Rust vs Lethal Company
Rust and Lethal Company 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 5 years older than Lethal Company (2023). Lethal Company scores higher on Steam reviews (97.4% positive) than Rust (86.7% 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
 Rust |  Lethal Company | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.7% positive (519,643 reviews) | 97.4% positive (274,553 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Facepunch Studios | Zeekerss |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Rust (2018) is 5 years older than Lethal Company (2023).
- Lethal Company scores higher on Steam reviews (97.4% positive) than Rust (86.7% positive).
- Lethal Company is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Rust (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Rust is Deck Unsupported, Lethal Company is Deck Playable.
Rust vs Lethal Company — FAQ
- Which is better, Rust or Lethal Company?
- On Steam reviews Lethal Company scores higher (97.4% positive) than Rust (86.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Lethal Company is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Rust or Lethal Company first?
- If you want chronology, Rust (2018) came out before Lethal Company (2023). 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 Lethal Company 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 Rust and Lethal Company have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Rust ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Lethal Company ships Online Co-op, Co-op.