Choose The Forest
Choose The Forest if you want a Simulation game with LAN Co-op, Tracked Controller Support, and VR Supported. 175,474 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Forest vs Red Rust Pioneers
The Forest and Red Rust Pioneers both land in Action, Indie, Adventure 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, Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Forest (2018) is 8 years older than Red Rust Pioneers (2026). Both support cooperative play. No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Red Rust Pioneers
Choose Red Rust Pioneers if you want an Early Access game with DualShock Controller Support. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Red Rust Pioneers launched in 2026.
Both The Forest and Red Rust Pioneers sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Forest |  Red Rust Pioneers | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Action, Indie, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 95.3% positive (175,474 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Endnight Games Ltd | fish in a bottle |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Forest (2018) is 8 years older than Red Rust Pioneers (2026).
- Both support cooperative play.
- The Forest is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Red Rust Pioneers has no Deck rating yet.
The Forest vs Red Rust Pioneers — FAQ
- Should I play The Forest or Red Rust Pioneers first?
- If you want chronology, The Forest (2018) came out before Red Rust Pioneers (2026). 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 The Forest and Red Rust Pioneers similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure 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 The Forest and Red Rust Pioneers have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: The Forest ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; Red Rust Pioneers ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Does The Forest run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Forest is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Red Rust Pioneers doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.