Your ants will try to complete the closest order. Choose a type of order using the buttons at the top and then give the orders by clicking where you want them to happen. Hold the mouse button down while moving the mouse to select lots of locations quickly.
Order dirt to be dug () and if an ant can reach it, your worker ants will move it to the closest empty space, turning the space into tunnel wall. This does not block water, but lets ants move freely.
Ordering air to have dirt built () makes ants carry Dirt there, turning it into tunnel wall. Ordering more to be built at the tunnel wall will turn it into solid dirt
Use the right mouse button or the Cancel mode () to cancel orders. (This is very useful if ants get stuck).
Use arrow keys, or drag the middle mouse button to pan around the map, and use the scroll wheel to zoom.
Dig () up food and it gets brought to the Queen who will produce grubs if she has adjacent tunnel wall. These will grow into new worker ants.
Grubs that get wet die and ants (including the Queen) who get surrounded by water drown. Be careful when digging tunnels in the rain!
Dig tunnels and build structures that divert water to keep your colony safe. Rainfall will come and go, but gradually get heavier over time!
To move grubs, designate grub nurseries () over tunnel wall. Ants will automatically bring grubs to the nurseries.
You can tell ants to move the Queen by using Queen home ().
The first order mode () in the top left is probably the most useful - this digs if you select dirt or food and places dirt if you select spaces without anything solid.
At the start, build a roof above your queen. Walls at the sides of your digging region are a good way to keep it somewhat dry
As your base gets bigger, diagonal slopes are the most efficient way to divert water - make layers of roof and drainage tunnels