Howdy, Pioneers,
We have got some big news from the frontier.
First up, a lot of you have been asking for a little more time with the current playtest. So we are extending it by another 48 hours.
That takes the playtest through to Sunday 30 August at 6:00pm Eastern (EDT), which is 3:00pm Pacific (PDT), or 22:00 UTC if you are further afield. A couple more days to explore Overlook Lake, expand your homestead, venture a little further into the wilderness and, of course, keep sending us your feedback and bug reports.
And speaking of feedback.
The playtest has been a huge step forward
Over the last few weeks more and more of you have been heading out onto the frontier, playing the game, reporting bugs, telling us what you enjoy and showing us where there is still work to do.
It has been enormously useful.
We still have plenty ahead of us. There are bugs to squash, performance improvements to make, systems to refine and a great deal more of Red Rust Pioneers still to build. But the response to the playtest has given us real confidence in the direction we are heading.
More importantly, having people actually playing the game is helping us understand where to focus next.
So when the current playtest comes to an end, Red Rust Pioneers is not going away.
The playtest build becomes a free demo
As the playtest draws to a close, we will be releasing the latest build as a free Steam demo.
That means you will still be able to head back to Overlook Lake, keep exploring the frontier and carry on helping us shape the game. It also means a great many more players will get the chance to discover Red Rust Pioneers for the first time.
One important thing about your save
If you are already playing the playtest, please read this bit.
Your existing playtest save will not carry across to the demo. You will be starting a fresh game when you move over.
So treat these last 48 hours as a chance to say a fond farewell to your current homestead before you set out on the trail again.
We are joining Steam PvE Survival Crafting Fest
Steam's PvE Survival Crafting Fest begins on Monday 31 August, and we are delighted to say that Red Rust Pioneers will be taking part.
This is an exciting next step for us. The playtest has already brought a tremendous group of players into the game, and the festival gives us the chance to reach a far wider audience, gather a great deal more feedback, and learn more about what players want from Red Rust Pioneers.
That feedback matters. What you tell us now will help shape our priorities as we carry on down the road towards Early Access.
The demo is still an early look at the game. Expect some rough edges, bugs, and places where performance needs work. We will be at our desks throughout the festival fixing issues and pushing updates as we find them.
But that is exactly why now is such a good moment to get more of you involved. Red Rust Pioneers is taking shape, the frontier is getting busier, and every new Pioneer who joins us helps make the game better.
Come and find us on Discord
Whether you are in the playtest now or picking up the demo on Monday, Discord is the best place to share feedback, ask questions, report issues and follow the progress of bugs as we work through them.
And if you have not wishlisted Red Rust Pioneers yet, you can find the game here.
View game pageSo enjoy the extra 48 hours. Then on Monday, the next leg of the journey begins.
See you on the frontier, Pioneers.
Thanks for your ongoing support,
– Rusty and the Rusty Robot dev team
P.S. Don't forget to boil your tea. There is a long road ahead.