- Stop The Tsunami guide: Dig sand, throw scoops, and build tall walls before each wave hits.
- Claim first: Use your daily spin and rewards pearls before starting any round.
- Best build: Tamp and glue your wall so it holds firm on impact.
- Trench trick: Dig a trench behind the wall to catch overflow water.
- Upgrade path: Coins buy better shovels, the sand trencher, and support tools.
Getting Started: Before the First Wave
Your first minutes in Stop The Tsunami decide how smoothly the rest of your run goes. Before you even start a round, open the daily spin to unlock skins and equip them in the skins menu, then head to the rewards panel to claim pearls. Pearls go toward upgrades that meaningfully boost your digging speed and wall durability, so skipping them is throwing away free progress.
Once you claim everything, start a solo round on easy difficulty. Your core loop is simple: dig up sand, throw the scoops onto your growing wall, and start the round when you feel ready. As long as the wall is built high enough, the tsunami breaks against it and the town is saved.
Video Highlights:
- Full walkthrough of the dig-and-toss building loop
- How to use the daily spin and claim pearls for upgrades
- Sand trencher, glue, tamper, and shovel upgrade demonstrations
- Trench-behind-the-wall survival trick
- Three consecutive wave survivals with a glued, tamped wall
Always collect your daily spin and pearl rewards before starting a round. Upgrades purchased with early pearls make your first few waves far easier to survive.
Core Gameplay Loop: Dig, Toss, Survive
The basic cycle in Stop The Tsunami is straightforward, but executing it efficiently separates players who survive five waves from players who wipe on wave two.
| Phase | Action | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Prep | Dig sand near your wall line | Stockpile scoops |
| Build | Throw scoops onto the wall | Make it taller |
| Reinforce | Tamp and glue the structure | Prevent collapse on impact |
| Defend | Start the round | Survive the tsunami |
| Reward | Collect coins | Buy better tools |
| Repeat | Dig again for the next wave | Scale up each round |
Height is the single most important stat for your wall. The taller it stands, the more water it blocks, and tall walls consistently stop waves that shorter ones cannot. Between rounds, keep digging and tossing — never stand idle while waiting for the next tsunami warning.
Some rounds send two waves back to back. If your wall barely survived the first, immediately patch and raise it — the second wave exploits any weak point left behind.
Step-by-Step: Build a Wall That Holds
Dig Your Sand Supply
Dig near the wall line so your tosses land accurately. Upgrading your shovel early makes every scoop count for more sand per dig.
Stack Scoops Tall
Throw scoops onto the wall and keep stacking. Aim for height first — a tall basic wall beats a short fancy one every time.
Tamp It Down
Use the tamper to compress the wall. It loses a little height but gains the sturdiness needed to absorb impact without breaking apart.
Glue the Structure
Apply glue to the backside of the wall. Glued sand slows erosion dramatically and is the fastest reinforcement option available.
Dig a Backup Trench
Dig a trench directly behind the wall. Any water that crests over lands in the trench instead of flooding the town, buying you margin on big waves.
Tamper plus glue plus a rear trench carried runs through three consecutive waves in testing. If a wall fails with all three applied, it simply was not tall enough — add height before the next round.
Tools and Upgrades: What to Buy First
Coins earned from surviving waves fund your progression through the shop. Not every purchase pulls its weight, so prioritize the tools that directly increase sand throughput and wall durability.
| Tool / Upgrade | Cost | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shovel Upgrade | Coins | Dig faster, move more sand per scoop | ★★★★★ |
| Glue Bottle | Coins | Glued sand erodes slower | ★★★★★ |
| Tamper | Coins | Compacts wall into a sturdier shape | ★★★★ |
| Sand Trencher | 300 coins | Auto-digs and pushes sand toward the wall | ★★★ |
| Sculpting Tool | Coins | Smooths down uneven wall sections | ★★★ |
| Lifeguard ATV | Coins | Pushes sand into the wall manually | ★★ |
The sand trencher is a solid mid-game pickup: turn dig on behind your wall and it moves sand onto the structure for you. Its main drawback is the slow turning speed, which makes it awkward in tight spots. The lifeguard ATV can push sand into the wall, but it feels finicky to control — spend those coins on shovel and glue upgrades instead.
Early Game
- Shovel upgrade first
- Basic dig-and-toss loop
- Skip gimmick vehicles
Mid Game
- Sand trencher for passive digging
- Glue every wall before rounds
- Start digging backup trenches
Late Game
- Tamper + glue combo on every wall
- Maximize height before starting rounds
- Handle double waves with patched walls
When choosing between a fun vehicle and a reinforcement tool, pick reinforcement. The glue bottle and tamper win more rounds than any ATV ever will.
Survival Checklist and Wave Strategy
Each wave grows larger, and the game telegraphs big ones — when the ocean pulls back dramatically, something huge is coming. Use that warning to dig aggressively and raise your wall before the wave arrives.
Before Every Wave:
- Claim daily spin and pearl rewards
- Stack the wall taller than the previous wave height
- Glue the backside of the wall
- Tamp the structure for impact resistance
- Dig a trench behind the wall for overflow
Wave difficulty also scales with how well you prepared, so under-prepared walls face punishing crests. If water barely tops your wall but lands in your trench, you still survive — that margin is exactly why the trench trick matters.
When you see the ocean receding dramatically, a massive tsunami is next. Drop everything, dig fast, and pour every scoop onto the wall before it strikes.
FAQ
Q: How do I stop the tsunami in Stop The Tsunami?
Dig up sand, throw the scoops onto your wall to build it tall, then reinforce it with the tamper and glue before starting the round. Tall, glued walls consistently block waves, and a trench behind the wall catches any overflow.
Q: What should I buy first with coins?
Prioritize shovel upgrades and the glue bottle. The sand trencher at 300 coins is a solid third purchase for passive digging, while the lifeguard ATV is generally skippable due to awkward controls.
Q: What are pearls used for?
Pearls come from the rewards panel and can be spent on upgrades that improve your digging and building. Claim them before every session since they are one of the few free progression resources in the game.
Q: Why did my wall break even though it was tall?
Height alone is not enough on larger waves. Tamp the wall for sturdiness, glue it so sand does not erode on impact, and dig a trench behind it to catch water that crests over the top.