Choose Rust
Choose Rust if you want a RPG game with Adjustable Text Size, Subtitle Options, and Color Alternatives. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 86.7% positive across 519,643 reviews.
Rust vs SCUM
Rust and SCUM 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 7 years older than SCUM (2025). Rust scores higher on Steam reviews (86.7% positive) than SCUM (74.1% 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 SCUM
Choose SCUM if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 37,396 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Rust and SCUM sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, 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 |  SCUM | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 44.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.7% positive (519,643 reviews) | 74.1% positive (37,396 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Facepunch Studios | Gamepires |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Rust (2018) is 7 years older than SCUM (2025).
- Rust scores higher on Steam reviews (86.7% positive) than SCUM (74.1% positive).
- Rust is currently ~56% cheaper on Steam than SCUM (19.99 USD vs. 44.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
Rust vs SCUM — FAQ
- Which is better, Rust or SCUM?
- On Steam reviews Rust scores higher (86.7% positive) than SCUM (74.1% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Rust 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 SCUM first?
- If you want chronology, Rust (2018) came out before SCUM (2025). 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 SCUM 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 SCUM have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Rust ships Online Co-op, Co-op; SCUM ships Online Co-op, Co-op.