War Thunder vs Rust
War Thunder and Rust both land in Action, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. War Thunder (2013) is 5 years older than Rust (2018). Rust scores higher on Steam reviews (86.7% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Side-by-side comparison
 War Thunder |  Rust | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.1% positive (308,911 reviews) | 86.7% positive (519,643 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Gaijin Entertainment | Facepunch Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- War Thunder (2013) is 5 years older than Rust (2018).
- Rust scores higher on Steam reviews (86.7% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive).
- War Thunder is free; Rust is paid (19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: War Thunder is Deck Verified, Rust is Deck Unsupported.
War Thunder vs Rust — FAQ
- Which is better, War Thunder or Rust?
- On Steam reviews Rust scores higher (86.7% positive) than War Thunder (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Rust is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play War Thunder or Rust first?
- If you want chronology, War Thunder (2013) came out before Rust (2018). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are War Thunder and Rust similar?
- They overlap on Action, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both War Thunder and Rust have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: War Thunder ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Rust ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is War Thunder free?
- Yes — War Thunder is a free-to-play Steam title. Rust is paid (19.99 USD).