Red Rust Pioneers is an open-world survival crafting game set in the 19th-century American West, supporting solo exploration or co-op for up to four players. Players can travel across different regions by wagon, find land to settle, and start with a tent and campfire, gradually building ranches and homes.
The game's cowboy attire and expansive landscapes are reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption 2, while the gameplay is closer to survival crafting titles like Valheim. The developers also mentioned that Valheim and The Forest served as inspirations for the game.
After settling down, the team needs to gather materials, craft tools and equipment, and obtain food through hunting, fishing, and farming. Extreme heat, cold, and storms can also affect the journey. Players can switch between first-person and third-person perspectives.
The development team plans to launch the game in Early Access, expected to last 18 to 24 months, with a schedule of monthly updates. The team stated that core features such as crafting, building, and logging discoveries will be available at the start of Early Access, with further improvements based on player feedback.
Future plans include new regions, more crafting recipes and building options, animal behaviors, character roles, and skill trees; story content is planned for the full release. No specific Early Access launch date or price has been announced yet.