The Falling Sand Game

Mix elements in this addicting time waster

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Updated on August 9, 2022

Xbox Buyer's Guide

The Falling Sand game is an intriguing time-waster that will have you creating and exploring for hours. As an added bonus, you might just learn a few things!

In this game, you get to see how different elements such as fire, water, plants, sand, and oil interact with each other and with people while building a series of tunnels and lines.

What We Like

Easy for all ages.
Doesn't require a user account.
Self-explanatory gameplay.
Lots of fun options.

What We Don't Like

Can't save or share your progress.
No confirmation to exit (easy to lose all your progress).
Doesn't work from a mobile browser.

How Much Time Can You Waste?

There isn't an ending, so you can play for as short or as long of a time as you want. It's pretty addicting, so we're going to estimate that you'll waste 30 minutes to 2 hours playing.

How to the Play the Falling Sand Game

This is simply a click-and-drag game.

Visit the Falling Sand game website.

There are other versions of this game, like this one at artsology that includes C-4, concrete, gunpowder, lava, methane, and other unique elements.
Select an element from the bottom of the screen that you'd like to use. Options include wall, water, salt, sand, torch, steam, and others.
Drag your mouse across the screen to add the element to the game.

The Falling Sand Game Tips

You can use the bar below the elements menu to increase the brush size. This is really helpful because the default size is very small, and some elements need to cover a wide area more quickly than what a smaller brush size can do.

Elements really do interact. For example, if you lay down some plants, they'll grow when water is put over them. Fire can slice through elements you've already applied to the game, but will immediately break down plants, just like in real life.

Feel free to make the environment you want and then walk away. Come back a few minutes, or even hours later, to see what sort of creation you've set in motion. You might find vegetation that's grown over the whole screen or sand towers that have slowly been erected.

To restart from scratch, just refresh the page. But, remember that there is an eraser button that can make targeted edits if that's all you really need to do.

What We Think About It

We have to admit that about an hour was wasted the first time it was played. We like to start by building lots of walls and then gradually adding in the other elements. It really is a fascinating game to play, and you won't ever play it the same way twice.