Choose Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic
Choose Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic if you want a Strategy and Adventure experience. On Steam, it's currently about 45% cheaper on the Steam Store. Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic launched in 2013.
Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic vs Rust of Steel
Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic and Rust of Steel both land in Indie, 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, RPG on Steam. Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic (2013) is 12 years older than Rust of Steel (2025). Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic is currently ~45% cheaper on Steam than Rust of Steel (5.99 USD vs. 10.99 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 Rust of Steel
Choose Rust of Steel if it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Rust of Steel launched in 2025.
Both Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic and Rust of Steel sit in Indie and RPG 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
 Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic |  Rust of Steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG | Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 5.99 USD | 10.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 81.1% positive (222 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | inXile Entertainment | Fortress13 Game Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic (2013) is 12 years older than Rust of Steel (2025).
- Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic is currently ~45% cheaper on Steam than Rust of Steel (5.99 USD vs. 10.99 USD).
- Rust of Steel is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic has no Deck rating yet.
Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic vs Rust of Steel — FAQ
- Should I play Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic or Rust of Steel first?
- If you want chronology, Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic (2013) came out before Rust of Steel (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 Wasteland 1 - The Original Classic and Rust of Steel similar?
- They overlap on Indie, 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.