Sandbox
Sandbox Game Maker Lets a First Build End in a Saved, Testable State Before Publication
Last updated -Sandbox Game Maker lets a creator choose a project basis and size, adjust a small piece of logic, save the Experience, and run it in Play mode. The saved workspace entry and Play mode result can be checked without sharing the Experience, placing it on LAND, or approving a wallet transaction. The session can end with an editable project whose selected behavior has been tested.
A saved Game Maker project and a repeatable Play test provide a useful stopping point before sharing, LAND publication, or wallet approval.
Blank Projects, Templates, and Fixed Experience Size
The starting workspace or template can be edited, but the selected Experience size defines the project’s available space. A new project can begin with an empty workspace, a logic tutorial template, or a landscape template. Tutorial templates provide working logic to inspect and modify, while landscape templates provide an existing environment. None of these choices publishes the project or commits a blockchain asset.
Game Maker does not allow an Experience’s size to change after creation. A creator who is still testing an idea can choose the smallest size that provides enough three-dimensional space for the intended build. Assets, terrain, and logic remain editable, but an unsuitable size calls for a separate Experience. An account login is required for creation, while LAND and token purchases are unnecessary for building, saving, and testing.
Workspace, Save, and Test States
The workspace and Play mode answer different questions. The workspace holds the editable project, while Play mode runs that project as an Experience. Neither state is public on its own. Keeping those states separate allows a first session to end after the creator has both a retained draft and evidence that one selected behavior works.
Editable Project State
An Experience appears in the workspace after creation. From Game Maker Home, the creator can reopen, rename, duplicate, or delete it. Saving records the latest edits in the existing project. The workspace entry is therefore the first persistent result to confirm before closing the application or experimenting with a different approach.
Save In Place
The Save command updates the same Experience and overwrites its previous save. Game Maker does not provide a Save As command for versioning. Saving is suitable when the latest state should replace the earlier one, although it does not create a rollback copy. A visible workspace entry alone also does not prove that its logic behaves as intended.
Duplicate Before a Risky Edit
The Duplicate control on Game Maker Home creates another Experience that can be edited separately. Duplicating the project is a clear safeguard before replacing terrain, restructuring logic, or trying a different direction based on the template. One copy can retain the known state while the other receives the experiment. This avoids treating the limited Undo history as permanent version storage.
Runtime Test State
Play mode runs the Experience as it would appear in the Game Client, allowing the creator to check movement, behaviors, rules, and interactions without publishing. A successful run supplies narrower evidence than a public launch: it confirms that the selected behavior operates in the test state. It does not establish Gallery eligibility, asset ownership, multiplayer behavior, or readiness for a LAND location.
One Bounded Build From Prerequisite to Proof
A Hypothetical First Session
This hypothetical example assumes that a creator with an account starts a small Experience from a blank project, chooses a size that fits the draft, and owns no LAND. Without LAND, map launch is unavailable in this session, but the creator can still build and privately test the project.
- Confirm the hypothetical size before creating the Experience, because that setting cannot be revised inside the same project.
- For this hypothetical example, add one included asset and one built-in interaction. Keep the task narrow enough that its expected behavior is unambiguous.
- Save the Experience, enter Play mode, and perform the action that should trigger the interaction. Exit Play after observing the response.
- Return to the workspace, reopen the saved project, and repeat the Play test. Stop before Gallery sharing, Experience Page publication, map launch, or any transaction request.
The bounded task is complete when the Experience remains available after reopening and the selected interaction produces the same test response. If the response fails, the creator returns to the editable state and changes the project before testing again. Completion depends on the saved project and repeatable behavior, not on a promised audience, reward, or token outcome.
Private Testing, Gallery Sharing, and Map Launch
Private testing, Gallery sharing, and map launch expose a project at different levels. Play mode keeps the work inside the editing and test flow. Gallery sharing makes the Experience public, yet the creator can remove it later. A map launch attaches a playable Experience to suitable owned LAND and introduces additional publishing checks. A first session can stop before either public step without invalidating the saved build.
Readiness Checks Before Public Exposure
Gallery sharing introduces asset requirements that a private Play test does not settle. The publishing flow checks whether the assets in the Experience meet its ownership or workspace publication conditions. A project may therefore run correctly in Play mode while remaining unready for the Drafts Gallery. This does not invalidate the private test, but the creator must resolve asset eligibility before sharing.
Map launch adds a wider set of conditions. The Experience must be in the creator’s inventory, its assets must meet launch requirements, and the selected LAND must be large enough for the project. Asset Review and Map Location are mandatory publishing tasks, while access restrictions are optional. These checks belong after the build proves its basic behavior.
An Experience Page provides an intermediate public state. A creator can prepare and publish one without owning LAND once its mandatory fields are complete, and the page can later be unpublished. The page presents the project, while map launch determines whether visitors can enter the Experience from its LAND location. Keeping those actions separate prevents presentation work from being mistaken for a playable launch.
A Stop Point With Evidence, Not a Promise
A useful first-session stop has two pieces of evidence: the saved Experience remains in the workspace, and the chosen interaction repeats in Play mode. Those observations support another editing session without requiring Gallery exposure, LAND ownership, or a transaction. They prove only the retained draft and its tested behavior. Asset eligibility, multiplayer operation, page publication, and map launch remain outside that proof.
Common questions about Sandbox
How Many Recent Edits Can Game Maker Undo?
Game Maker can undo up to 15 actions in the editor. Redo can also restore up to 15 undone actions. This buffer is not saved version history: the Save command overwrites the previous save, and there is no Save As command. Duplicating the Experience before a substantial change provides a separate fallback project.
What Asset Status Is Required Before Drafts Gallery Sharing?
Every asset in the Experience must either be an owned NFT in the connected wallet or the creator’s own work published in the Workspace before Gallery sharing. A successful private Play test does not confirm this status. The sharing flow checks a different boundary: whether the project has the asset rights required for public Gallery availability.
Does a Free Experience Page Make the Experience Playable?
No, publishing an Experience Page does not make the Experience playable by itself. The page can present descriptions and media before a map launch, but its Play control remains unavailable until the Experience launches. This allows a creator to publish or unpublish the presentation separately from the playable LAND state.
When Can a Creator Move a Launched Experience to Another LAND Location?
A creator must close the launched Experience before moving it to another LAND location. The Experience cannot change locations while it remains launched and open. After closing it, the creator can select another suitable location and complete the launch again, subject to the normal size, asset, and publication requirements.
Will Closing a Launched Experience Erase Its Settings?
Closing a launched Experience does not erase its saved setup or configuration. The Experience becomes unavailable, and its Experience Page is unpublished until it launches again. This makes closing a reversible operational step, although public access does not continue during the closed state and reopening requires another launch.