Welcome to Rust — start here
Rust is a brutal multiplayer survival game where you spawn naked on a beach and try not to die. This guide gives absolute beginners the basics: what the game is, how to pick a sane first server, and what the first few minutes will actually look like.
What Rust actually is
Rust is a multiplayer survival game made by Facepunch Studios. You share a map with dozens (sometimes hundreds) of other players, and almost all of them can and will kill you. The goal isn't to "win" — there's no ending. You gather resources, build a base, make tools and weapons, raid other players, get raided, and try to live a little longer each time.
The most important thing to understand up front is wipes. Every server resets its map and player progress on a schedule — usually weekly, biweekly, or monthly. The big one is force wipe, which happens on the first Thursday of every month, when every server is forced to reset. After a wipe, everyone starts naked on the beach again. This is good news for new players: a fresh wipe means nobody has fortresses or assault rifles 
yet.
Picking your first server
The server you pick matters more than almost anything else. The wrong server will get you farmed by veterans for hours. Look for these things:
- Low population — under 100 players, ideally under 50. Less competition for resources and fewer hunters.
- Vanilla — vanilla means no mods, no custom rules, just the base game as Facepunch designed it. Learn the real game first.
- Weekly wipe — a fresh map every week means you're never too far behind the leaders.
- Region match — pick a server in your country or region so your ping is low.
You'll also see modded servers. Modded means custom rules — things like 2x or 5x gather rates, instant crafting, kits, or shops. Modded servers are fun but they teach you bad habits because progression is unrealistic. Stick with vanilla until you understand the basics.
The in-game UI you need to know
Rust's UI is minimal on purpose. The game won't hold your hand. Here are the keys that matter from minute one:
- TAB — opens your inventory
- G — opens the map
- F1 — opens the console
- B — opens the emote wheel
- T — opens chat
You'll also want to know left-click swings your equipped tool, right-click is the secondary action, and F picks up items.
Your first five minutes
When you load in, you'll be standing on a beach. You'll have exactly two things: a rock 
and a torch 
. That's it.
Your goal in the first hour isn't to fight anyone. It's to get inland, gather wood 
and stone 
, craft basic tools, and get a roof over your head before nightfall.
Quick recap
- Rust is a multiplayer survival game by Facepunch with regular wipes — the big one is the first Thursday of each month.
- Pick a low-pop, vanilla, weekly-wipe server in your region for your first run.
- Learn these keys: TAB inventory, G map, F1 console, B emotes, T chat.
- You start with a rock and a torch . Drink fresh water, not saltwater.
- Don't trust anyone on the beach. Get inland fast.
Next: Your first hour: from spawn to wooden shelter — what to do in the 60 minutes after you spawn. Want more detail? New Player Onboarding — same topic, deeper dive.