Frequently Asked Questions About My Time At Sandrock

There are plenty of exciting things to do around town in My Time at Sandrock that will keep you and your builder plenty busy, but there are also a couple things you should keep in mind before diving into the game. Whether it’s the fuel in your machines or the mysterious face on the wanted posters, Sandrock has plenty to keep in mind.

In this guide, we’ve assembled our list of odd and end questions we’ve encountered while playing My Time at Sandrock. With a story spanning tens of hours and dozens of characters, we’ll help you keep things straight.

Updated on November 10, 2023: Now that My Time at Sandrock’s full version has been out for a full week, we wanted to come back and add a few more of the most common questions we’ve seen about the game, as well as provide helpful links to content we’ve published since launch.

How Do You Improve Your Workshop Ranking?

At the beginning of My Time at Sandrock, your workshop ranks at the bottom of the rankings – which you can check at the Commerce Guild, on the bulletin board right across from you when you walk in the door.

Your workshop rating is reflective of how well and how quickly you perform work for the people of Sandrock. This can be from builds related to the story, commissions, and more.

The more stars a commission has, the more likely it is to offer more points for your workshop!

Who Is Logan?

You’ll see plenty of wanted posters all around Sandrock plastering Logan’s face everywhere, advising the townsfolk to be on the lookout. You even help Pen hang up more wanted posters after the sandstorm blows them away.

There’s a lot of story involved before you meet Logan himself – this doesn’t happen until after you and Mi-an have fixed the stage for Mason’s going away party – but he’s an outlaw in Sandrock, and a dangerous one at that.

Logan is a bandit who’s been causing all kinds of trouble in Sandrock with his friend and accomplice, Haru. Their involvement in the early story is limited, but your gameplay begins to revolve around them and their legion of bad guys before long.

However, you are able to romance Logan later on after several main story missions that involve breaking into his home, repairing the town after his attacks, and getting to know him.

Why Do My Machines Keep Stopping?

Since Sandrock is an extremely arid desert town, you’ll need to be sure that your water tank always has water in it. You’ll need less in colder seasons, but in the hottest parts of the year, your machines overheat without it!

You can either make water yourself at the Worktable in exchange for ten Dew, or you can buy water from Burgess near the Oasis for Gols.

If your water tank is full, you may want to double-check that your machines have fuel in them and that they’re clear of any sand that may have built up.

How Do You Refill Machines?

Whether it’s fuel to keep machines churning or water to keep them cool and functional in such a hot climate, you’ll need to keep an eye on the levels of your machines at home.

When interacting with any piece of machinery, you’ll be able to check how much fuel is available. There are plenty of items you can use for fuel, like dregs or wood, so be sure to keep your motors running and full of fuel.

Should either run out completely, you’ll see a pop-up alerting you that your home machines have stopped running, no matter where you are in the world. Work is suspended until you refill the machinery.

Why Can You Fight The Townsfolk?

In Sandrock, the majority of the adult NPCs in town will have a red boxing glove icon in their socialization options when you speak to them. This is the sparring option, and it brings you two over to the arena to immediately start a casual, friendly fight.

Sparring is good for a few things, like testing new weapons or just gaining valuable combat experience. Each townsperson uses different weapons and has different fighting styles, which helps you prepare for anything out in the wilds.

Not only is it combat experience, but it’s also a good way to bond with your neighbors, as you’ll earn relationship points with your sparring partner for participating.

You’ll gain all your experience and relationship points at the end, so stay on your toes and kick some butt for the best payouts.

How Do You Get Into The Mines After Your Trial Passes Run Out?

When you first meet Rocky, the leader over at Eufaula Salvage, he’s holding Yan up at the Commerce Guild, demanding Yan finally deliver the two massive cranes that Rocky ordered long ago.

There’s an entire mission in which you must craft one of the cranes, but in order to do so, you’ll need some of the more advanced salvaging parts that are within the walls of Eufaula Salvage.

Since you’re helping him, Rocky gives you a free one-week pass as part of the story mission to build him a crane. Past that, though, you need to buy a pass if you’d like to keep going in.

The passes cost 200 Gols and each gives you entry for one week, with the end date marked on your calendar. You can buy a pass by simply approaching the closed door to Eufaula Salvage and buying it from the menu that appears when you try to enter.

Eufaula Salvage is also the location of the game’s first proper mine, so you’ll need access to the salvage yard a few times before you’ve fully explored the Abandoned Ruins.

The same goes for the Gecko Station Ruins that unlock later in the game.

Can You Get Around Any Faster?

In short, yes – you have a handful of options for navigating Sandrock a bit faster, but each will come at a price.

Where you see the greenish Yakmel symbol on your map (by the train station near your workshop, by the gardens up north, etc.), you’re able to pay a few Gols to take a Yakmel Cart across town. This consumes a bit of time, but it will instantly bring you to the chosen destination.

As you expand your map into other regions of the desert, you’ll periodically be able to set up new Yakmel Cart stops. Do this as soon as you’re able and save yourself a lot of walking to and from these far-out regions!

Additionally, you’ll soon be able to rent or purchase mounts from Cooper. Elsie gets you a one-week free trial with the animal of your choice – either a horse or a Yakmel – but you’ll need to pay her father for anything past there.

In order to buy a mount permanently, you need to build a Stable by going to Construction Junction. After it’s built and placed, you also need to keep the troughs stocked with food for the animals you own.

Cooper charges by the week to rent animals, and the prices fluctuate based on the stats of the animals you can rent at any given time. These mounts disappear automatically on the morning your rental expires.

How Do You Replenish Stamina?

Stamina is critical in Sandrock, since it’s how you mine, break up scrap, and battle enemies out in the wilds. As such, you’ll need as much stamina as you can get!

There are a few ways you can replenish your stamina in My Time at Sandrock:

• Medicine that you purchase either from vending machines in mines or from Fang’s Clinic can offer more stamina while you’re out in the field.
• Smaller foods like jerky and berries replenish small bits of stamina, while full meals tend to focus more on your builder’s health instead.
• Sitting in a chair someplace out and about in Sandrock – the benches around town, chairs placed at your house, etc. – will slowly but surely replenish stamina the longer you sit.
• Leveling up in the middle of an action will replenish both your health and stamina a bit.

The easiest and most consistent way to replenish stamina is with medicine, as the cost isn’t too high on them and they’re easily available within the mines should you forget to grab them beforehand.

How Do You Unlock New Areas Of The Map?

Though you’ll notice early in the game that the map of Sandrock itself is pretty massive, you’ll begin the game with only a bit of the map uncovered.

You will progress into new areas of the map, but new areas require main story progress to unlock. You’ll see these areas early on – like the bridge with the Geeglers that you’re not strong enough to fight at first – but you’ll struggle to access them until progressing with the story.

After major story arcs conclude, take a look in town and around the area to see what’s changed with your story progression – you may have access to new areas, resources, or characters.

How Do You Romance A Character?

Romance in My Time at Sandrock functions much like your friendships at first – it’s the basis of a meaningful relationship, after all!

To romance one of the 21 total romance options in Sandrock, you’ll need to progress your friendship level with them by chatting, playing Critters, sparring, giving gifts, and more.

Once you’ve got your heart set on someone, grab a Heart Knot from By the Stairs and gift it to your intended. Beware, though, that some characters may confess to you first.

Check out our complete romance guide for more specific info on how to win the heart of your dearly beloved in Sandrock.

How Can You Accept More Commissions?

When you first begin playing My Time at Sandrock, you’re initially limited to one commission per day. The game sets this limit to get you used to commissions as a concept, and you’ll be able to accept more as you increase your workshop rating.

Every month, Yan weighs up all the workshops in Sandrock and assigns a ranking. The higher you rank, the more commissions you can accept, as this means you’ve proven yourself as a builder.

Raise your workshop reputation by completing the commissions you can accept, finishing main story missions, and going on side-quests, and you’ll be accepting more commissions in no time.

There are also Knowledge Point perks that unlock additional commission slots as well. You can also keep track of commissions at home by building and placing a Commission Tracker board at your Workshop.

Why Can’t I Upgrade This Machine?

Upgrading your machines in My Time at Sandrock requires two components to complete: you’ll need to have the necessary upgrade parts on hand and ready to go, but you’ll also need the machine blueprint before you can make the upgrade, too.

Blueprints can be prototyped at the Research Center with Qi, who researches into new machines or technological advancements for you in exchange for Data Discs.

Even if you have all the necessary items to upgrade a machine, you can’t make a machine upgrade without first having the blueprint, so stay on top of your Research Center processes!

Who Is The Mysterious Man? When Does He Show Up?

You’ll likely find the house the Mysterious Man keeps in Sandrock before you actually meet him, but the Mysterious Man visits Sandrcok on the 20th and 21st days of each season, when he’ll wander through town throughout the day trying to buy or sell items.

If you played My Time at Portia, you’ll likely remember him, but if not, the Mysterious Man visits town occasionally to sell items you can’t easily find elsewhere.

This includes things like unique clothing, relationship items (like Engagement Rings or Broken Mirrors), pet supplies, rare cooking ingredients, crafting recipes, and more.

If it’s your first time bumping into the Mysterious Man, he’ll give you a unique seasoning blend he found in Seesai and task you with making a special recipe for him to sell throughout the Alliance of the Free Cities.

This dish is Drool For Joy Noodles, which you can later sell to Owen for use at the Blue Moon Saloon or make yourself as an excellent gift for Mi-an.

NEXT: My Time At Sandrock: 10 Things Only Players Of My Time At Portia Noticed