Sandustry Early Game Unlocks Tier List

The first two hours of Sandustry punish optimism. Players who research Drones before Shakers, or build flat shaker rows instead of diagonal ones, rebuild while gold trickles in. This page ranks early-game unlocks — roughly before Logistics 1 feels mandatory — for demo players and anyone starting Early Access on 2026-08-13. It complements the full Research Priority Tier List with tighter focus on day-one decisions.

Tier 1 — Immediate (first gold)

Refining 1

Your first research purchase unlocks Shakers, the only scalable gold source from Wet Sand. Until this completes, treat the run as tutorial: mine Sand, mix Water, hand-carry to a provisional line. Read Getting Started for floor planning before spending.

Basic building literacy (no research)

Learn R linear vs rectangular build, X remove, S descend (Keyboard Shortcuts). Zero gold cost, huge time save. Skipping this tier causes misaligned platforms that block gold drops.

Tier 2 — First production proof (minutes 15–45)

Diagonal shaker placement

Not a research node but a skill unlock. Diagonal orientation lets Gold fall while Slag exits sideways. Tier 2 because it doubles effective income before any conveyor exists. Mistakes here feel like bad research — see How to Get Gold.

Manual slag collection habit

Pick up Slag piles even before Refining 2. Early slag is future Burnt Slag income (Slag Processing). Habit tier: free now, pays after press unlock.

Tier 3 — When hauling hurts (minutes 45–120)

Logistics 1

Conveyors and Launchers enter when you can feed shakers manually but walking is the bottleneck. Signs: idle shakers while you dig, or wet sand drying on the floor. Delay if shakers themselves are starved — fix sand/water first (Water Management).

Tools — Flamethrower (conditional early)

If ice blocks digs or slag piles clog walkways, Tools → Flamethrower jumps ahead of cosmetic tech. Burns slag and melts ice; pairs with eventual Refining 2. Ranked in Tools and Weapons Priority.

Tier 4 — Defer in early game

Filters

Valuable once mixed streams exist. Early single-product lines rarely need filters before Logistics 1.

Pipes / Pumps / Vents

Buckets and short runs suffice initially. Research pipes when mixers consistently run dry or steam traps form.

Refining 2 (Slag Press)

Mid-early, not minute-one. Unlock when burn lanes produce Burnt Slag steadily — often after Flamethrower and expanded slag from more shakers.

Drones, Guns, Lights, Planter Boxes

Drones — C-tier early; they automate dig/haul but do not fix missing shakers.

Guns — Combat niches; skip for first refinery.

Lights — Buy before deep sessions if you descend early; otherwise defer.

Planter Boxes — Side content; never first-day priority.

Hour-by-hour checklist

Hour 0–0.5 — Mine sand, establish water, research Refining 1, place diagonal shakers.

Hour 0.5–1 — Stabilize wet sand flow; store slag; learn Controls for platforms.

Hour 1–2 — Research Logistics 1 when hauling fails; first conveyor spine to shakers.

Hour 2+ — Branch to Filters, Pipes, Tools, then Refining 2 per Research Priority.

Use the printable Research Checklist in parallel.

Common early mistakes (anti-tier)

• Flat shakers — Fixes: rebuild diagonal, not new research.
• Logistics before Refining — Conveyors without shakers move sand nowhere profitable.
• Ignoring water — More shakers without mixer supply = zero gold.
• Deleting slag — Throws away future press income.
• Deep digging without plan — Dig Deeper after surface refinery works.

Demo vs Early Access

Demo teaches Tiers 1–3 reliably. EA may expose more branches on day one but the Refining → Logistics → Tools/Refining 2 spine stays identical. Platform info: Release Date and Platforms. Modded maps (Custom Maps) may force Guns/Lights earlier — vanilla tiers above still apply to tech costs.

Cross-links

• Automation Basics — After Logistics 1 unlocks.
• Materials — Sand, Wet Sand, Gold, Slag behavior.
• Buildings — Shaker and conveyor footprints.
• Production Ratio Helper — Before doubling early shakers.