Choose Rust
Choose Rust if you want an Action and Massively Multiplayer game with MMO, Color Alternatives, and Valve Anti-Cheat enabled. 519,643 Steam reviews back the pick.
Rust vs Wayward
Rust and Wayward both land in Indie, Adventure, RPG 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 Indie, Adventure, RPG on Steam. Wayward (2016) is 2 years older than Rust (2018). Both sit near 87% positive on Steam (Rust: 519,643 reviews, Wayward: 890). 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 Wayward
Choose Wayward if you want a Simulation and Early Access game with LAN PvP, LAN Co-op, and Playable without Timed Input. On Steam, it's currently about 60% cheaper on the Steam Store. Wayward launched in 2016.
Both Rust and Wayward sit in Indie, Adventure, and RPG on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and Online Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (86.7% vs 86.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Rust |  Wayward | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.7% positive (519,643 reviews) | 86.7% positive (890 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op |
| Developers | Facepunch Studios | Unlok |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure, RPG on Steam.
- Wayward (2016) is 2 years older than Rust (2018).
- Both sit near 87% positive on Steam (Rust: 519,643 reviews, Wayward: 890).
- Wayward is currently ~60% cheaper on Steam than Rust (7.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Rust is Deck Unsupported, Wayward is Deck Playable.
Rust vs Wayward — FAQ
- Which is better, Rust or Wayward?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Rust sits at 86.7% positive (519,643 reviews), Wayward at 86.7% (890). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Rust or Wayward first?
- If you want chronology, Wayward (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 Wayward similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure, RPG 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 Wayward have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Rust ships Online Co-op, Co-op; Wayward ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op.