First-hour checklist
What success looks like
- A small Water basin stays contained and can be shut off.
- Sand reaches Water in one visible wetting cell.
- Wet Sand reaches a Shaker without raw Sand covering it.
- The Shaker has an open lower Gold route and a separate Residue exit.
- Gold reaches a Collector and increases the Research bank.
- Every continuous feed has an overflow area and maintenance access.
Suggested path
One practical opening sequence
- Learn material movement
Watch Sand and Water settle before building a large enclosure. Gravity and loose pixels are part of the factory.
- Create a controlled Wet Sand cell
Let a thin Sand feed touch contained Water. One Sand plus one Water becomes two Wet Sand.
- Open the first Gold process
Use a Shaker with clear space below for Gold and a side route for Residue.
- Bank the first Gold
Connect the lower lane to a Collector. Loose Gold does not fund Research until it enters the Collector.
- Add movement before complexity
Logistics costs 30 Gold and opens Conveyor Belts and Launchers for visible solid routes.
- Unlock for the current bottleneck
Filter is a 250 Gold separation upgrade; Flamethrower, Kinetic Press, and Fluids belong to later thermal, secondary Gold, and liquid problems.
Use the First Gold Line guide for the complete build sequence, the Research guide for current costs, and Shaker troubleshooting if Wet Sand or Residue begins to pile up.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it hurts | First correction |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding a deep Sand pile immediately | The wetting cell becomes hard to inspect. | Start with one shallow batch and add feed slowly. |
| Treating Filter as a first-Gold requirement | Filter Research costs more than the opening Shaker path. | Keep the lower Gold lane physically separate first. |
| Leaving Residue on the Shaker | Slow top output blocks new Wet Sand. | Build a side exit and visible buffer. |
| Mixing every output into one chute | A wrong pixel can block later machines. | Give Gold, Residue, and later Seed separate destinations. |
| Copying a Demo layout exactly | Names, costs, and plant materials may be superseded. | Check current page dates and rebuild around current terms. |
After the first Gold
Add Filters after mixed material becomes a real problem. Later, trace Burnt Residue through the Kinetic Press and use the production-chain map to follow Seed, Wet Seed, Flower, Gold, and Amethelis.
| Symptom | Check first | Use this page |
|---|---|---|
| No Wet Sand forms | Confirm Sand directly touches contained Water. | Water Guide |
| Wet Sand covers the Shaker | Pause feed and clear the Residue exit. | Shaker Clogging |
| Gold appears but Research does not rise | Trace Gold into a Collector. | First Gold Line |
| A Filter seems unaffordable | Build the first line without one. | First Gold Line |
| The next unlock is unclear | Name the current bottleneck: movement, separation, heat, or liquids. | Research Guide |
Update record
- 2026-08-22 — Published the first-hour navigation hub with current costs, no-Filter first Gold guidance, five common mistakes, and specialist links.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first in Sandustry?
Learn how loose materials move, contain a small Water source, turn Sand and Water into Wet Sand, then process that Wet Sand with a Shaker. Keep every output visible so a blockage is easy to locate.
Do I need a Filter before making Gold?
No. The Shaker drops Gold through its bottom, so a physically separate lower route can collect the first Gold. A Filter costs 250 Gold and becomes useful later when mixed streams reach the same lane.
Is this the only good Research order?
No. Shaker and Logistics support the first automation path, while Filter, Flamethrower, Kinetic Press, and Fluids remove later bottlenecks. World layout and the problem in front of you can justify a different order.