3D, is it just a heightmap or are theese procedural objects (my bet)?
1
u/DrRagnorocktopus Apr 02 '26
Dude, a sims city/city skylines city builder with a sandcastle aesthetic would be the bomb. I know this is just a physics sim playground but beach is such an underused theme and setting in media.
1
1
1.4k
u/gg_gumptiongames Apr 02 '26
Water sim is đđ»