P1 QUERYSandustry Tier 5 unlock softlock Anomaly

Sandustry Tier 5 Unlock and Known Softlock

DIRECT ANSWER

Complete both the Florninol condensed goal and the Find the Anomaly goal to unlock Tier 5. The Aug 12 developer FAQ also records a known softlock when the Anomaly is found before Zoe tells the player to look for it. v0.5.3 now explains why an objective blocks a factory tier, but it does not say this softlock is fixed or publish a recovery method.

Gate 1: Florninol condensed goal
Gate 2: Find the Anomaly goal
Recovery: Not officially published

VERSION-SENSITIVEFAQ Aug 12 + v0.5.3 Aug 15Checked Aug 16, 2026 · 16:11 CST

OFFICIAL STORE STILL / UNDERGROUND CHAMBERExploration context—not an Anomaly route

The screenshot shows a dark underground corridor and resource markers. It does not identify the Anomaly, prove either Tier 5 condition, or show a softlock recovery.

Open exact official image © Lantto Games / Hooded Horse. Official Steam store screenshot showing v0.2.6; historical visual context only, not the current v0.5.3 interface.

Player question: A player needs the two official objective gates and a dated warning about the known Anomaly-order softlock.

Treat Tier 5 as a two-objective gate

The current developer FAQ names two requirements: complete the Florninol condensed goal and complete Find the Anomaly. The public Research node list does not replace those progression conditions.

Recognize the documented order-sensitive softlock

The same FAQ says finding the Anomaly before Zoe instructs the player to do so can leave Tier 5 locked. It does not say that every early discovery triggers the issue, and it does not give a verified recovery, save edit, quantity threshold, or restart rule.

Read the v0.5.3 status narrowly

The hotfix says an objective-blocked factory tier now displays the blocking reason. That improves diagnosis. It is not a statement that the Anomaly-order softlock was fixed. Until a newer first-party note says otherwise, resolution remains pending.

SOURCE LEDGER / P1 / PROGRESSION STATUS

Trace the answer before trusting it.

E1 is current first-party evidence. E2 is dated first-party or publisher-hosted reference material. E3 is timestamped public gameplay. Early Access updates can supersede any version-sensitive detail.

Publication limit: The two gates and dated softlock are official; quantity thresholds, exact trigger order, recovery, and current-build reproduction remain missing or pending.