How to Play Sandustry
Sandustry is a falling-sand factory game where every pixel is a physical resource. You mine, mix, and process materials into Gold, then spend that Gold on research to automate more of the work.
The Core Loop
- Mine Sand from Sandsoil terrain
- Mix Sand with Water into Wet Sand
- Run Wet Sand across diagonal Shakers to extract Gold
- Burn leftover Slag into Burnt Slag and press it for more Gold
- Spend Gold on Research to unlock machines and tools
Controls
- S — descend one tile to dig deeper
- R — toggle build mode (linear vs rectangular)
- X — remove or demolish a tile / machine
- Shift — marquee select + skip launcher outlets
- U — open the upgrade menu
Materials At A Glance
The chain you will use constantly is Sand → Wet Sand → (Shaker) → Gold + Slag. Slag burns into Burnt Slag and presses into more Gold. Mid-game, Amethelis petals from Flowers mix with RedSand into Voidbloom, which feeds the Flux Emanator to grow Fluxite.
Water has real phase physics: it wets Sand, boils into Steam, freezes into Ice, and rains back down. Manage it carefully or you will flood your factory.
Where To Start
Start with the Beginner Guide, learn the controls on this page, and set up your first Shaker line before buying research.