Choose Rust
Choose Rust if you want a Massively Multiplayer game with MMO, Subtitle Options, and Surround Sound. 519,643 Steam reviews back the pick.
Rust vs Don't Starve Together
Rust and Don't Starve Together 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. Don't Starve Together (2016) is 2 years older than Rust (2018). Don't Starve Together scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% 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.
Which should you pick?
Choose Don't Starve Together
Choose Don't Starve Together if you want a Strategy and Simulation game with LAN PvP, LAN Co-op, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 95.6% positive across 80,691 reviews.
Both Rust and Don't Starve Together sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online 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
 Rust |  Don't Starve Together | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Verified |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.7% positive (519,643 reviews) | 95.6% positive (80,691 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op |
| Developers | Facepunch Studios | Klei Entertainment |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Don't Starve Together (2016) is 2 years older than Rust (2018).
- Don't Starve Together scores higher on Steam reviews (95.6% positive) than Rust (86.7% positive).
- Don't Starve Together is currently ~25% cheaper on Steam than Rust (14.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Rust is Deck Unsupported, Don't Starve Together is Deck Verified.
Rust vs Don't Starve Together — FAQ
- Which is better, Rust or Don't Starve Together?
- On Steam reviews Don't Starve Together scores higher (95.6% positive) than Rust (86.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Don't Starve Together 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 Don't Starve Together first?
- If you want chronology, Don't Starve Together (2016) 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 Rust and Don't Starve Together 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 Don't Starve Together have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Rust ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Don't Starve Together ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.