Sandustry Research Checklist

Gold spends faster when you click research without a plan. This research checklist mirrors Research Priority Tier List in markdown you can follow in-game — open on a second screen or phone, tick mentally after each purchase, and stop when the next node does not fix your bottleneck. Single-player demo and Early Access (2026-08-13) use the same branch names in public builds; costs may shift slightly at launch.

How to use this checklist

1. Complete the core loop once manually (How to Play).
2. Follow Phase order below — do not skip ahead unless a biome forces it (Tools Priority).
3. After each unlock, build something that uses it before buying the next node.
4. Cross-link to Buildings when unsure what a node enables.

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Phase 1 — Income exists

• Refining 1 — Unlocks Shakers
• Built diagonal shaker row (How to Get Gold)
• Stable Sand + Water → Wet Sand supply
• Slag collection habit (piles saved for later)

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Phase 2 — Logistics scale

• Logistics 1 — Conveyors + Launchers
• Conveyor spine from mine/mixer to shakers
• Launcher test with Shift skip (Build Modes)
• Manual hauling no longer the main bottleneck

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Phase 3 — Stream quality

• Filters — Split mixed belts before refineries
• Pipes / Pumps / Vents — Reliable mixer water (Water Management)
• Overflow plan for steam/water pools

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Phase 4 — Slag economy

• Tools → Flamethrower (often earlier if ice/slag blocks you)
• Burn lane: Slag → Burnt Slag
• Refining 2 — Kinetic Slag Press
• Press fed continuously (Slag Processing)

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Phase 5 — Exploration support

• Lights — Before deep S descents (Dig Deeper)
• Grappling Hook — Vertical mobility
• Vacuum — Cleanup / retrofit speed
• Cryoblaster — If hot/freezing biomes demand it
• Guns — Combat-gated areas only

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Phase 6 — Automation luxury

• Drones — Digger
• Drones — Hauler
• Drone routes do not starve conveyors
• Planter Boxes — Optional side systems

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Quick reference — recommended buy order

Order	Node	Why
1	Refining 1	Shakers = gold
2	Logistics 1	Belts scale input
3	Filters	Clean streams
4	Pipes	Stable water
5	Tools (Flamethrower)	Slag + ice
6	Refining 2	Slag press
7	Lights / Grapple	Depth
8	Drones	Late automation

Full rationale: Early Game Unlocks and Research Priority.

Branch notes

Refining — Gates shakers and press; never defer Refining 1.

Logistics — Gates belts and launchers; defer only if shakers do not exist yet.

Filters — Skip until mixed materials appear on one belt.

Pipes — Skip until mixers starve while sand is plentiful.

Tools — Flamethrower is half exploration, half slag processing.

Guns — Combat optional for factory purists.

Drones — Buy when Production Ratio Helper shows human time is the limiter, not machine count.

Planter Boxes — Completion / side loops; lowest priority for gold rush.

Demo vs Early Access checklist

Demo reliably covers Phases 1–4 partially and 5 lightly. EA may expose all phases on day one. If a checkbox node is missing in demo, note it and continue — Demo Review explains scope. Modded saves (Custom Maps) may pre-unlock or lock nodes; vanilla checklist still helps planning.

After you finish the checklist

Transition from unlock chasing to layout optimization:

• Automation Basics for megafactory patterns
• Artifacts and Puzzles for gated rewards
• Updates for post-launch branches

Related

• Tier List Hub — All ranking pages.
• Controls — Build faster while researching.
• Materials — What each phase produces.
• Review — EA expectations when checklist completes.