Development

This is an LFAQ (less frequently asked questions). Here is an FAQ for Universe Sandbox ².

Will there be a mobile version?

Maybe. It is possible, but we wouldn’t begin development until after the initial release for PC, Mac, and Linux.

Will there be a free version?

We’re discussing the possibility of a feature-limited version, but not until after the initial release.

How much will it cost?

Pricing has not yet been decided. It will, however, cost more than the current price for the original Universe Sandbox ($9.95 USD). Educational discounts have not yet been determined either.

Will it support other languages beyond English?

After the initial release, we plan to incorporate support for additional languages.

Will there be sound effects and/or music?

Yes, we are working with a composer who will be creating an original score. There will also be sound effects. If you’d rather experience the silent desolation of space, though, there will be an option to turn these off.

Will you be able to simulate evolution/life on planets?

We plan to incorporate very basic support for “life.” Essentially, given the right conditions — temperature, atmosphere, water, etc. — vegetation will grow on planets. Greater complexity may be developed in the future, but it’s a long way off.

Will there be support for Steam Workshop?

We plan to add support for Steam Workshop that will, in the least, allow for sharing user-created simulations.

How about modding?

Making it easy for the community to create mods is a great idea.  “Light” modding will hopefully be available by release, with more extensive modding possibilities made possible later on.

Universe Sandbox ² developers Chad and Georg recently hosted a live stream demo of Alpha 8.

They answered questions from the live stream chat and showed off various improvements and features in the upcoming alpha, including the latest iterations of collisions, climate simulation, and material composition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pgHEO_Y9p4

Sign up here to be notified when the public alpha is available.

Take a peek behind the curtain with some videos made by one of our developers, Thomas.  He’s recorded a whole bunch of demonstration videos that can be found on his channel: Thomas’s YouTube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7A2ry4CCJo

As the dedicated physics programmer, Thomas has lately been hard at work revamping and refining collisions in Universe Sandbox ².

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZQhxae0lMA

Our Alpha testers have just begun to dig into Alpha 7, which shows off a completely reworked collision system.  But the work of a physics programmer is never complete, so subscribe to Thomas’s YouTube channel to stay updated on his progress in simulating the universe.

Watch Chad run through some of the new features and updates in the upcoming Alpha 7:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FrYlxJj8j4

Included: terraforming Mars and turning it into a star, tidally locking the Earth, and the ever-popular but now better looking Moon & Earth collision.

Universe Sandbox ² is currently in closed Alpha testing. You can read more about it as well as sign up to be notified when it’s available on our site: http://www.universesandbox.com/2/

If you haven’t yet, head over to our new page for Universe Sandbox ² and sign up to be notified when it’s available: universesandbox.com/2

What have we done recently and what are we doing now?

Good question.  We’ve been very busy…

• Working with our newest team member, Chad Jenkins
• Building a brand new website and logo for Universe Sandbox ²
• Overhauling the new Collision system
  • better physics+ better visuals = even more realistic and mesmerizing collisions
• Integrating the new Materials system
  • view and change the material composition of any planet or star
• Developing an Interactions mode and toolset
  • an even easier, more intuitive (and more fun) method for manipulating properties and values
  • push/pull force power, material hose/stream cannon  for adding material to planets
• Integrating climate support for a tidally-locked Earth

Rest assured, there will be much more to say, and much more to see, on each of these points soon enough.  Until then, here’s another screenshot from our collision tests:

The Moon Meets Earth

Universe Sandbox 2 will feature a brand-new collision system, including dynamic craters.  Here are three in-game screenshots taken from a recent Alpha.

Collisions.

And craters.

And fragments.

Oh my.

Just a quick screenshot that shows off what Georg has been focusing on for the last couple weeks and a new feature he just got implemented earlier today: Lava!

One of the many goals for the sequel to Universe Sandbox is that almost everything can be procedurally generated… galaxies, solar systems, and planets. This screenshot represents the current state of the procedural planet feature (and includes a few Earths for scale).

And a nod to the hard work of the rest of the team: Chris, Eric, Thomas, and Naomi. They’re all doing really great work.

Learn more about the sequel:
https://universesandbox.com/blog/2013/02/new-universe-sandbox/

We’ve been hard at work over the last year building a new Universe Sandbox from the ground up. And since we’re improving everything we want to extend that to the UI design and branding.

We’re seeking one (possibly two) talented graphic designer(s) for the following contract work:

User Interface Design

Design the way the buttons, panels, checkboxes, options, controls, typography, selection indicators, and icons work together aesthetically. We’d love your help in figuring out how the interface will work as well as how it will look. Universe Sandbox has a very complex interface and we want something that’s clean, modern, minimalist,  and unobtrusive.

Here’s are screenshots of the current version with the existing UI…
http://universesandbox.com/screenshots/

And a work-in-progress screenshot of the sequel:

Again, the screenshot is very much a work in progress… Just imagine how awesome the above screenshot could look after we integrate your user interface design.

To be clear… we’re looking for a designer and not expecting you to do any of the integration, programming, or scripting (and our user interface system is inextricably tied to the source code for the project).

New Logo

Design a new logo for the rebranding of Universe Sandbox. We’re pretty happy with the current logo and typography, but want something even better for the new version of Universe Sandbox. Here’s the current logo:

We’re open to something that’s just a re-imagining or something completely new… either way we want a logo that’s clean, elegant, and awesome. It should work on both black and white backgrounds…  and the logo should work well both as a standalone icon and with the full typography.

Company Overview

Giant Army is the company behind Universe Sandbox, a space simulator that’s sold hundreds of thousands of copies on Steam. We’re based in Seattle, Washington, USA, but the team has members in Germany and Denmark.

Product Overview

Universe Sandbox is our core product that lets the user explore and learn about our amazing universe while creating and destroying on a scale they’ve never before imagined. It’s more than a game, it’s a way of experiencing and learning about reality in a way that’s never been done before. The new version will be available for Windows, Mac, and probably Linux.

Interested?

We’re a remote team so it doesn’t matter where you live.

And while this is a contract position for a specific task… we’d love to establish a relationship with a talented artist or two as there are many future projects we have in mind (like more logos, business cards, a new website, signage for conferences, perpetual UI enhancements, and other awesome stuff).

Please email us at:
jobs at universesandbox.com

In the email please include a:

• Relevant email subject
• Link to relevant samples of your work (kinda the most important part)
• Short answer to this question: Why are you interested in working on this project?
• Link to where you first heard about this job posting.

If you have questions you’d like to ask before applying… feel free to ask at the email address above, on the official forums, the Steam forums, or on Facebook.

We want to take our time and find someone who’s excited about helping contribute to great software that will reach a huge number of people (and who won’t mind being paid for their efforts).

This post may contain outdated information. Read the latest info about Universe Sandbox ²…
http://universesandbox.com/2

Universe Sandbox 2 is a full rewrite of the original Universe Sandbox for Windows, Mac, and Linux. In development since late 2011, we are working hard to make the new version more amazing than the original in every way. We can’t wait to release it to everyone, but won’t release it until it’s ready.

The new Universe Sandbox is a way of learning about our amazing universe and fragile planet via a powerful gravity simulator and an expanding realm of realistic and interconnected astronomy and climate physics systems.

Here is a collection of links to forum posts about the new version currently in development.

Screenshots

October 2013 – Procedural Planets

April 2012

October 2012

November 2012

Videos

Live demonstration from August 2012

Early Collision Tests

Info on Release & Beta

Upgrades & Updates: The Future of Universe Sandbox

Beta Release Plan

It’s been a long journey, but Universe Sandbox 2.0 is now available on Steam.