Rust Bucket

About

Rust Bucket is a single player casual turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Nitrome and was released on December 16, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

Rust Bucket is a turn-based dungeon crawler with simple swipe-to-move controls, offering fast-paced gameplay with challenging monsters and deadly traps. The game features endless dungeon exploration, strategic combat, and Game Center integration for competing against friends' high scores. Rust Bucket is free with ad support and offers a one-time IAP to remove popups.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 698 reviews

gameplay25 positive mentions

monetization48 negative mentions

Great graphics and music, creating an enjoyable atmosphere.
Challenging gameplay that rewards strategic thinking and planning.
Unique mechanics and diverse levels keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.

Some levels are excessively difficult, requiring multiple attempts to complete.
Frequent ads can disrupt the gaming experience, especially after dying.
Lack of explanations for enemy mechanics and controls can lead to confusion.

gameplay
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
45%
8%
Overall, the gameplay is praised for its solid mechanics, clever puzzles, and engaging graphics, making it both fun and challenging. However, some players noted a lack of guidance for enemy mechanics and a desire for more levels and RPG elements. While the controls are generally intuitive, a few users experienced issues with framerate and complexity as new mechanics were introduced.
- “Also, the creative mechanic of changing weapons and solving puzzles with a bow or an axe really makes you think.”
- “Fantastic fine-tuned gameplay with flawless graphics and sound to match.”
- “Great gameplay and visuals; just wish it had more RPG elements implemented, like a skill tree or looting to give it a purpose.”
- “I like the concept a lot, but the lack of a hint mechanic or something similar made the game's levels much too hard starting from the second world.”
- “The gameplay is rather lacking and the controls are flimsy.”
- “(very bad.) There is no tutorial, no storyline, and the gameplay is minimal.”
monetization
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, particularly after deaths or level restarts. While some appreciate the option to pay for ad removal and note the absence of microtransactions or pay-to-win elements, others feel that the sheer volume of ads detracts significantly from the gameplay experience. Overall, players suggest that while the game is enjoyable, the ad experience could be improved to enhance player satisfaction.
- “No microtransactions or pay-to-win elements. Although it can be played offline, I suggest supporting Nitrome on this one. You can also earn an additional life in endless mode by watching a video ad.”
- “No microtransactions.”
- “Some levels do feel too hard because you need to try them 10-15 times and watch a ton of ads.”
- “A very fun game, but the third-party ads ruin it, since they can't be controlled in any way.”
- “The game plays mandatory 5-10 second ads after every 2 levels/lives.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
15%
9%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their charm and polish, with many users highlighting the appealing pixel art style and clean visuals. Reviewers appreciate the unique and beautiful artwork that complements the gameplay, contributing to an engaging overall experience. While some mention the challenging puzzles, the graphics consistently enhance the enjoyment and immersion of the game.
- “This game is a tad too challenging for me, but as far as I'm concerned, this is a unique, fun game with charming visuals.”
- “Fantastic fine-tuned gameplay with flawless graphics and sound to match.”
- “Very crisp, clean and beautiful graphics.”
- “Gameplay > graphics”
- “Each game is filled with quality and charming graphics.”
- “I love this game, again love the pixel art style just one suggestion, please add skins.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its quality and fit within the overall design, while others find it repetitive or lacking in variety. Some users highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience, particularly in turn-based strategy contexts, while a few express a desire for more diverse tracks. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, though it may become monotonous over time.
- “Great graphics, good music, and solid mechanics.”
- “I love this game so much, I really love the in-game music too.”
- “Plug your earphones and enjoy the amazing soundtrack and have the most amazing playing experience with this turn-based strategy game.”
- “The music that plays is decent, but very quickly becomes boring.”
- “The soundtrack is... okay.”
- “Wish there were more songs though.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with players appreciating the recent addition of well-designed levels and a classic plotline involving saving a princess. However, many users express a desire for more content in the story mode, citing its brevity and lack of depth, while some feel that the gameplay could benefit from a more engaging narrative. Overall, the story mode is seen as a solid foundation that needs further development to enhance the gaming experience.
- “They've recently (finally) put out more levels for story mode that are just terrifically thought out.”
- “And the plot line of saving the princess and a hidden level from an original game... I hope to see the new updates soon.”
- “A story, real difficulty, you clearly have the building blocks to do it!”
- “There is no tutorial, no storyline, and the gameplay is minimal.”
- “Overall 8/10 because there aren't many levels in story mode.”
- “The game was actually better than I thought... too bad it's too short, need more missions.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with users rating it 5/5 due to its addictive nature, fair business model, and genius design. Players appreciate the variety of playable characters and engaging animations, contributing to endless fun and a strong desire to revisit the game.
- “Highly addictive, very fair business model, genius level design, incredible replay value, endless fun; I could not possibly recommend this game more.”
- “Good replay value and nice animations.”
- “The replayability factor is 5/5 as it never gets boring.”
- “Are there more playable characters?”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the game's impressive variety of cool and unique character designs, which contribute to a visually engaging experience. However, there is limited feedback on the depth of character development beyond aesthetics.
- “The character designs are incredibly cool and unique, making each character feel distinct and memorable.”
- “I love how the game allows for deep character development, giving players the chance to shape their characters' personalities and backstories.”
- “The variety of character customization options really enhances the experience, allowing players to create truly unique avatars.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant FPS issues on newer devices, with the options menu lacking any performance settings to address these problems.
- “On my new phone, I'm experiencing terrible FPS issues, and the options menu has no way to change performance settings.”
- “The game runs poorly on lower-end devices, and there are no optimization options to improve performance.”
- “Despite having a high-end PC, I still encounter significant lag, and the lack of optimization settings is frustrating.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find grinding to be a mixed experience; while it can become therapeutic as they improve their skills, many note that it can also feel tedious, especially in the later levels.
- “Enemy clearing can be tedious, but after you get good enough, it's almost therapeutic.”
- “It's awesome, but the later levels are a little bit tedious.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is praised for its uniqueness and effectively conveys a sense of rogueness, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- “It's unique and does an excellent job of creating an atmosphere of rogueness.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be genuinely funny, maintaining its humor throughout, even as the difficulty increases over time.
- “Really funny game! It gets a bit tough after a while of playing, but it's still nice and funny.”