Is the Sandustry world procedurally generated?

Yes — every save in Sandustry generates a unique procedural underground. Resource pockets, artifact chambers, aquifer shapes, and cavern layouts change between saves. This is why we teach puzzle patterns instead of fixed coordinates in the Artifacts guide.

What is the best depth for a Sandustry factory?

Mid-Depth Caverns are the sweet spot for industrial bases — close to Scoria for Lava generation, Lumling colonies for husbandry, and Glowberry Bushes for early Lumling feed. Avoid surface factories due to flood risk and the lack of thermal resources.

Where does Prismite spawn in Sandustry?

Prismite crystals only appear in the Deep Crystalline Layer (192+ blocks deep), typically embedded in Auralith and surrounded by Frostbed. You need a Steel Drill or Laser to mine them — copper pickaxes bounce off. See the Void Juice & Prismite guide for the complete extraction pipeline.

How do I find underground water in Sandustry?

Water spawns as shallow aquifer lenses at 32–96 blocks, and as underground rivers throughout mid-depth caverns. Listen for dripping audio cues, watch for wet-sand patches on the floor, or use a Fluid Sensor wired to an indicator light. Never dig straight down — always dig staircases to avoid flooding.

Are there multiple biomes in Sandustry?

Currently four broad biome zones exist in Early Access v0.5.6: Surface Desert, Shallow Underground (water + copper), Mid-Depth Caverns (lava + lumlings), and Deep Crystalline Layer (prismite + artifacts). Future patches are expected to add surface biomes like Ice Wastes and Volcanic Badlands.

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WORLD MAP · V0.5.6

Sandustry Map — Biomes, Underground Layers & Resources

Sandustry generates a unique procedural underground for every save. While exact coordinates vary, the world follows a consistent four-layer depth structure with predictable biome transitions and resource distributions. This map guide describes each layer, what resources you'll find, and recommended factory placement strategies for Early Access v0.5.6.

🏜️ Surface Desert

Every Sandustry save begins on the surface — a flat-to-rolling desert of dry sand and sandstone. Resources here are limited: Dry Sand, Sandstone, and the occasional Ice pocket or small aquifer lens. The surface is fine for a temporary mining camp but unsuitable for permanent factories due to flood risk from surface aquifers and the absence of thermal resources. Dig staircases down to reach the productive layers — never dig straight down, or you risk falling into caverns and drowning in water pockets.

⛏️ Shallow Underground

The first productive zone. Wet Sand lenses, Copper ore, Auralith, and small aquifer rivers dominate this layer. Most players build their first automated Shaker factory here because water is abundant and the terrain is stable enough for conveyor networks. Look for Copper veins to unlock Power Bricks in the Tech Tree — you'll need them for mid-game electrical machines. Watch out for aquifer rivers that can flood shafts if breached without retaining walls.

🕳️ Mid-Depth Caverns

The thermal zone. Scoria blocks and Cinder pebbles are abundant — mine them and ignite with a Flamethrower to create permanent Lava basins for infinite heat. Steam vents occur naturally where water contacts lava; tame them with Cryoblaster condensers for free vertical water transport. Lumling colonies spawn here and can be herded into husbandry pens. Glowberry Bushes provide early Lumling feed. This is the recommended depth for industrial megabases.

💎 Deep Crystalline Layer

The endgame zone. Prismite crystals embedded in Auralith, Frostbed formations, Voidbloom gardens at Amethelis + Redsand collision sites, and sealed Artifact chambers hidden behind environmental puzzles. Use the Void Juice-powered Artifact Locator to ping hidden rooms. Mine Prismite with a Steel Drill or Laser (copper bounces off). Visit our Artifacts Guide for the three repeatable puzzle patterns and their rewards.

Sandustry Resource Distribution Table

Every material in Sandustry, where it spawns, its rarity, the tool required to harvest it, and its density value. Combine this with our Density Calculator when planning Shaker decks.

Material	Depth / Source	Rarity	Tool	Density
Dry Sand	Surface	Common	Shovel	150
Wet Sand	Shallow	Common	Shovel (after Water mix)	150
Gold	Shallow	Uncommon	Shaker extraction	250
Copper	Shallow–Mid	Uncommon	Pickaxe	210
Slag	Shallow (Shaker byproduct)	Common	Conveyor disposal	90
Burnt Slag	Crafted (Slag + Lava)	Mid	Kinetic Press	110
Scoria	Mid	Common	Pickaxe	145
Cinder	Mid (from Scoria)	Common	Flamethrower ignition	140
Lava	Mid–Deep	Uncommon	Contained (bucket/manual)	200
Steam	Crafted (Lava + Water)	Crafted	Cryoblaster condenser	10
Water	All depths	Common	Pump / Ram / Bucket	100
Ice	Surface + Deep	Uncommon	Pickaxe	92
Snow	Deep + Frostbed	Uncommon	Shovel	40
Frostbed	Deep	Rare	Shovel / Gun / Flamethrower	15
Auralith	Mid	Uncommon	Pickaxe	120
Prismite	Deep	Rare	Steel Drill / Laser	135
Voidbloom	Deep (collision sites)	Rare	Amethelis + Redsand collision	40
Amethelis	Mid–Deep	Uncommon	Pickaxe	90
Redsand	Mid–Deep	Common	Shovel	95
Prismaline Gas	Crafted (Prismite → Extractor)	Crafted	Aura Extractor	-5
Void Juice	Crafted (Voidbloom + Prismaline)	Tier 6	Advanced Refinery	105
Fluxite	Crafted (Voidbloom + organics)	Tier 4	Flux Emanator	70

Related Category Pages

📚 Sandustry Wiki →📘 Sandustry Guide →💡 Sandustry Tips →