❓FAQ: GMF Builder's Challenge

About the GMF

Why did you change the Game Maker Fund system?

Following the Sandbox's rapid evolution, we've implemented significant changes to the GMF system. This update aims to create a more inclusive environment and reward a wider range of creators. Since the summer 2023, over 500 diverse Experiences have enriched the platform. To accommodate this growth and support continued creator involvement, the outdated GMF system with its 70-Experience cap had to be revised. The revamped GMF offers broader accessibility. Creators crafting high-quality Experiences and implementing effective marketing strategies will now have increased opportunities for recognition and reward. We encourage all creators to explore the revised GMF system and participate in shaping the future of the metaverse. This updated system provides more individuals with the chance to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.

Builder's Challenge Eligibility

Do I need to sign up on a form in order to enter this event?

Joining the Builders' Challenge event is simple and automatic. Signing up through a form is not required to join the Builders’ Challenge event, all eligible Experiences join the event by default.

How do I know if I’m eligible?

• Age Validation: The creator or their legal representative must be of legal age to participate in the Builder's Challenge. This aligns with our commitment to fostering a responsible and inclusive community.

• Wallet Setup: A wallet is essential for receiving and managing rewards. Visit our Wallet guide to choose and connect the wallet type you need.
• Compliance with Terms of Use: Your account must adhere to The Sandbox's Terms of Use, ensuring a harmonious and enjoyable experience for all creators.
• Game Maker Version: Your Experience must be saved on Game Maker 0.10, the latest version of the intuitive no-code game development tool.

• Account Activity: Your Game Maker account must have been opened on 7 different days to demonstrate genuine engagement with the platform.

• Ban Policy: To deter cheating or unauthorized activities, we will periodically review the top 100 Experiences. If any suspicious activity is identified, your Experience may be banned at the company’s discretion. If your Experience is banned, you will receive a notification via email. Appeals can be made at [email protected].

• Open to Everyone: All creators are welcome to join the event. The Sandbox employees working on the Builders’ Challenge are not eligible for rewards.

• Experience Exclusion: To maintain fair competition amongst creators, experiences made by The Sandbox or by brand partners will not be eligible for rewards. These are experiences with the orange tag “Brand” and the blue tag “Sandbox.” Note that experiences made through Game Jams themed around a Brand partner will be eligible for rewards.

• Minimum player participation: At least 10 unique players must play in your experience each week for your experience to be eligible for rewards. This means for the duration of the 10 week challenge 10 unique players are needed in total to have played in your experience each week. These players can be different from week to week. Your unique player count can be checked on your analytics page.

• Geo Blocked countries: Creators from the following countries will not be receiving rewards from the Builders’ Challenge N°2: Japan (Reward restrictions are due to the Premiums and Representations Act) , Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, Donetsk, Crimea, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine.

How do I KYC my account?

To begin the verification process, go to your account settings on The Sandbox website, then click the Account Validation link on the left panel. KYC is a very simple process.

You will need to prove your identity by showing a government-issued identification document. This might be a passport, driving license, or national identity card, for example. Check out our KYC guide for full information, including supported countries, acceptable documents, timing, and helpful information if your documents may be rejected so you can resolve the issue.

How can I validate the KYC process if the account is my company account and not my personal account? Is there a KYB process?

We’ve got you covered! Please take the time to fill out this KYB form, we will greenlight your account and you will be able to claim rewards. The KYB process can take a couple of weeks to greenlight on our end.

Can I do brand placement in my experience and still earn?

Yes, you are authorized to brand your Experience with IPs and brands you have partnered with and still earn rewards from The Builder’s Challenge.

I am hosted on TSB owned LAND, am I eligible for rewards?

Experiences hosted on TSB owned land are eligible for rewards.

I am a Game Jam Winner and my Experience is published on the LAND of a Top Brand/IP, am I eligible to the Engagement Pool?

• Yes, 100%! Experiences from Game Jams Winner published on the LAND of a Brand or IP are eligible for rewards.

I am a Student and part of an Education/Academy program, do I get rewards?

Yes! As a student, if you make an awesome game you are entitled to rewards. Note that you or your legal representative need to be of legal age in order to be eligible for the Builders’ Challenge. Please check the reward distribution scheme set up with your Education/Academy program.

Are Brands and Partners who already have a special agreement with The Sandbox eligible with Engagement Pool Rewards?

To maintain fair competition amongst creators, experiences made by The Sandbox or by brand partners will not be eligible for rewards. These are experiences with the orange tag “Brand” and the blue tag “Sandbox.” Note that experiences made through Game Jams themed around a Brand partner will be eligible for rewards.

If my experience is featured during The Sandbox events (e.g. season, festival), is my experience eligible for the rewards?

Yes, only experiences made by The Sandbox or by brand partners will not be eligible for rewards. These are experiences with the orange tag “Brand” and the blue tag “Sandbox.” Note that experiences made through Game Jams themed around a Brand partner will be eligible for rewards.

Ranking & Rewards

How big is the prize pool?

The Sandbox Builder's Challenge 1 has concluded and had a 1M SAND prize pool.

The Sandbox Builder's Challenge 2 has a 1.5M SAND prize pool for the whole event. 300,000 SAND will be distributed every two weeks.

How are my earnings determined?

Your rank will determine your SAND rewards. Your Engagement Score will determine your rank, which can be calculated by multiplying the average session length of your experience by the total number of visits made by players who have accomplished at least one quest. A minimum of 10 unique players must play your game each week for your experience to receive rewards.

How does the minimum player participation rule of having at least 10 unique players playing in my experience each week actually work?

You need 10 people to play your experience each week to be eligible for the rewards. Rewards are distributed every two weeks. Let’s say week #1 you have 12 players and week #2 you have 15, you are eligible for rewards for the first 2 weeks. If week #3 you have 9 players and week #4 you have 11 players , you are not eligible for rewards for the second batch. In a scenario where you have 8 players week #5 and 7 players week #6 you are not eligible for the third two weeks.

How can I see how many players have visited my experience?

You can check out your Experience’s data by going to your Experience’s page into the dedicated sub tab called Analytics. You will find key info such as your Experience’s total playtime, average playtime across all visitors and the total number of visits in your Experience. You can check out our Experience Analytics guide on your Experience’s analytics page to further understand your Experience’s traffic.

Where can I get an update on my weekly rank?

Updates on the weekly rank will be shared on the Sandbox Forum on a weekly basis, alongside with details on experience’s engagement levels and boosters possessed.

Is the ranking by experience or by studio/creator?

The ranking is per experience, this means that you can have multiple experiences from a single creator participating in the Builders’ Challenge N°2.

Where will I get my earnings?

Your earnings will be available on your account’s claim page. You will be notified via email of your reward's availability.

When will I get my SAND rewards?

You can expect rewards to be distributed weekly every two weeks. The first distribution will happen on the week of the 15th of July. They will be available on your claim page. To learn more about how claim works you can check out our claim guide. In order to claim your rewards you will have to validate the KYC process or have started the KYB process.

Can I get catalysts instead of SAND?

At the moment SAND is the only reward available. The Sandbox is considering giving creators the choice of what types of rewards they wish to receive for future reward systems.

How is the Sandbox fighting off bot accounts?

In order to avoid any cheaters we will be checking the top 100 Experiences each week and ban Experiences at our discretion if we encounter any suspicious activity. If your Experience is banned you will receive notification by email and can make an appeal at [email protected]. Our bot detection model is made from a combination of similarity patterns and anomaly detection, you can check out more on The Sandbox Forum.

I didn’t get my SAND rewards this week and I am eligible, what do I do?

Sorry you are encountering this issue, we will do our best to find a solution and make sure you receive your rewards. Please fill out a request ticket here or on Discord.

I didn’t KYB or KYC my account in time, can I still claim my rewards?

Yes! Latecomers, or lost rewards will be claimable at the end of the event. We will distribute all missing rewards once the event is over.

How can I set up rewards for players?

This feature is not yet available. The Sandbox is working on a system to allow you to reward players with NFTs or SAND if they accomplish specific actions in your Experience.

Boosters

How do I get the New Experience Booster?

If your experience was not published during Builders’ Challenge 1 which happened from February 12, 2024 to April 21, 2024, your experience will get the New Experience Booster.

How do I get the Multiplayer Experience Booster?

Make sure to select “Multiplayer” when publishing your experience via your experience page manager.

How do I get the Branded Asset Booster?

Your experience can get the “Branded Asset Booster” by hosting 3 of the assets listed below.

Experiences that host at least three unique assets from The Sandbox Brands Partners from the list below will get a 50% boost to their engagement numbers.

Can I earn all three boosters?

Yes! All three Boosters (New Experience, Multiplayer Experience, Branded Asset) can be combined for a +150% boost on an Experience.

Branded Asset Booster - Asset List

Visit The Sandbox Brands Partners to view by collection: Snoop Dogg, Steve Aoki, Paris Hilton, Care Bears, Playboy, Ubisoft, Warner Music Group, Deadmau5, The Walking Dead, People of Crypto, Invincible, The Voice, Captain Tsubasa, Fist of the North Star, and The Smurfs.

We've also listed all of the qualifying assets by type below to make building easier.

1. Click a tab below to see images of all assets that qualify for the booster (characters, equipment, and props & assets).

2. Click a link to open the asset page on The Sandbox website.

3. Click the "Test in Game Maker" button to add it to your Game Maker library and test it out.

4. Open Game Maker and find the asset in your library.

5. When you're ready to publish your Experience, you will need to purchase any NFTs you've tested and intend to use. The Experience Manager will notify you during the publishing process which NFTs you've used in your Experience and need to own in order to publish to the map. If you change your mind on which assets to use in your game, Game Maker's Replace Asset tool makes it easy to change any asset while keeping the same logic settings.

Remember to use at least three NFT assets below to qualify for the Brand Asset Booster.