SAND Controls Guide
This controls guide is written for new SAND: Raiders of Sophie players who want a safe first session before joining a serious crew. Exact default keybinds can change during Early Access, so the most important step is to open the in-game settings menu and confirm movement, interaction, weapon, inventory, communication, and Trampler controls before carrying valuable loot.
Do not treat controls as a five-second setup screen. In an extraction game, bad keybind habits become expensive when the crew is trying to leave, the Trampler is exposed, or another group appears while you are still searching for the right input.
First Controls Checklist
- Confirm movement, sprint, crouch, jump, interact, reload, weapon swap, inventory, and map or route-related inputs.
- Check voice or ping tools before entering with a crew.
- Practice entering, looting, returning, and extracting in a low-risk run.
- Adjust sensitivity only after you can move and interact without hesitation.
Controls Reference Table
| Control group | Actions to check | Practice drill | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movement | Move, sprint, crouch, jump, lean or stance options if available. | Circle the Trampler, enter cover, and return without looking at the keyboard. | Bad movement turns every loot transfer into a risky pause. |
| Interaction | Interact, open container, transfer item, pick up box, use object. | Open a container, move one item, close it, and move again in one clean rhythm. | Slow interaction is how safe rooms become ambush rooms. |
| Combat | Aim, fire, reload, swap weapon, use utility, check ammo. | Fire a short burst, reload behind cover, then retreat to the Trampler. | Most beginner deaths happen while reloading or swapping at the wrong time. |
| Inventory | Open inventory, split/drop, move item to storage, quick-use recovery. | Sort one valuable item and one filler item while a teammate watches. | Inventory panic wastes the window you need for extraction. |
| Map and route | Map, route marker, ping, compass, or any objective UI in the current build. | Mark the return line before touching a POI. | A route nobody can point to is not a route. |
| Communication | Voice, push-to-talk, ping, text, or quick callout settings. | Call "back to Trampler" and confirm every player hears it. | Extraction fails when the call exists only in one player's head. |
Because Early Access builds may change default bindings, this table intentionally focuses on control groups rather than claiming a permanent key for every action. Use the in-game settings screen as the source of truth, then write down any custom bindings your crew uses.
Trampler Control Habits
The Trampler is the center of route safety, so movement and interaction around it need their own practice. Learn how to enter, exit, reposition, and regroup without blocking other players. If you are driving or managing the base, your job is not only movement. Your job is to keep the walking base useful as a retreat point.
Best Practice Drill
Use Voyage Mode or another lower-pressure session to run a simple drill: leave the Trampler, gather one small objective, return, store or secure value, then extract. Repeat until the route feels boring. Boring is useful here because it means the controls are no longer taking attention away from route decisions.
Platform and Setup Notes
On PC, confirm mouse sensitivity, field of view, push-to-talk, and graphics stability before blaming aim or movement. If the game later adds or changes controller support, test controller prompts separately from keyboard prompts. Do not switch device type during a valuable run unless the crew is already safe.
Common Control Mistakes
The biggest mistake is joining a crew before testing inputs. The second is changing sensitivity, graphics, communication tools, and keybinds all at once. Change one thing, run one cheap route, and only then decide whether the change helped.
Source basis: Steam listing, official support FAQ, official site descriptions, and current Early Access mode information checked on Jun 28, 2026.