This is a disingenuous question because all simulation games are sandbox, but not all sandbox are simulation.
I play with simulation in mind because I want the game to produce complex scenarios by simulating things that would happen in real life. Then I use the sandbox part of the simulation game to play out the scenarios the way I want. And when it's a sandbox, it can change with each playthrough and scenarios changing along the way.
You know how I know the sims 4 isn't a simulation game...the same scenario will have the same outcome no matter which sim is experiencing it. They all react to things exactly the same. Might have some differences since they added sentiments, but for the most part and throughout the games entire shelf-life, this has been the case.
