Sandstone
A downloadable game for Windows
***
We live on this platform of dirt and stone, suspended above what, we know not.
The violent, unpredictable ravages of Sky, its contents a mystery as well, scar this Ground we tread...
So begins Sandstone, an action adventure set on the turbulent world of Ground.
You take the role of a wanderer, fighting to weather the violent Skystorms, rescue your beloved, and ultimately to unlock the mysteries of Ground, Sky, and yourself.
Your main tool is your hands. They will become progressively tougher and stronger as you smash your way forward, enabling you to pulverize harder stones. Combined with your wits, they will help you complete quests, and unlock new areas and mysteries.
Along the way you will encounter a variety of colorful characters, and make tough choices with real consequences. Though Sandstone is not a long game, it aims to provide a fully realized story and an entertaining, reasonably challenging experience.
Sandstone also includes resource management and puzzle elements.
*LET'S PLAY!*
Sy and Risa Plays have graciously created awesome Let's Plays:
Tips:
- Leave no stone un-smashed.
- Exploration is rewarded.
- If there's nothing left to do, there's probably something left to smash.
- If there's nothing left to smash, there's probably something left to do or find.
- If there's truly nothing left to smash, do, or find, you may need to try again.
*Player feedback*
"An absolute gem of a game!"
"I just beat the game, I enjoyed the game overall."
"A bit rought around the edges, but has some charm!"
“Took last night and this morning but I did it. Characters are cute as are the little goblins in that cave."
“Man very cool. Loved the ending. Great game bro!"
"I didn't like it very much."
“Shoot, was I supposed to smash all those before I entered the magic tunnel?”
"Great music, love the maps."
"Fun little romp."
“I really wish I’d saved earlier.”
**RPG Maker Forum thread HERE**
*Content Warning: Sandstone contains occasional profanity and suggestive themes.
Download
Install instructions
Windows:
1) Download the Sandstone zip file.
2) Extract the file.
3) Run the 'Game' file.
4) I hope you enjoy Sandstone, thanks for playing!!
Development log
- Sandstone v2.3 ChangesMay 11, 2021
- Sandstone v2.1 & v2.2 Changes & ThanksApr 29, 2021
- Sandstone CreditsApr 28, 2021
- Sandstone v2Oct 22, 2020
- Sandstone v1.2Oct 11, 2020
- Sandstone v1.1Jul 28, 2020
Comments
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This game was fun! Sy recommended it! XD
I made a let's play! One episode up as of today, with five more coming, one each week! All in an organized playlist~
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEGSj5J15V2api7GuDNtCacsYbOJrJeEJ
Awesooome! :D
Thanks for playing and for making Let's Plays, I'm glad to hear you had fun with Sandstone!
I MADE A LETSPLAY OF THIS GAME BECAUSE OF THE NEW UPDATES, ITS SO FUN!! Also made a playlist for ease of search of the whole thing! =D
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0O0Tw9GSlNieVsJ4lXWN0IE3bxMAPAgn
SYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! :)
Good to hear from you! Can't wait to watch the final episode, thank you so much for making these!
Hm... I tried this game out for a few minutes, and while I can appreciate what you were trying to do... I didn't like it very much. Sure, it was entertaining to get 99 Balms at the beginning in exchange for losing access to the merchant, but I kind of ran out of stuff to smash and I couldn't break the granite. The instructions say to alternate between smashing and exploring, but this type of resource scarcity challenge / scavenger hunting gameplay isn't a favorite of mind.
Hi Mark, thanks for your feedback.
Yes, if you don't enjoy resource challenges, Sandstone won't be your cup of tea. If your hands cannot yet break granite, you've simply missed a sandstone block somewhere on the Act 1 map, and if you haven't broken granite yet, the story has hardly begun.
Could you clarify your 'get 99 balms' comment? There is a single balm available in the scenario you outlined, but not 99. I double-checked the project code and it looks correct.
Well, I did some searching around at the beginning, and the protagonist stated that he didn't want to break into his neighbor's tent. You can have him do it anyway, and then have him steal a balm from a pot. The thing is, there is no limit to how many times you can do it, so I kept selecting 'yes' until I had 99 balms in the inventory. You can't enter the tent once you leave, and the merchant comments on it... was this not meant to be a feature?
Ahhh, I see the issue now. Thanks for the detailed description, that's a bug. You should only be able to grab the balm once, then the jug is (supposed to be) cashed.
A fix will be in the next minor release; in the meantime, the game should be relatively simple with that many balms, in case you want to keep going on easy mode and experience the story :)
Thanks again!
I just uploaded a small update that includes a fix, and credited you for the find in the changelog.
Thanks again!
Hey, I've been thinking about the story. It sounded interesting, and... well... I'd like to ask, has anyone done a Let's Play or video walkthrough? Now, I know it's a dumb thing to ask simply because I'm a casual gamer, but I'm a college student with little free time... and I'd be interested if there was one.
Ah! So far there haven't been any Let's Plays, but I'm certainly open to it.
I might wait until the next major release to seek walkthroughs just so the updates and enhancements I'm working on now are seen. The foundations and story will remain the same, but there are a few cool new things coming :)
Ahoy :)
I wanted to let you know that Sy has produced a Let's Play!
Hi this is Kazuki (the guy from the Harold Game Jam) The setting is quite interesting, where it takes place in the sky and people mine rocks with their bare hands.
I like the unique concept of preserving your resources (what your hands can handle) it make you think strategically about what rocks to break. However, I somewhat got softlocked out of the story progress on the third chapter because I can't get my hands high enough to break Onyx and I can't get enough to get more Balm for my hands. Am I doing something wrong?
As a point of criticism, you could add another herb guy on the third chapter's side so it doesn't feel like you are gathering them for nothing. You could inflate the price a bit more like, 15 herbs this time. However he gives you a balm that heals a little more than 25. Other than the softlock, that is the only criticism I have for this game.
Good to hear from you again Kazuki! Thank you for playing, and for the feedback. I'm very happy to learn you are enjoying the concept!
Some quick help:
There is a hidden path in Act 3 that takes you under the northern mountains (so east of the ruins, and far north of Sowthin) that leads to a hermit herbalist. The entrance is right by a Skystone.
This must either be found by accident, or if you visit Droppre (Act 1 herbalist) while playing as Wrix, he gives you a hint; most often it is missed, so I'm working on more tips for the player.
Good luck!
p.s. I've just started playing Heart's Fallacy this week, and will let you know how it goes!
I just beat the game, I enjoyed the game overall. However, the endgame quest somewhat put the pacing of the final confrontation to a grinding halt. I would maybe would do have of the amount of Skystone or save the rest for a bonus room where talk about your experience with the game.
Awesome, thanks for playing through to the end!
Am I understanding correctly that your advice would be to require fewer stones to enter the final encounter area, and add an additional bonus area that can be accessed if the player finds all 15?
Yes, so it doesn't ruin the pacing of the final section of the game. Also for the bonus area can reward people who find all the skystones. Think about it like gathering heart pieces in Legend of Zelda. It is advised you get more hearts so you could survive but isn't required.
Just a quick update on this, the new 2.0 version requires 5 fewer Skystones, to speed things up. Thank you again for your helpful insight!
Buds, you're in for a ride with Sandstone. From the starkly different setting than a normal rpgmaker game, to the amazing resource scarcity challenge, Sandstone takes you on a rockhunt of an adventure throughout Ground!
Your main weapons are YOUR HANDS, and if that doesn't sound badass enough, then get ready for the fact that you're SMASHING ROCKS WITH YOUR BARE HANDS.
It really feels like you're just one guy, humbly trying to provide for your wife, but then having to face against the sky itself, with all the limited human power you have in your soul, and your hands.
Please give this game a try, I promise it's gonna be a fun ride!
Thank you for taking the time to smash your way through Sandstone, and to post feedback! Your play-by-play posts on the forum have brought me hilarity and joy. Elated to hear that you enjoyed the adventure, me and the Groundfolk you saved with the power of your mighty hands thank you!