Rust
2018 · Facepunch Studios
Has it aged?Why ↓
Rust is a first-person multiplayer survival sandbox where you start naked on an island with a rock and torch, gather wood and stone, build a base and craft weapons. The real attraction is deciding whether to bargain with the armed stranger outside your door or shoot first; the gathering is the entry test.
The only aim in Rust is to survive. Everything wants you to die - the island’s wildlife, other inhabitants, the environment, and other survivors. Do whatever it takes to last another night.
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play it for dangerous encounters with other players, not for the pleasure of gathering supplies. Talking a neighbour out of killing you is more interesting than another load of wood. The 2026 Common Ground update adds rentable flats and shops, but even paid-up tenants can be burgled with a master key. That is Rust's strongest idea: give people somewhere to live, then let other people threaten it. Whether that justifies the chores depends on how much you enjoy the confrontation.
Play it if
You enjoy negotiating over voice chat, designing bases to frustrate intruders and keeping spare equipment for the next disaster. You would rather have an unpredictable encounter with another player than a reliably productive evening.
Skip it if
You need gathering and building to feel rewarding without player conflict, or losing hard-earned equipment makes you quit. Rust repeatedly asks you to collect replacement supplies, and strangers often kill you rather than talk.
Common questions
- Has Rust aged well?
- Its unpredictable player encounters hold up better than its resource gathering. The 2023 landscape-painting expedition shows how even decorating a wooden sign can become an ordeal involving gunfire, freezing temperatures and stolen clothes.
- Are Rust's servers still running?
- Yes, Rust remained online in July 2026, with the Common Ground update adding multiplayer renting, shops and clan features.
- Does Rust have scheduled raid times?
- The 2026 Common Ground update limits raids in Softcore mode to a 6pm–9pm window and boosts resource gathering there.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 142k in Jan 2021.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗As well liked as at launch.
Updated within the last year, so still looked after.