Sandustry Guide: From Wet Sand to a Working Factory
Start by turning Sand and Water into Wet Sand, process it in a Shaker for Gold, and route the Residue away so production cannot clog. Spend Gold on research, use Fluxite for player upgrades, and add energy systems only when later structures require them.
Make the first Gold
The verified starter loop is Sand plus Water to make Wet Sand, followed by a Shaker that separates Gold from Residue. Gold unlocks research, so this line is the foundation of later progression. Keep a Collector beneath the Shaker and give Residue a separate exit immediately.
Water is consumed when Sand becomes Wet Sand, which means a small pool can run down while the line operates. A large nearby Water body is a safer starting location than a compact puddle. Watch the first batches rather than assuming the launcher, Shaker, and collection area will remain clear.
Route solids without power
Conveyors move solids horizontally, while Launchers move them vertically or diagonally without an energy supply. The direction drawn across the top of a Launcher determines whether it throws left or right. Filters can allow one selected material or block one selected material, making them useful at every byproduct junction.
Sandustry provides ten hotbars with ten slots each, selectable with Alt plus a number or Alt plus the mouse wheel. Use C to select an existing structure, then Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste a factory section. The replace control can update a structure in place when the researched alternative supports the same position.
Spend Gold and Fluxite differently
Gold buys research, and some research also waits for a higher factory tier. Fluxite is used for player upgrades rather than the same research track. The collected beginner material recommends useful early improvements such as scanning, carrying capacity, and digging speed.
Research unlocks tools and buildings that change which materials and puzzles can be handled. The hover device, Flamethrower, Kinetic Press, and later production buildings open new routes instead of simply making the starter line faster. If a puzzle does not respond to any available tool, leave it and return after another unlock.
Keep fluid networks separated
Water and most other movable liquids use a Pump, Pipes, and a Liquid Vent. A Vent favors nearby available liquid, so mixed networks can deliver the wrong fluid unless each line is isolated. Advanced Filters can control solids, liquids, and gases, while standard filters do not provide the same fluid selection.
Temperature changes matter throughout the factory: heat moves materials from solid to liquid and then gas, while cold reverses those states. Lava is a special case because raw Lava cannot be grabbed or pumped. Convert it to Scoria and Cinder for transport, then ignite the Cinder where Lava is needed.
Progress by proving each module
After the basic Gold line, a Kinetic Press can recover more value from processed byproduct, and a Planter Box begins the Flower and Amethelis chain. Dry Amethelis can become Florin gas, which a Condenser turns into Liquid Florinol for batteries. Voidbloom later feeds a Flux Emanator to create farmable Fluxite.
Ancient ruins are not only obstacles; their shapes can suggest usable factory layouts or hide Artifact puzzles. Captureable creatures and environmental resources can also support production, but map generation changes their positions. When trapped, use the documented unstuck command rather than deleting unexplored terrain around the player.
The safest general rule is to clear outputs before increasing input. A fast Shaker, Press, or planter line still stops if Gold, Residue, Seeds, Flowers, or gases have nowhere to go. Build one working module, observe the failure points, add filtering or storage, and only then duplicate it.
Source notes
This guide consolidates only the collected official, developer, Steam Community, video transcript, and community material available for this keyword. Version-specific or community-observed behavior is identified in the text; unsupported details are omitted.