Sandustry Beginner Guide: From Sand to Your First Automated Factory

The first production loop

1. 1

   Excavate Sand with the starter Shovel.

2. 2

   Use a contained amount of Water; one Sand plus one Water becomes two Wet Sand pixels.

3. 3

   Feed Wet Sand onto the top of a Shaker.

4. 4

   Collect Gold below the Shaker and give Residue a clear path off the top.

5. 5

   Reinvest early Gold into movement, visibility, and sorting rather than building a huge manual pile.

Build for gravity, not against it

Pixels have density and physical behavior. A compact factory that lets gravity feed thin layers is easier to diagnose than a tall pile sitting on one machine.

• Leave a collection chamber under each Shaker.
• Slope Shakers downward so Residue can move away.
• Keep Water in a separate reservoir until the mixing point.
• Add access space so trapped pixels can be removed manually.

What to research first

Shaker access is foundational. Logistics is the next general-purpose unlock because Conveyor Belts and Launchers let you separate mining from processing. Map or lighting can be worth an early detour if exploration is the bottleneck; Filter becomes valuable once mixed streams are slowing production.

Early Access note: The official Research page is marked WIP and Early Access balance can change. Re-check costs after patches.

Five common beginner mistakes

• Flooding all Sand instead of controlling the Water input.
• Expecting every Wet Sand pixel to produce Gold; the early Shaker chance is about 25%.
• Letting Residue accumulate until the Shaker surface stalls.
• Trying to break Crackstone with a Shovel or Gun.
• Building a larger line before identifying which matter type is actually stuck.