THIS GAME IS IN EARLY ACCESS AND IS NOT COMPLETE. PLEASE EXPECT BUGS AND UNFINISHED ART AND SOUNDS.

KEY FEATURES:

Crafting: Craft weapons and gear to help you survive the harsh wasteland.
Base Building: Build a base of operations to research, craft, and exploit the desert's finite resources.
Exploration: Explore a world via an overworld map filled with interesting places and random encounters.
Story: Enjoy a story filled with mystery and humor
Growth: Get stronger naturally by crafting, hunting, building, and shooting your way through the wasteland.
Sand Power: Unlock the powers of the desert EX: Sand Wall, Rock Throw, Sand Decoy, and Glass Blast.

GAMEPLAY:

The game will take place in a top-down format. There will be a base that the player can build and upgrade. The base will be essential to the story and tied to upgrading the player's skills, gear, and stats. The player will control one person but can team up with several AI-controlled teammates to tackle harder missions. Traveling in the world will be done via a map (think of Fallout 1 and 2). The player can explore the map and find locations and towns to trade and get missions from. Controls will include mouse and keyboard (later will add controller support). The player will also have the ability to unlock different powers for his exo-suit EX: stealth, mass fear, and sand-related powers (sand/fireball, sand wall, sand trap, etc.). The player will also be able to breed llamas to ride (and possibly race them) and eventually unlock cars to travel further into the Alaskan wasteland. Traveling is restricted to the amount of water the player carries. You'll be able to upgrade the amount of water carried and the travel speed to allow the player to explore further from their base. Beware, though, the further you go out, the more dangerous it becomes. Player death will not be perma-death, although as a game designer, I do believe in some sort of punishment for death. The idea of loss makes the game more exciting and fun.

STORY:

999 years following the events of The UWN Superfluous' mission to save the earth, the pieces of the asteroid in which the fabled ship was destroyed crashed into Earth, causing massive destruction and loss of life. Many years later, the remainder of humanity clings to life in the dry arid lands once known as Alaska. Radiation has caused mutations and mass extinctions. The large bipedal rhinos known as the Karkadann and the frog-like carnivore known as the Anura are both products of this mass mutation. A very tenuous peace between the three races is kept in check only by the limited resources each side controls. Humans have most of the knowledge to build and maintain the tools and machines to help extract water and energy. The Karkadann protect the only large known source of water and use it to produce the large quantities of vegetables their size requires (they are herbivores). The Anura have monopolized the salvage market; if you need anything, ask an Anura. Being amphibious, they can dive into the toxic oceans and bring back material and technology once thought lost.

More mysteries unravel as the land is plagued by a new threat. The dead are rising and seem to be controlled by the once recluse Inks (ink-like creatures that take the form of humans and wear bones for decoration). Why have the Inks turned aggressive? Will the three tribes band together to face a new threat or slowly be swallowed by it because they can't trust each other? Is llama racing really in the game?

AI USE:

The only AI-generated content used is the sepia-toned art story cards. All other assets are created by humans (mostly me). I have limited art skills and will replace them if/when I make enough money to cover the cost. Trust me, you'd rather AI art than my art :)

","background_raw","package_groups",[217],{"_12":218,"_219":220,"_234":235,"_236":228,"_27":228,"_237":119,"_238":239,"_240":241},"default","subs",[221],{"_222":86,"_223":224,"_225":58,"_226":119,"_227":228,"_229":78,"_230":231,"_232":233},"packageid","option_text","Sand: A Superfluous Game - 12,79€","is_free_license","percent_savings","option_description","","can_get_free_license","percent_savings_text"," ","price_in_cents_with_discount",1279,"title","Buy Sand: A Superfluous Game","save_text","display_type","selection_text","Select a purchase option","is_recurring_subscription","false","price_overview",{"_244":233,"_245":233,"_246":247,"_248":249,"_250":119,"_251":228},"final","initial","currency","EUR","final_formatted","12,79€","discount_percent","initial_formatted","capsule_imagev5","https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1748330/capsule_184x69.jpg?t=1756942457","pc_requirements",{"_256":257,"_258":259},"minimum","Minimum:

OS *: Windows 7
Graphics: Low-end or integrated graphics card
Storage: 200 MB available space

","recommended","Recommended:

OS: Windows 10
Graphics: Dedicated graphics card
Storage: 200 MB available space

","mac_requirements",[],"short_description","An open-world, base-building, adventure game with quirky humor and llamas. Explore the wasteland of Alaska smashing skeletons in your supped-up cab and trading veggies with the native rhino people. Do the bidding of a mysterious cube from space and unlock the secrets of the desert.","controller_support","full","linux_requirements",[],"content_descriptors",{"_270":271,"_272":-5},"ids",[],"notes","supported_languages","English","detailed_description","latest_result",{"_278":279,"_330":331,"_378":379,"_386":387,"_388":389},"emotionsSummary",[280,290,294,297,301,305,308,311,314,317,320,324,327],{"_281":282,"_283":284,"_285":284,"_286":287,"_288":289},"point","Satisfaction","weight",0.3157894736842105,"importance","clusterSize",12,"explanation","Players are satisfied with the game's core mechanics, including enjoyable survival gameplay, base building, and exploration. The continuous development, responsiveness of the creator, and the game's humor and polish also contribute to a positive experience, especially as the game improves over time and offers substantial early access content.",{"_281":291,"_283":292,"_285":292,"_286":136,"_288":293},"Joy",0.10526315789473684,"Joy stems from the game's fun and humorous nature, complemented by adorable pixel art and quirky writing. The charming overall experience and accessibility, including elements like a pet dog, enhance players' enjoyment.",{"_281":295,"_283":292,"_285":292,"_286":136,"_288":296},"Enjoyment","Players enjoy the game's distinctive art style, engaging story, and overall gameplay experience. Specific mechanics like automation, exploration, colony simulation, and resource gathering, along with the music, are frequently cited as sources of enjoyment.",{"_281":298,"_283":299,"_285":299,"_286":132,"_288":300},"Frustration",0.07894736842105263,"Frustration arises from the perceived lack of meaning and difficulty in tower defense waves, as well as the challenging combat and early game grind. The absence of specific features like Japanese language support and screenshot functionality also contributes to player annoyance.",{"_281":302,"_283":303,"_285":303,"_286":97,"_288":304},"Confusion",0.05263157894736842,"Players experience confusion regarding the game's plot and often struggle with figuring out initial objectives or what to do at the start of the game.",{"_281":306,"_283":303,"_285":303,"_286":97,"_288":307},"Desire","Players express a desire for more content, specifically additional weapons, armors, and electrical machines. The lack of language selection options is also a frequently mentioned desire for improvement.",{"_281":309,"_283":303,"_285":303,"_286":97,"_288":310},"Disappointment","Disappointment is primarily caused by the game being perceived as barebones and the slow pace of updates. A lack of new content over time also contributes significantly to this feeling.",{"_281":312,"_283":303,"_285":303,"_286":97,"_288":313},"Hope","Players feel hope due to the game's clear potential for future progress and development. The promise of ongoing improvements and new features fuels this positive outlook.",{"_281":315,"_283":303,"_285":303,"_286":97,"_288":316},"Excitement","Excitement is generated by the game's fun and addictive qualities. The continuous increase in game elements and content over time also keeps players engaged and excited for what's next.",{"_281":318,"_283":303,"_285":303,"_286":97,"_288":319},"Curiosity","Curiosity is driven by the progression of the story and anticipation for future developments. Players are also curious about the unknown aspects and content that might be revealed in the late game.",{"_281":321,"_283":322,"_285":322,"_286":125,"_288":323},"Annoyance",0.02631578947368421,"Players experience annoyance due to a tedious user interface, particularly when performing crafting and trading actions within the game.",{"_281":325,"_283":322,"_285":322,"_286":125,"_288":326},"Nostalgia","Nostalgia is triggered by the game's ability to evoke memories of classic titles, specifically reminding reviewers of the original Fallout series.",{"_281":328,"_283":322,"_285":322,"_286":125,"_288":329},"Amusement","Amusement arises from specific humorous situations within the game, such as the merciless nature of enemy attacks, and, in one instance, the reviewer's self-deprecating humor about their own English ability.","gameInfo",{"_332":333,"_340":341,"_349":350},"usage",{"_334":335,"_336":337,"_338":339},"totalTokens",6322,"promptTokens",5785,"completionTokens",537,"gameCategories",[342,343,344,345,34,346,347,348],"Base Building","Exploration","Crafting","Resource Management","Survival","Automation Game","Real-time Combat","mostRequestedFeatures",[351,355,359,363,366,370,374],{"_281":352,"_285":353,"_288":354},"More content and activities",0.37,"Players feel the game is currently barebones, lacking sufficient activities and content, leading to a grindy early experience. There is a desire for more engaging gameplay loops, content depth, and specifically new weapons, armors, and electrical machines.",{"_281":356,"_285":357,"_288":358},"Improved UI/UX for crafting and trading",0.15,"The user interface for crafting benches and buy/sell signs is clunky, displaying only one option at a time, forcing tedious scrolling and hindering efficiency.",{"_281":360,"_285":361,"_288":362},"Multi-language support",0.14,"Players are frustrated by the absence of language selection options, specifically noting the lack of Japanese support, impacting accessibility and immersion.",{"_281":364,"_285":361,"_288":365},"Redesign or rebalance of tower defense mode","The tower defense aspect is unpopular, with players finding the waves meaningless and increasingly difficult, indicating a need for a more engaging and balanced mode.",{"_281":367,"_285":368,"_288":369},"Faster update frequency",0.1,"Players have observed that the game's update cycle is slow, leading to concerns about the pace of new content and bug fixes.",{"_281":371,"_285":372,"_288":373},"Improved early game onboarding and clearer plot introduction",0.09,"The game's narrative is perceived as confusing, and the initial hour of gameplay is described as slow-paced, suggesting issues with onboarding new players and establishing an engaging story early on.",{"_281":375,"_285":376,"_288":377},"F12 screenshot functionality",0.05,"A player specifically requested the ability to take screenshots using the F12 key, a standard feature that would improve the player experience for sharing moments.","summary",[380,381,382,383,384,385],"Engaging and fun core gameplay loop","Smooth base building and management","Compelling story and RPG elements","Limited content and grind","Poor UI/UX for interactions","Unsatisfying tower defense mode","result_at",["D",1758782466724],"result_stats",{"_390":391,"_392":393,"_405":119,"_406":407,"_408":407,"_409":119,"_410":391,"_411":119},"totalReviews",25,"featureCounts",{"_394":395,"_396":397,"_398":399,"_400":106,"_401":402,"_403":119,"_404":287},"emotions",38,"miscPoints",10,"gameplayPoints",29,"negativePoints","positivePoints",76,"performancePoints","recommendationPoints","totalNegative","totalPositive",19,"totalHelpfulReviews","totalProtestReviews","totalFilteredReviews","totalProhibitedReviews","results",[277],"queue","game_category",[417,419,421,423,425,427,429,431],{"_25":418,"_12":343},"1bcbd065-9d24-4f95-a4fa-d71f93bed139",{"_25":420,"_12":345},"d901da7c-66b3-4ded-909a-d96f94e3e9c2",{"_25":422,"_12":346},"ab9f6dd9-28d4-478f-9b5e-f6fe0c88c047",{"_25":424,"_12":342},"4cb873f0-7180-4f45-b6b5-4244965adc8f",{"_25":426,"_12":347},"44fe2710-ccd9-46da-b0eb-f282892af050",{"_25":428,"_12":344},"0c1fa7e4-704c-4759-bc6d-85798c3178cc",{"_25":430,"_12":348},"1c2c7ae6-e475-4a18-aaf4-791701c23ffb",{"_25":432,"_12":34},"63e82233-f9ba-4329-8268-84ea2b01b5e9","jsonLd",{"_435":436,"_437":438,"_439":440,"_458":459,"_461":462,"_466":467,"_468":469,"_470":469,"_471":472},"@context","https://schema.org","@type","Review","itemReviewed",{"_437":441,"_12":13,"_442":443,"_207":444,"_445":446,"_447":448,"_449":450},"VideoGame","image","https://vaporlens.app/og-image/1748330","https://vaporlens.app/app/1748330/sand_a_superfluous_game","gamePlatform","PC (Steam)","genre","Video Game","aggregateRating",{"_437":451,"_452":453,"_454":453,"_455":119,"_456":407,"_457":407},"AggregateRating","ratingValue",100,"bestRating","worstRating","ratingCount","reviewCount","reviewRating",{"_437":460,"_452":453,"_454":453,"_455":119},"Rating","author",{"_437":463,"_12":464,"_207":465},"Organization","VaporLens","https://vaporlens.app","reviewBody","Engaging and fun core gameplay loop\nSmooth base building and management\nCompelling story and RPG elements\nLimited content and grind\nPoor UI/UX for interactions\nUnsatisfying tower defense mode","datePublished","2025-09-16","dateModified","publisher",{"_437":463,"_12":464,"_207":465},"actionData","errors"]

Sand: A Superfluous Game

Categories

Emotions