Sandstone Biome

The Sandstone Biome is the standard starting biome on most asteroids. It provides the early materials a colony needs to get established: Sandstone, Sand, Dirt, Water, Coal, Algae, and Copper Ore. Naturally growing Muckroot, Mealwood, and Bristle Blossom can sustain a colony until more advanced food production is researched, and the accessible Oxylite in the starting area helps Duplicants survive long enough to build an oxygen system. Hatches and Shine Bugs can also be found here.

As a starting biome, Sandstone is generally safe and forgiving compared to many other biomes. It gives a colony the basic building materials and early food sources needed to expand, but it is not enough for long-term survival on its own. Eventually, players must branch out into adjacent biomes to obtain specialized resources and to build a more permanent infrastructure. The biome is typically located in the center of the map, bordered by Granite and Igneous Rock, and on a standard world it sits at a room-temperature range of about 19.85 to 24.85 °C.

A few practical points make Sandstone Biome especially useful in the opening cycles:

• The starting area usually includes at least five accessible tiles of Oxylite, which can produce enough oxygen for early survival.
• The Algae found here is a key early oxygen resource, but it is limited and will only last for a limited number of cycles once oxygen production begins.
• Copper Ore provides a small decor bonus and is useful for early construction.
• Muckroot and Mealwood can cover food production before more advanced farms are available.
• The biome is bordered by harder materials, so digging outward often requires moving through Granite or Igneous Rock before reaching more specialized regions.

In contrast to resource-rich or hazardous biomes such as Marsh, Jungle, or Oil, Sandstone Biome is designed to support the colony’s first steps rather than supply everything it will need later. On smaller or unusual starts, it may still appear as a useful transition zone, but its main role remains the same: it is the dependable launch point from which most colonies begin to explore the rest of the asteroid.