Strata — a falling-sand world you have to discover

About Strata — a falling-sand world you have to discover

Strata — a falling-sand world you have to discover is a free online Simulation game that runs right in your browser. There is nothing to download and no account to create: press Play and you are in. It works on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile.

A falling-sand sandbox with no palette. You start with sand, water, stone, fire and a seed; the other twenty-nine materials have to be found. Quench lava to get obsidian, let steam climb until it snows, bury a plant deep under stone and come back to find oil, then coal, then diamond. The ground is opaque until you cut into it, so the salt seams, the ore and the magma at the bottom are yours to dig out. Nothing is discovered for you. Slow the world to an eighth speed to watch a reaction happen, or switch on high-contrast colours to tell the greys apart. Your notebook is kept between worlds.

How to play

Press the Play button to load the game. Most games are played with the mouse or by tapping the screen; keyboard games use the arrow keys, WASD or the space bar. Read the in-game instructions for the exact controls, and use the fullscreen button for the best experience.

Frequently asked questions