Choose Rust
Choose Rust if you want a Massively Multiplayer game with Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 519,643 Steam reviews back the pick.
Rust vs Happy Island Life
Rust and Happy Island Life 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. Rust (2018) is 4 years older than Happy Island Life (2022). Happy Island Life is currently ~85% cheaper on Steam than Rust (2.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD). 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 Happy Island Life
Choose Happy Island Life if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 85% cheaper on the Steam Store. Happy Island Life launched in 2022.
Both Rust and Happy Island Life sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, 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
 Rust |  Happy Island Life | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 2.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.7% positive (519,643 reviews) | 3 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Facepunch Studios | William at Oxford |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Rust (2018) is 4 years older than Happy Island Life (2022).
- Happy Island Life is currently ~85% cheaper on Steam than Rust (2.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Rust has co-op; Happy Island Life does not.
- Rust is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Happy Island Life has no Deck rating yet.
Rust vs Happy Island Life — FAQ
- Should I play Rust or Happy Island Life first?
- If you want chronology, Rust (2018) came out before Happy Island Life (2022). 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 Rust and Happy Island Life 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.
- Does Happy Island Life have multiplayer like Rust?
- No. Rust supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op), while Happy Island Life is listed as single-player only.