Sandustry Updates: v0.5.6 and Patch History

Read v0.5.6 Update #3 in official Steam news

Steam News for app 2764460 is the primary public patch record. Update #3 was published September 3, 2026 and labels the build v0.5.6. Read the whole announcement rather than relying on a version number in a search snippet; one release can combine new interactions, balance changes, modding hooks, crash work, and small fixes.

Archive the direct announcement link beside any factory change you make in response. Search snippets and community summaries can omit qualifying details such as negative temperature, temporary boost, or a named terrain type. Those qualifiers determine whether a patch applies to a specific module.

The visible gameplay additions are petting critters for a temporary capability boost and a general Voltblub energy-output boost. Lava density becomes 200 and Lava destroys Fluxite, Redsoil, and Strataform. A negative Thermal Buffer takes less heat from Lava and returns it as Cinder. Lasers now melt Ice.

Aura Extractors can be removed after crystallization starts; the crystals are buffered and released as Auralite after rebuilding. Flower recovery is easier, Conveyor Portal sticking is fixed, and the patch addresses red blocks, special artifact-room Lava behavior, GPU diagnostics, and Aura Tech Tree renderer crashes. It also adds Sandkit hooks and moves the mods branch to 0.5.6.

Match the note to the installed branch

Allow Steam to finish downloads, start the game, and compare the displayed version with the official post. Then check the selected branch. A vanilla installation and a mods-branch installation can have different files and subscribed content even when both display 0.5.6. Record the branch and active mod list before troubleshooting.

If Steam appears to remain on an older build, verify downloads and branch selection before replacing local files. Use only rollback or beta choices exposed by the official client. Preserve the save and ask for help with the visible installation state rather than downloading an unofficial executable.

For a modded world, record both game and framework version. An item updated on the same date can still target another experimental branch. Confirm dependencies before opening the main save, and keep a vanilla test for any base mechanic whose result is disputed.

Do not change the version, mod set, and factory layout in the same test. If behavior differs from a guide, first reproduce the smallest interaction in a clean v0.5.6 cell. Then add the old save and mods separately. This sequence identifies whether the cause belongs to the patch, saved state, or custom content.

The developer said Major Update #1 was still cooking and would probably be preceded by another bug-fix and quality-of-life update. That is a roadmap statement, not a released version. Keep future content clearly labeled until an official post says it is available.

Audit changed factories and preserve recovery points

Copy the main world before opening it under the patch. Inspect Lava containment first, especially boundaries made from the three newly destructible terrains and separators affected by density 200. Check returned Cinder at cold Thermal Buffers, Aura Extractor placement, Flower seed reserves, Conveyor Portal exits, Ice near Lasers, and Voltblub power balance.

After the audit, update the module note with the tested version and observed result rather than simply writing fixed. A later patch can then be compared against a known state. If the official text gives no exact rate, preserve that uncertainty and publish your measurement as layout-specific evidence.

For each module, write the expected input, output, version-sensitive rule, and safe shutdown point. Compare inventory at the beginning and end of a fixed interval. A reserve can hide a shortage, and a full destination can make a fixed machine look broken. Save and reload once after the first clean test.

Keep the known-good v0.5.6 copy until the factory completes its normal burst, idle, restart, and long-run conditions. If a failure remains, preserve logs and reduce it to one material or building boundary. Link the exact official note in a report and distinguish the published change from your observation.

The official news feed can move on quickly during Early Access. Recheck it before a major expansion, and update only the pages whose facts actually changed. Keeping per-page dates, citations, and version badges makes older layouts interpretable instead of silently wrong.

Field facts