Getting Started
Field manual — first 90 minutes. Follow in order.
Last updated: Aug 19, 2026 · verified in-game
Survey your landing zone
Before placing anything, walk the spawn plateau and mark sand seams with flags (Q). You want a spot where loose sand meets a rock wall — the wall anchors your first factory footprint. Takes ~5 minutes.
Cost: 0 · Time: ~5 min
Place your first Mining Drill
The Survey Kit is free; the Mining Drill is your first real spend. Face the drill head INTO the seam, output port facing downhill — sand physics means gravity is free throughput.
Cost: 25 Research Points · Output: ~12 sand/sec (Drill Mk1)
Run a belt, keep it short
Lay at most 12 conveyor tiles from drill to storage. Longer early belts degrade throughput (sand piles up at corners). Elevate the belt one tile to avoid slope jams.
Cost: 1 Copper Plate per 4 belt tiles
[Drill] ═► ═► ═► [Storage] ↑ keep ≤ 12 tiles
Unlock the Sifter
The Sifter turns 2 raw sand into 1 fine sand + waste. This is your first efficiency multiplier — fine sand is what the Furnace actually wants.
Cost: 60 Research Points + 1 Copper Plate · Ratio: 2:1
Throughput rating: S[? Needs verification]exact Mk1 sifter cycle time still being timed
Route the waste — do not delete it
Waste chutes look optional. They are not. A clogged sifter stops the whole line. Belt waste to a dump pit downhill; later tech turns waste into fill material.
Cost: 4 belt tiles · See Production Lines
Research Logistics tier
Once you have ~40 RP banked, unlock Logistics before Processing. Splitters and underground belts matter more than raw speed at this stage.
Cost: 40 Research Points · Priority: S
Dig your first shaft
Layer 1 (40–120m) is packed dry sand — easy digging, no hazards. Stop at Layer 2 until you have a spare drill; the copper down there is worth it but the walls collapse if you undercut them.
Depth target: 120m · Hazard: cave-ins
"Lost a Mk2 drill to a Layer 2 cave-in. Undercut at your own risk."
Save a blueprint before logging off
Blueprints (B) are free and survive patches. Your day-one spaghetti will not survive your day-three optimization urges.
Cost: 0 · Do it. Really.
Known issues (FAQ)
- Q: Conveyor not working?
- Belts fail silently on slopes steeper than ~15°. Raise the belt one tile or reroute. Reported to devs, fix slated for v1.0.3.[? Needs verification]
- Q: Sand clogging the output?
- Your storage buffer is full — the drill keeps digging and piles sand at its own port, then seizes. Add a second storage box or a waste overflow chute.
- Q: Drill stops after ~90 seconds?
- Overheat lockout. Working as intended — rotate two drills or research Cooling Vanes (Tech Tree, T3).
Last updated: Aug 19, 2026 · verified in-game