Sand Shape level guide
Sand Shape Level 1 Walkthrough
Sand Shape Level 1 is a four-step tutorial. It teaches tap-to-fill on a dashed 2x2 grid, tromino rotation on 1x3 boards, 2x2 square regions, then finishes with the same four-L ring used in Level 2.
Board Notes
- Layout
- Level 1 is a four-bead tutorial rather than one static puzzle. Beat 1 uses a dashed 2x2 grid (`r1c1`-`r2c2`). Beat 2 shows a left vertical 1x3 column and a right horizontal 1x3 row. Beat 3 uses a stepped pair of 2x2 square regions. Beat 4 switches to the 4x4 outer ring with the central 2x2 void (`r2c2`-`r3c3`).
- Goal
- Clear all four tutorial beads, ending with four matching L triominoes around the empty center: upper-left `r1c1`/`r1c2`/`r2c1`, upper-right `r1c3`/`r1c4`/`r2c4`, lower-left `r3c1`/`r4c1`/`r4c2`, and lower-right `r3c4`/`r4c3`/`r4c4`.
- Opening
- Start on the dashed 2x2 grid by touching the bottom-right cell `r2c2`, then follow the tromino, square, and ring boards as each tutorial bead unlocks.
- Danger Zone
- Never drag across the dashed tutorial guides to merge cells from different teaching panels. On the final ring, do not join `r1c2`-`r1c4` into a straight top bar; that invalid L-strip appears again in Level 2.
- Mechanics
- Every beat reuses the rule card text, `Fill the board following the rule: All regions must be this shape,` while the sample icon changes between a 2x2 square, a vertical tromino, and the L-region preview. Touch indicators are visible, but the video does not prove tap versus short stroke.
Quick Tips for Sand Shape Level 1 (spoiler-free)
- Read the four progress beads as four separate teaching boards; the dashed lines are boundaries, not decoration.
- Beat 4 is the real ring rule. If a region runs straight across the top edge instead of turning at a corner, it is the wrong shape.
- If the board feels stuck, look for the color with the cleanest path and use that to regain space.
How to Solve Sand Shape Level 1 — Full Solution
- On the dashed 2x2 starter grid, touch/fill the bottom-right cell `r2c2` to complete the first tutorial bead.
- On the left vertical 1x3 board, fill all three cells as one vertical tromino.
- On the right horizontal 1x3 board, fill all three cells as one horizontal tromino.
- On the stepped 2x2 tutorial layout, fill the top row of the upper block first, then finish the remaining square sections.
- On the final 4x4 ring, fill the lower-left L: `r3c1`, `r4c1`, and `r4c2`.
- Complete the upper-left L: `r1c1`, `r1c2`, and `r2c1`.
- Complete the upper-right L: `r1c3`, `r1c4`, and `r2c4`.
- Finish the lower-right L: `r3c4`, `r4c3`, and `r4c4`, then wait for the completion transition.
Colors in this level:
Orange, Pink, Purple, Blue, Yellow, Green
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Merging the beat-2 vertical and horizontal 1x3 boards into one six-cell region instead of two separate tromino fills.
- Joining `r1c2`-`r1c4` on the final ring into a straight top strip; the tutorial ends with four corner L regions, not one horizontal bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Sand Shape Level 1 show several different boards?
It is a four-step tutorial. Each progress bead introduces a new rule icon and board before the final ring puzzle.
Does Sand Shape Level 1 use the same ring as Level 2?
Yes. The last tutorial beat uses the 4x4 outer ring with a 2x2 center void and the same four L triomino targets.