Garry's Mod
2004 · Facepunch Studios
Has it aged?Why ↓
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox where you mess with objects and familiar Valve characters, or join player-run roleplaying servers. Making something ridiculous is the stronger draw: the objects invite experimentation, while a server's appeal depends on who else has turned up.
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox. There aren't any predefined aims or goals. We give you the tools and leave you to play.
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play it for the pleasure of messing about with physics, not for the promise of a welcoming public server. Familiar Valve characters remain excellent material for absurdity, and Facepunch's April 2026 announcement of Black Mesa support gives the original a concrete sign of continuing attention. Be selective about roleplay communities: Facepunch acknowledged Nazi-celebrating groups on some servers in 2023.
Play it if
You can entertain yourself rearranging objects and making familiar game characters look ridiculous, without needing that experiment to become a serious game-development project.
Skip it if
Anyone who would stop playing after encountering extremist communities on public roleplaying servers. Facepunch identified that problem on some servers in 2023; don't mistake the sandbox's playful premise for a guarantee about its players.
Common questions
- What is Garry's Mod's Black Mesa connection?
- An April 2026 announcement scheduled support for mounting Black Mesa, the fan-made Half-Life remake, for 29 April. Treat that as an announced update rather than confirmation that it shipped.
- Is S&box an update to Garry's Mod?
- No: S&box is Facepunch's separate spiritual successor, released in April 2026. Its standalone Steam-game export agreement concerns S&box creations, not Garry's Mod.
- Did Facepunch ban all Second World War roleplay?
- The 2023 statement did not announce such a ban: Facepunch explicitly distinguished Second World War settings from celebrating Nazis. It also said it had taken servers down before and would continue acting against unsavoury activities.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 39k in Apr 2020.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗As well liked as at launch.
Updated within the last year, so still looked after.