Sandloop is the kind of game that sneaks up on you in the best way. It’s a retro-style 3D platformer from the small Catalan studio Yoku Games, and it drops you into the lands of Iman with a big job and a ticking clock.
You play as Hura, a young villager whose festival day goes sideways when strangers attack to steal an ancient power.
She escapes, finds a magical loom, and gains new abilities through enchanted cloths called the Mindil.
The twist is that all of Iman is stuck in a time loop, so you’re racing to stop the invaders before the day resets.
There’s a lot to wrap your head around early on, so here are the tips that will make your first few hours way smoother.
Don’t panic about the time loop
The time loop is the first thing that scares new players, and it really shouldn’t. It’s the structure the whole game is built around, not a punishment waiting to catch you out.
The smartest thing you can do early is treat your first runs as scouting trips. Use them to learn where zones connect, where enemies sit, and which paths look interesting.
You do not need to accomplish everything in a single pass through the day.
Once you know the layout, every loop after that feels faster and far less stressful.
So give yourself permission to wander and observe at the start. The pressure of the clock eases up a ton once Iman stops feeling like a maze.
It also helps to set one clear goal per loop rather than juggling five things at once.
Picking off a single zone or a single objective keeps you from feeling rushed and scattered.
Movement is the whole game
If you take one thing away from this guide, make it this: Sandloop is a movement game first.
The platforming and traversal are where most of your time and most of your fun will come from.
Hura’s abilities are all about moving gracefully and fluidly across the map, so lean into that instead of fighting it.
Try to keep your momentum going rather than stopping and starting at every ledge.
The earlier you get comfortable chaining your moves together, the better everything else feels. Tricky jumps that wall you at first become second nature once the controls click.
Spending a few minutes just practicing traversal in a safe spot pays off for the entire rest of the game.
Treat every zone like a Metroidvania
Iman is split into four interconnected zones, and they’re designed to loop back on each other. This is where Sandloop’s Metroidvania roots show up.
You will constantly run into ledges, gaps, and doorways you can’t reach yet. That’s intentional, and it’s not a sign you missed something.
The Mindil grant new mobility powers as you progress, and those powers open up areas that were sealed off before. A wall that stops you cold in hour one might be an easy climb in hour three.
Make a mental note of those blocked spots and come back once you’ve unlocked a new ability.
This habit of backtracking with fresh powers is the heart of the whole experience, and it’s also how you’ll find a lot of the good hidden stuff.
If you enjoy this style of locked-then-unlocked exploration, our Never Grave beginner tips cover another game built on the same loop of returning to old areas.
Grab stamina and health fragments early
Scattered across the map are fragments of stamina and health, and they’re some of the most valuable things you can collect. Track them down whenever you can.
Health fragments increase how much punishment Hura can take, which matters a lot once enemies start hitting harder. The stamina fragments are arguably even better for new players.
More stamina means you can use your special abilities more often before needing to recharge.
That directly translates into smoother movement and more breathing room in fights.
Because everything in Sandloop runs on your mobility and abilities, these upgrades make the whole game easier in one shot. Prioritize them over almost anything else when you spot one nearby.
Win fights with timing, not force
Combat in Sandloop is built on agility, timing, and precision, so don’t expect to win by mashing your way through. Trading blows head-on is a quick way to get flattened.
The same movement skills you use for platforming are your best weapons here.
Reading an enemy’s wind-up and dodging at the right moment beats panicking and running every time.
Watch how each enemy telegraphs its attacks before you commit. Most threats become manageable once you know the rhythm of when to move and when to strike back.
Stay light on your feet and keep repositioning rather than standing still. Outmaneuvering enemies is almost always safer than trying to overpower them.
If a fight keeps going badly, it’s often a sign you’re short on a movement upgrade or a stamina fragment. Stepping away to grab one and coming back stronger is a perfectly good plan.
Talk to the locals and take side quests
Iman is full of inhabitants who need Hura’s help, and it’s worth chatting with every one of them you meet. Their requests are an easy source of rewards and a great way to learn how the world ticks.
Side content also gives you a reason to explore corners of the map you might otherwise skip.
That extra exploration tends to lead you straight to fragments and hidden paths.
Some of these characters point you toward things you’d never find on your own. Treat every conversation as a potential lead rather than filler.
If you like games that reward checking in with everyone, our Mika and The Witch’s Mountain tips make a similar case for talking to every NPC you cross.
Play the mini-games for coins
Sandloop tucks mini-games throughout your adventure, and they’re more than just decoration. Clearing them earns you coins, which are worth collecting as you go.
Beyond the rewards, the mini-games are a nice change of pace from the main loop.
They give you a low-pressure breather when the time loop starts feeling intense.
Pop into them when you spot one instead of treating them as a distraction. A few minutes spent here can reset your focus before you tackle the next stretch.
They’re also a gentle way to get more comfortable with Hura’s controls. Think of them as practice with a payout attached.
Outfits, achievements, and the demo
Sandloop lets you customize Hura’s look with new outfits, and the good news is this is purely cosmetic.
Wear whatever you think looks coolest and don’t stress about it affecting your run.
For players who love a checklist, there are 28 Steam achievements to chase. They give completionists plenty of goals once you’ve finished the main story.
One last tip for anyone still on the fence: there’s a free demo on Steam.
It’s a no-risk way to feel out the movement and decide if Iman is a world you want to spend more time in.
At $12.99 for a polished little platformer, Sandloop is an easy one to recommend to fans of retro 3D adventures.
Take your time, master the movement, and the time loop will start to feel less like a threat and more like your favorite tool.
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Screenshots are from the Sandloop page on Steam and used under Fair Use.