Black Sand Drift has been meticulously crafted from the ground up with the desktop and keyboard being the sole platform and device as its destination. So what does this mean exactly? It means that the controls mapped to the keyboard’s WASD and SPACEBAR feel like a glove; natural, responsive, and tight. Of course, we give the player the option to use the standard ARROW keys if they prefer, so whatever your preferred play-style is, it’s up to you.

1. Game Clock: Beating the level faster will result in a larger score bonus.
2. The Tilda: The ship that you will guide through your journey across 25 levels.
3. Griffin: A portrait of Griffin, a vessel through which Coda can control the ship.
4. Lives: For each level, you will be presented with 3 lives to beat the level; if you lose them all, you will need to try that level again.
5. Health Bar: If your health bar depletes completely, you will lose a life.
6. Boost Bar: Using Boost will allow the Tilda to increase its speed dramatically until the bar is depleted.
7. Special Bar: Using a Special Weapon will deplete this bar—and when completely gone—you will lose your current Special Weapon.
8. Next Level Bar: With each enemy destroyed, the bar will slowly fill; once it’s completely full, you will have beaten the level.
9: Score: Your current score—along with the level’s highs score—is displayed.

The Tilda’s default weapon's system fires an automatic stream of bullets, giving the player a means to fight the deadly Spiral forces. However, this is not the only weapon at your disposal; there are also 15 powerful Special Weapons spread out among the 25 levels.

Special Weapons will randomly fall from the top of the screen, so choose whichever fits the situation or your personal style.

An important part to mastering Black Sand Drift lies in its implementation of Capsules. These colored, falling collectables each play an important and distinct role, and will fall from the top of the screen when the correct conditions are met.

Lengthens usage time for special-weapons.



Lengthens usage time for boost.



Collected during special-weapon use combined with boost. Each pickup adds 1 to score multiplier.



Collected when life is low. Adds 25% health.


“The Cheat Pill”--when collected--adds +5 to your “Next Level” meter. This will reset your score to “0”, add 1 minute to your time, and prevent the “Extra” for that level from being unlocked. Of course, the level can be replayed later at anytime to score big and unlock the “Extra”.

With 25 levels, each with their own local and highscore table, there are many reasons to return again and again to your favorite to see if you can climb the leaderboards. And once you beat a level, you can play it at anytime by pausing the game and selecting whichever you’d like to attempt again.

1. The most straightforward way of accumulating points is to destroy incoming enemy ships; this will net you 20 points.

2. With each enemy destroyed, there is chance that special pink stars will emerge, and for each one collected, you will add 5 points to your total.

3. The quicker a level is beaten, the larger time-bonus you will acquire.

4. A life-bonus is also rewarded for beating a level with 2 or 3 lives still remaining.

5. The most invaluable and efficient way to reach the top of the leaderboard is to engage in the multiplier system available in the game. When you Boost AND use a Special Weapon at the same time, a pink capsule will fall from the skies. With each capsule obtained (while STILL Boosting and using your Special Weapon), a multiplier will be added to each enemy destroyed. Once you lose your Boost or Special weapon, you will have no multiplier and need to try again.

For every level you beat (without cheating), you will unlock a special image accessible from the main menu; everything from concept art to alternate versions of characters and more, all straight from the pages of my sketchbook.