Direct Answer
For the Early Access game, open Steam Library, right-click Sandustry, choose Properties, open Game Versions & Betas, and switch to the Mods branch. Restart Steam if the Workshop does not appear, then use the official Workshop for mods and maps. FluxLoader belongs to the Demo workflow and should not be the default Early Access instruction.
Enable the Early Access Mods branch
The official modding route begins in the Steam Library. Right-click Sandustry, open Properties, choose Game Versions & Betas, and switch the game to the Mods branch. If the Workshop still does not appear, the supplied official guidance says to restart Steam.
This branch-based process is the primary current method for the Early Access release. It is more authoritative than reusing an older demo loader tutorial. The exact download time and branch size depend on the current files and are To be confirmed.
Use Steam Workshop for mods and maps
The official Steam Workshop description covers mods and maps for Sandustry. The Workshop already contains community-created items and custom content, while the Steam store confirms Workshop support as a game feature. This matches the game's official description as being built with modding in mind.
A Workshop item can change visuals, maps, buildings, processes, or other systems depending on what its creator provides. The supplied research does not verify every community item, compatibility claim, or balance change. Read each item's current description and treat unsupported behavior as To be confirmed.
Demo FluxLoader is a different method
FluxLoader is identified in the collected material as a loader for the Demo version. It should not be placed at the top of an Early Access installation guide because the paid release now has a supported Workshop route. Mixing the two instructions can lead players to target the wrong version.
The supplied sources do not confirm that Demo FluxLoader mods work unchanged in Early Access. Save compatibility, configuration migration, and automatic conversion are To be confirmed. Use a tutorial that explicitly names the version you are running.
Mac modloader warning
The official Wiki contains a Mac Modloader tutorial, but the Wiki itself warns that the method may be out of date. It should be treated as legacy or supplementary information rather than the primary current route. The supported Steam Workshop path remains the first method to try for Early Access.
The research does not confirm that every Windows Workshop item works identically on macOS or Linux. Platform-specific dependencies and troubleshooting steps are To be confirmed unless the mod author documents them. Back up important saves before testing community modifications.
Blueprints are not Workshop mods
Blueprints use a separate in-game workflow: copy a structure, save it in the Blueprint menu, and export a shareable string. The current authoritative sources do not confirm Workshop-based Blueprint sharing. Mods, maps, and Blueprint strings should therefore be described as different content types.
A mod may introduce buildings or processes that appear inside a Blueprint, but cross-mod Blueprint behavior is not documented in the supplied material. Required dependencies and version matching are To be confirmed. Share the Blueprint string together with any verified mod requirements when applicable.
Core world and factory context
Sandustry treats individual pixels as physical resources with their own properties. Water can become Steam, Sand absorbs Water, and watered Seeds can grow into Flowers, so terrain and reactions are part of factory design. A guide must account for material behavior instead of treating the world as a static background.
The main progression loop moves from gathering and refining toward larger production chains and automation. Gold unlocks Research, Fluxite improves inventory tools, weapons, and drones, and Aura later supports late-game Research. Exact optimal order depends on the current world and unlocked technology, so this site does not invent a single mandatory build sequence.
Logistics shared by many guides
Conveyor Belts move solid resources horizontally, while Launchers can transport them vertically or diagonally. Filters sort materials with Allow or Block behavior, and Advanced Filters later work with solid, liquid, and gas resources. Pumps, Pipes, and Liquid Vents handle fluids other than lava under the level conditions documented by the official guide.
The core logistics structures described in the Beginner's Guide do not require power to operate. A mixed-fluid pipe can carry more than one fluid, but its Liquid Vent cannot filter the output and prioritizes the nearest liquid. Separating fluid lines and clearing stagnant solid pixels are therefore verified reliability principles rather than invented throughput formulas.
Research and upgrade context
Research unlocks structures and inventory items and is purchased with Gold. More advanced Research is gated by Factory Level, which represents tiered access earned through performance milestones. The supplied material does not provide one complete current Research tree, so missing costs and prerequisites remain To be confirmed.
Fluxite is used for Upgrades, including improvements to the Grabber, weapons, and drones. The official guide recommends the Grabber as a useful early investment because moving larger material chunks helps before automation is complete. Creator recommendations for weapon specialization are retained as creator context, not rewritten as mandatory official rules.
Version and evidence boundaries
The current official Wiki is used when its Early Access guidance conflicts with older Demo-era discussions. Creator videos can show practical layouts, controls, or failure cases, but unclear names and unsupported measurements are not promoted to official facts. This is especially important for tools, Artifact routes, mods, and material recipes that may have changed between versions.
Every page begins with the narrow answer supported by the collected evidence, then adds only related verified context. Unknown counts, timings, ratios, coordinates, and compatibility claims are marked To be confirmed. That boundary keeps a long guide useful without filling missing space with invented numbers.
Use this guide with the current Early Access build
Sandustry entered Early Access on August 13, 2026 and continues to receive official updates. The current official Wiki is the primary gameplay reference when it differs from an older Demo discussion, while Steam and Xbox listings are the primary platform references. A creator video can demonstrate a working layout, but it does not automatically establish a universal value or current-version rule.
Check the page's verified sources when an update changes a recipe, cost, tool restriction, platform feature, or interface path. This guide preserves confirmed numbers only where the supplied research names them and labels unresolved details To be confirmed. That approach keeps the answer usable for search while preventing an unsupported count, character name, redeem code, command, or production ratio from becoming false guidance.
Verified sources used
This page filters and consolidates the supplied research. Any detail not established by those sources is marked To be confirmed.