Howdy Pioneers,
and welcome to our first development update of 2026.
January’s was another busy month on the trail, even if we’ve been keepin’ a few cards close to our chest.
Trail Guides and Playtesting
In January, we quietly released our first external test build of Red Rust Pioneers to a small group of players from our Discord community, known as the Trail Guides.
These fine folks have been ridin’ the trail ahead of the wagon train, playin’ through the build and sendin’ back thoughtful feedback that’s already helpin’ shape our ongoing roadmap. We want to give them a heartfelt thank you for their time, insight, and good spirits, your input is genuinely makin’ the game better.
Since we first announced Red Rust Pioneers last May, we’ve said we’re building this game with our community, not just for it. That hasn’t changed. We’re payin’ close attention to the features and moments that resonate most with players, and lettin’ those guide where we put our time and effort next.
A Few… Interesting Discoveries
As you might expect, early playtesting has already uncovered some, let’s say, memorable bugs.
We’ve seen pioneers misplace their heads entirely, and at one point the frontier seemed to be overrun with a suspicious number of buckets. That’s game development for you, equal parts progress and peculiar surprises, and exactly why this stage of testing matters so much.
(Rest assured, the pioneers are steadily regaining their heads.)
About Future Playtests
For now, playtesting is invite-only, and limited to a small group so we can move quickly and act on feedback without too much noise.
That said, we’ll be gradually expanding playtesting over time. When we’re ready to invite more pioneers onto the trail, we’ll announce sign-ups clearly through:
• Steam updates like this one
• Our Discord
• And our community channels
Everyone will get a chance to put their name in the hat. And if you’re keen to be among the first when that time comes, being active, friendly, and helpful in the community certainly doesn’t hurt.
Laying the Foundations
The current round of testing has highlighted a number of issues we’re now actively addressing, alongside introducing several new systems behind the scenes.
At the same time, we’ve been spending a good chunk of effort on optimization, strengthening the foundations of the game world so everything runs smoother as the frontier grows.
Building a good homestead isn’t about rushin’ straight to the fancy bits. First you lay solid foundations, then strong walls, a roof that keeps the weather out, and only then do you start thinkin’ about makin’ the place feel like home. We’re takin’ that same layered approach here.
Once this phase is wrapped up, we’ll be turnin’ our attention back to some of the larger features we’re keen to bring to life.
That’s all we’re ready to share for now, but rest assured, things are movin’ along nicely behind the scenes.
Thanks, as always, for walkin’ the trail with us. We’ll be back soon with more news.
Stay safe out there, Pioneers.
– Rusty and the Rusty Robot dev team
P.S. Don’t forget to boil your tea.