Don't Starve vs Rust
Don't Starve
Don't Starve is a pretty dreary and dark survival game set in a rich world filled with plenty of animals/game to hunt, monsters to kill, and resources to gather. With a gothic-like theme, the game's best feature is perhaps the way it hands the reins to its players and let these players decide what sort of survival game they'd want to play and how difficult will the game be. You can literally customize everything in the world you'll be playing in, ranging from the weather, how frequent lightning strikes, how long a season lasts, how much resources are spawned and many more.The game also has a very nice selection of characters that you can gradually unlock as you play the game. Each character will even have their own specialty that you can then make use of when the situation calls for it.
Don't Starve is a survival game that's as punishing as it is vicious. Expect to die a lot in the game and turn all those deaths into useful lessons that you can then build upon. If you fancy surviving with your friends in tow, then you might want to get the multiplayer version of the game, Don't Starve Together, instead.
Rust
Rust is hardcore survival game where the only aim for every player in the game is to survive. Being a survival game, your character will have needs that you'll need to fulfill or risk getting ill or worse... dying from it. There are tons of recipes for you to craft a wide variety of items from as long as you've got the resources you need, and you can also hunt and built a shelter.As fun as this game may sound, the community in this game can be a bit toxic. Most players have a kill-on-sight policy (even if you're naked and literally have nothing with you) and this means playing alone can be very frustrating. If you're planning to play this game, you might want to get a larger group of friends - maybe somewhere around 5 or more players - or you'll quickly realize you want your money back now.