Summary

  • Abandoned Supermarket: Essential first stop for food, Green Keycard, and ambush risks near main roads.
  • Outpost: Scrap trading hub offering Blue Keycards, recyclers, and repair benches.
  • The Dome: Risky parkour ascent for military crates, constant danger from players, and sniper targets.

In the unforgiving world of Rust, survival is a brutal, minute-to-minute struggle. But beyond the desperate scramble for wood and stone lies a collection of decaying landmarks that define the entire experience. They’re the heart and soul of survival, acting as battlegrounds, lifelines, and unpredictable pressure-cookers where fortunes flip in seconds.

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From a simple roadside market offering a glimmer of hope to a radiation-soaked rocket site guarded by a tank, these locations are the ruthless arenas behind the game’s wildest moments. The information presented here offers a foundation, but with Rust's evolving meta and the chaos of player interaction, adaptability remains a survivor's greatest asset. So, here are the nine must-know locations that define every Rust experience.

1 The Abandoned Supermarket

Where Players Can Get A Green Card And Groceries

The Abandoned Supermarket monument in Rust

Every journey in Rust begins somewhere, and for many, that somewhere is the Abandoned Supermarket. This low-tier monument is an essential first stop, offering a trifecta of early game necessities: food to avoid starvation, a recycler to turn junk into vital components and, most importantly, a guaranteed Green Keycard.

Don’t be fooled by its lack of environmental hazards. The proximity to main roads means it’s always just a short run from spawn points, but that also makes it a hotspot for ambushes. Its simple layout, with roof access and limited cover, provides a perfect arena for the chaotic skirmishes that define the start of a wipe.

2 Outpost

The Trader's Sanctuary Where Scrap Is King

Outpost monument in Rust

Every survivor needs a breather, and Outpost is the closest Rust comes to a true sanctuary. This NPC-guarded trading hub isn’t about loot crates — it’s about survival smarts. With enforced peace, multiple recyclers, and the best-stocked shops in the game, Outpost is where players trade scrap for essentials, buy a Blue Keycard, and patch up their battered gear.

Players can purchase a Blue Keycard for 100 scraps, bypassing the entire Green Keycard puzzle chain. This makes it a vital hub for accelerating a team's journey toward mid-tier monuments. Furthermore, the guaranteed safe access to multiple recyclers and a repair bench removes the immense risk associated with using these utilities in contested areas.

3 The Dome

Parkour Or Perish In This Vertical Playground

The Dome monument in Rust

This massive, spherical structure in Rust offers a generous supply of military crates at the top, but only if players can master the risky parkour ascent. There are no keycards or fuses required to reach the top; the only barrier is the climb itself, a complex framework of beams and catwalks where one misstep means a fatal fall.

While there are no NPC scientists, the danger is constant. Low-level radiation requires protection, but the primary threat comes from other players. The open structure makes climbers easy targets for snipers on the ground and the top is a frequent site of desperate battles for loot.

4 Train Yard

Rails, Radiation, And Red Cards

Train Yard monument in Rust

Train Yard isn’t just another loot stop — it’s a multi-layered fortress where PvP and puzzle-solving collide. With over 20 crates, a network of warehouses, towers, and tunnels, this landmark is infamous for its complex, multi-stage keycard puzzles and the coveted Red Keycard reward.

To get it, players must navigate a sequence involving both Green and Blue keycards, as well as an electrical fuse, all while fending off NPCs and rival teams. Train Yard is where squads clash, alliances crumble, and, on top of this, it’s also a drop zone for high-value Chinook locked crates which further escalates the conflict.

5 Power Plant

A High Voltage, High Reward Plant

​​​​​​​Power Plant monument in Rust

Few monuments match the Power Plant’s mix of risk and utility. Its imposing towers and reactor rooms are packed with high-tier loot, if players can survive the intense radiation and navigate the intricate puzzle sequence. Three recyclers, an oil refinery, and a research table make this site an all-in-one resource factory for ambitious groups.

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To unlock the main Blue Keycard room (and the Red Keycard inside), players must juggle fuses, time switches, and careful movement through hazardous zones. No hostile NPCs here, but the real danger comes from other teams eager to control the Power Plant’s loot and utilities.

6 Water Treatment Plant

Murky Corridors And Red-Hot Rewards

Water Treatment Plant monument in Rust

The Water Treatment Plant is Rust’s labyrinth: sprawling, industrial, and perfect for both loot runs and sudden ambushes. Its maze-like corridors, rooftop sightlines, and underground tunnels force players into close-quarters PvP and tense chases. With around 20-25 loot crates and a Blue Keycard puzzle room that yields a guaranteed Red Keycard, the rewards are worth the risk.

Radiation is patchy but manageable with basic protection; hostile NPCs are rare, but the real threat comes from other survivors. Minicopter pilots sometimes risk all for a daring balcony landing, bypassing the need for keycards.

7 Airfield

A Sniper's Paradise And Raider's Nightmare

Airfield monument in Rust

The Airfield is an enormous landmark defined by a stark duality: the wide-open runways above ground are a sniper’s dream, while the claustrophobic underground tunnels are a close-quarters deathtrap. The monument’s main prize lies deep within its subterranean network, where a timed, multi-stage puzzle requires a Green Keycard, a Blue Keycard, and two fuses to unlock.

Low-level radiation is a persistent threat across the entire area and hostile scientists guard the puzzle rooms in the tunnels below. The Airfield is a haven for campers and snipers who take advantage of its long sightlines from the watchtowers and hangars.

8 Military Tunnels

Only Elite Crates And Close Calls In These Tunnels

Military Tunnels monument in Rust

Military Tunnels are Rust’s ultimate test of teamwork. This dark, sprawling labyrinth teems with elite scientists, heavy radiation, and some of the best loot in the game. Navigating its maze of rooms requires all three keycard tiers, multiple fuses, and mastery of both combat and puzzles.

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What sets Military Tunnels apart isn’t just the top-tier loot — it’s the sheer intensity. Every corner can hold an ambush, and the deeper players are willing to go, the higher the stakes. Three elite crates in the main chamber and a Red Keycard room with more elite rewards make it a prime target for the best-equipped teams.

9 Launch Site

The Landmark Where Legends Are Made

Launch Site monument in Rust

No monument matches Launch Site when it comes to pure, heart-pounding chaos. Dominated by the roaming Bradley APC and drenched in extreme radiation, this sprawling facility is Rust’s endgame, demanding top-tier equipment, strategy, and epic teamwork.

Beyond Bradley, players must contend with hostile scientists and a complex Red Keycard puzzle to access the main rocket tower's rooftop rewards. The Launch Site is more than just a landmark — it’s Rust’s final and ultimate test, and for those who master it, it becomes the ultimate badge of honor.

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Top Critic Avg: 67 /100 Critics Rec: 30%
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Released
February 8, 2018
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood, Violence
Developer(s)
Facepunch Studios
Publisher(s)
Facepunch Studios
Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
Survival
Platform(s)
macOS, PC, PS4, Xbox One
OpenCritic Rating
Fair