Universe Sandbox

The 11th anniversary of Universe Sandbox’s Early Access launch on Steam is Monday, August 24, 2026!To celebrate this milestone, Universe Sandbox is on sale now through August 31.This year, we’ve already released the first part of our multi-year physics architecture overhaul, and added winds sweeping gases across planet atmospheres, atmospheric drag to simulate meteors, a simulation of the Artemis II mission, and more.We have a packed roadmap for the rest of the year and beyond. Our team is actively building:True-shape object collisions with rigid-body physicsThe first version will only support basic shapes, like cubes and cylinders, but future versions will support all kinds of shapes and objects.Foundational life simulation where life grows, dies, and can be eatenSurface simulation performance enhancements powered by Unity's Data-Oriented Technology Stack (DOTS)Mobile version of Universe Sandbox for your iOS & Android phones and tabletsOur long-term goals stretch years into the future and include:Detailed planet surface so you can fly over mountains and through canyons.More planet customization with custom maps or images, like a picture of your dog.Constructing (and destr

Collision craters form and combine together more realistically. You can also duplicate objects, watch black holes evaporate, and explore a simulation of a newly discovered exosatellite. Creating CratersCraters from collisions with moons and small rock fragments alike are more realistic, blending naturally and better respecting an object’s elevation range and topography. Larger impacts now leave behind complex craters with a central peak.BeforeAfter Duplicate Objects Duplicate ObjectsDuplicate selected object with the new Duplicate button, or use the Copy and Paste keyboard shortcuts.On Windows, use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. On Mac, use ⌘C and ⌘V. Detailed surface data is not yet copied, so local surface features like liquid depth and temperature variations will be distributed evenly across duplicated surfaces and may need to be resettled.Adding a copy of the Moon with the new Duplicate button. Duplicating the Moon after selecting it with the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Object HologramsObjects now smoothly fade in and out of existence when an object is added to or removed from a simulation.BeforeAfterMore HighlightsCheck out the recently discovered exosatellite that challenges th

Watch winds spread gases across planetary atmospheres, see the unique shape of any selected object with new stylized outlines, and adjust object compositions by percentage. We’ve also focused on eliminating issues with over 50 fixes and improvements. Atmospheric WindsGases now sweep across planetary atmospheres by the newly simulated geostrophic wind. Check it out and customize the wind speed under Surface > Atmosphere > Geostrophic Wind SpeedBeforeAfter Shapely Object OutlinesSelected object outlines now conform to their unique on-screen shapes rather than being drawn as circles. Selecting multiple objects at once now seamlessly blends their selection outlines.BeforeAfterBeforeAfter More HighlightsAdjust object compositions based on material percentage. Quickly recreate Earth, Titan’s atmosphere, or fine-tune your custom creations. Explore how objects in the simulation move relative to each other with the new Rotating Camera. Click Rotating Camera when two objects are selected to lock the camera and see how other objects move relative to the selected ones. Try selecting Jupiter and the Sun in the Solar System to see how the trojan asteroids move relative to Jupiter. Stellar

Artemis II MissionThe recent Artemis II mission swept around the far side of the Moon, taking humanity farther than they’ve ever been from Earth. Experience it yourself in our new simulation, Artemis II: Humanity's Farthest Journey.Earthset created in Universe Sandbox. Check out the original Earthset image captured by the Artemis II astronauts.Orion SpacecraftThe Orion Integrity spacecraft from the Artemis II mission is now in Universe Sandbox. See it in our simulation of the Artemis II mission or add it to any simulation. More Highlights Object cohesion, how tightly bound together an object is, is now simulated based on its composition. This impacts object deformation and fragmentation rates and prevents fast spinning objects like asteroid 2014 RC from immediately ripping themselves apart.BeforeAfter Check out the full list of What's New in Update 36.1.Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.