different seasons could bring different challenges and benefits (winter: snow, Fall: leaves for crafting, Summer: heat, Spring: more plants, baby bugs, and rain
the weather would provide benefits and challenges too, rain could increase water supply but do damage making there a need for rain armor or structures, and snow could make things cold and slow moving but be used to craft desert gear, be stored to make water, be used to preserve food, and cool off the sandbox. There could also be flooding in some areas...