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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/facepunch/sbox-public/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

s&box ships two ways: a prebuilt editor you can install from Steam in a few clicks, and a public repository you can clone and compile yourself. This page covers both paths — choose the one that matches your goal.
The s&box editor runs on Windows only. Linux support via Proton is a known open issue; see the Proton compatibility tracker for updates.

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Install via Steam

The fastest way to get started. Steam handles all updates automatically.
1

Get access

Visit sbox.game/give-me-that and request access. Once approved, s&box appears in your Steam library.
2

Install from Steam

Open Steam, find s&box in your library, and click Install. Accept the default install location or choose your own.
3

Launch the editor

Click Play in Steam. The s&box editor opens. You’re ready to create your first project.
If you only want to make games and mods, the Steam install is all you need. Building from source is for contributors and those who need to modify the engine itself.

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Build from source

The sbox-public repository contains all the files needed to compile the engine. Use this path if you want to contribute to the engine or need a custom build.

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Prerequisites

You need the following tools installed before running the build:

Git

git-scm.com — used to clone the repository.

Visual Studio 2026

visualstudio.microsoft.com — include the Desktop development with C++ and .NET desktop development workloads.

.NET 10 SDK

dotnet.microsoft.com — the compiler and runtime for all engine C# code.

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Build steps

1

Clone the repository

Open a terminal and clone the public repository:
git clone https://github.com/Facepunch/sbox-public.git
2

Run Bootstrap.bat

Navigate into the cloned folder and run Bootstrap.bat. This script downloads dependencies and builds the engine, shaders, and content in sequence:
Bootstrap.bat
Under the hood, Bootstrap runs three build steps via the SboxBuild tool:
dotnet run --project .\engine\Tools\SboxBuild\SboxBuild.csproj -- build --config Developer
dotnet run --project .\engine\Tools\SboxBuild\SboxBuild.csproj -- build-shaders
dotnet run --project .\engine\Tools\SboxBuild\SboxBuild.csproj -- build-content
The first run takes several minutes while shaders compile. Subsequent builds are faster.
3

Launch the editor

After the build completes, run the editor binary from the game/ folder. The exact binary path depends on your build configuration (Developer by default).
Certain native binaries in game/bin are not covered by the MIT license. They are distributed under the s&box EULA. You must agree to the EULA terms to use them.

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Code style and formatting

If you’re building from source with the intent to contribute, the repository enforces code style via .editorconfig. Run dotnet format to auto-apply the project’s formatting rules before opening a pull request. See the contributing guide for full submission guidelines.

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Next steps

Your first project

Open the editor and create your first s&box game.

Building from source (guide)

Deeper dive into the build system, configurations, and CI setup.

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