Is it worth playing Rust in 2025?

Rust is another online multiplayer title that encourages players to brave the outdoors and survive against various predators. Players can explore the open world to collect resources to build a camp and store food while setting up a defense against others who mean to take what they want by any means necessary.

Developed by Facepunch Studios, Rust has been universally praised on PC and fostered a healthy relationship with the gaming community for the past 12 years. The developer collaborated with Double Eleven to work on console ports, which created a separate server from the PC player base. Regardless of the platform division, this online survival title is worth revisiting in 2025.

Disclaimer: The writer has shared their personal and subjective opinions about the game.

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Rust is one of the best online multiplayer games available today

Survive the harsh open world of this multiplayer survival game (Image via Facepunch Studios)

The best part about Rust is that Facepunch Studios never knows when to stop improving and innovating. The developer has reinvented the formula by constantly releasing new events, maps, seasons, and other exciting content to keep the game's community alive and happy for the past few years.

The harsh and cruel conditions are meant to encourage players to step out of their comfort zones and take matters into their own hands to survive the wild. Newer players can select either the official server made by the developer or experience the community's creativity with their server.

Starting with only a rock and torch in their inventory, players should immediately collect other resources to improve their chances of survival.

Predators like wolves and bears are the main threats lurking in the wild; however, the survivor can also become the hunter. Players can explore the world to hunt wild animals for food, clothing, and other resources with a handful of ranged weapons, such as the compound bow and even guns with limited ammo.

Players can build small cottages with wood and make them feel like home with a few customizations. The game is like a real-life simulation for survival where players must start from rock bottom to reach the top and thrive.

Once a base has been established, players should start planning on getting more food to avoid starving to death. Fortunately, hunting can solve both problems by eliminating threats while gaining useful resources like animal meat, bones for crafting, and many more.

While wild animals are a problem that will never go away, so are humans with hostile intent. Other players can attack and raid everything fellow survivors have worked for. Survivors can find others while exploring the world to scavenge useful loot, which can lead to violent altercations. On the other hand, working together is still a viable option to drastically improve their chances of surviving.

With allies, survivors can trade weapons and other items to earn trust and goodwill, hoping that fellow like-minded survivors will return the favor.

Rust's open world is dense and violent, but it is still rich in natural resources, and players shouldn't waste the opportunity to improve their living situation. Facepunch Studios consistently adds new events and supply drops to the game, causing a tight race between various survivor groups.

Survivors can set up automated defenses to prevent intruders or raiders from entering their base and stealing supplies gathered from various locations. The map is large, and trekking on foot could be a nuisance, especially with heavy cargo.

Fortunately, there are a few exciting traversal methods to get around quickly on the ground, like riding on horseback or a customized car or truck, hot air balloons for air battles, and speedboats to get across large bodies of water.

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Conclusion

Rust will push the player base to the edge of desperation (Image via Facepunch Studios)

Rust is worth playing in 2025 and beyond, especially with consistent support from Facepunch Studios and the gaming community. This survival multiplayer experience might be a few years old at this point; however, the core gameplay mechanics and themes of self-preservation are extremely appealing.

The player base will not be bored playing this game anytime soon since there are no dull moments, and the urgency to find food and other resources reflects real-life problems.

Facepunch Studios perfectly manifested its vision into reality and continued to innovate to deliver on the promise of a realistic survival simulation.