Sandman

GAME GUIDE

THE ESSENCE OF THE GAME

You are a spellcaster trying to survive for as long as possible in an endless

run. Obstacles and enemies keep arriving, and the challenge grows over time.

Your sand is both your survival timer and the resource used to cast spells.

Fight carefully, avoid damage, manage sand, and beat your best survival time.

HOW A RUN ENDS

- The run ends if your sand reaches zero.

- The run also ends if you lose all three hearts.

- Losing hearts makes sand drain faster:

  3 hearts = 1 sand per second

  2 hearts = 1.5 sand per second

  1 heart  = 2.25 sand per second

- Your best survival time is saved and shown on the game-over menu.

CONTROLS

- Space: Jump. Hold it briefly for the full jump.

- Left Shift: Crouch while standing on the ground.

- Mouse: Aim the staff.

- Q: Equip Basic Melee.

- W: Equip Red Spell.

- E: Equip Blue Spell.

- R: Equip Green Spell.

- Left Mouse Button: Use the equipped attack or spell.

- Right Mouse Button: Use one bandage.

- Space or Enter on the game-over menu: Retry.

ATTACKS AND SPELLS

Q - BASIC MELEE

- Costs no sand.

- Deals 1 damage in the direction of the mouse.

- Useful for nearby enemies and obstacles.

W - RED SPELL

- Costs 0.5 sand.

- Fires a red projectile that deals 1 damage.

- Can be cast while jumping and while protected by the green shield.

- Your projectile destroys an enemy projectile when they collide.

E - BLUE SPELL

- Costs 0.85 sand.

- Fires a stronger blue projectile that deals 2 damage.

- Cannot be cast while jumping, falling, crouching, shielded, or already casting.

- Your projectile destroys an enemy projectile when they collide.

R - GREEN SPELL

- Costs 2 sand.

- Creates a shield for 5 seconds.

- The shield can block 2 hits before breaking.

- Red remains available while shielded, but Blue is blocked.

BANDAGES

- You begin every run with zero bandages.

- You can carry a maximum of 2.

- Right-click to consume one and restore one heart.

- A bandage is not consumed if you already have full hearts.

- Restoring a heart also reduces your current sand-drain speed.

- If you already carry 2 bandages, another bandage gives you nothing.

ENEMY DROPS

An enemy killed by your attacks rolls once for a reward:

- Nothing: 50%

- Small sandbag: 20% chance, restores 3 sand.

- Bandage: 15% chance, adds 1 bandage if you have room.

- Big sandbag: 15% chance, restores 6 sand.

Drops remain visible for one second and are then collected automatically from

anywhere on the screen. Sand cannot go above the maximum amount. A Bird that

destroys itself by hitting you does not drop an item.

ENEMIES

- Bird: Approaches and then charges at you. Avoid it or destroy it first.

- Melee Guard: Chases, stops to wind up an attack, then retreats and returns.

- Ranged Guard: Keeps its weapon aimed at you and fires enemy projectiles.

- Player projectiles can cancel enemy projectiles on contact.

OBSTACLES

Obstacles move toward you as the run continues. Jump over them, crouch under

them when appropriate, or destroy damageable threats with your attacks.

Obstacle contact costs one heart unless your shield absorbs the hit.

SCREEN INFORMATION

- The timer shows the length of the current run.

- The sand display shows your remaining sand.

- Sand Loss shows how quickly sand is currently draining.

- The equipped text shows which attack will be used by left-click.

- The bandage counter shows how many bandages you carry out of 2.

- Pickup messages appear in the top-left and fade away.

SURVIVAL TIPS

- Do not cast expensive spells when sand is nearly empty.

- Preserve hearts because every lost heart increases sand drain.

- Use Red in the air; save Blue for safe grounded attacks.

- Use Green before a dangerous group or unavoidable hit.

- Shoot enemy projectiles to remove both projectiles.

- Use a bandage before the faster sand drain costs too much time.

- Sandbags are collected automatically, so you never need to touch them.

Survive, manage your resources, and set a new best time.