Rusty's Retirement is an idle farming sim from solo developer Mister Morris Games, released on 26 April 2024. Its trick is the layout: the farm docks to the bottom of your screen as a thin strip so it runs beside a browser, a code editor or a stream, and a vertical side-screen mode and a slower Focus Mode exist for people who want it even less distracting. You play a robot named Rusty who plants crops, converts them into biofuel, turns biofuel into spare parts and spends those parts on more land, more bots and more robot neighbours. There are 71 achievements and a Twitch integration that lets chat run the farm, and the game sits at 97 percent positive on Steam.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haiku | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Echo | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Splunk | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Slate | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Forbic | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Rusty's Retirement tier list.
A-Tier: Haiku
Haiku is a top-performing option in Rusty's Retirement.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Water Bot | Waters crop tiles, which is the single job that stops the farm dead if it is neglected. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Bottom bar farm that shares your desktop | The window is a strip pinned to the bottom of the screen rather than a normal game window, so it stays visible while you work in something else. |
How to Play Haiku
Haiku focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Water Bot does the damage and Bottom bar farm that shares your desktop keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Echo
Echo is a strong option in Rusty's Retirement.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Harvest Bot | Collects finished crops and carries them to storage or a converter. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Biofuel converters and spare parts | Harvested crops go into a Biofuel Converter, which needs three different crop types feeding it before it will run. |
How to Play Echo
Echo focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Harvest Bot with Biofuel converters and spare parts and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Splunk
Splunk is a strong option in Rusty's Retirement.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Biofuel Bot | Moves crops into the Biofuel Converter, which needs three different crop types before it will produce anything. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Seven bot types running the farm | Water Bot, Harvest Bot, Biofuel Bot, Berry Bot, Feeder Bot, Waste Bot and Fertilizer Bot each handle one job and each is bought with biofuel. |
How to Play Splunk
Splunk focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Seven bot types running the farm covers the gap Biofuel Bot leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Slate
Slate is a specialized option in Rusty's Retirement.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Berry Bot | Handles berry bushes specifically, and it is the one bot that only accepts speed upgrades rather than capacity. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Crop unlock chain and giant crops | You start with wheat, radish and cabbage, and every later crop unlocks by growing quantities of earlier ones, so planting a few tiles of a crop you do not need yet pays off later. |
How to Play Slate
Slate focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Crop unlock chain and giant crops rather than raw numbers, and Berry Bot is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Forbic
Forbic is a specialized option in Rusty's Retirement.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Waste Bot | Collects animal waste and delivers it to a fertilizer facility, where it converts instantly. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Animals, waste and fertilizer loop | Slate's Barn opens the animals menu and needs fossils, which appear in field tiles as slate and have to be dug out. |
How to Play Forbic
Forbic focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Waste Bot and Animals, waste and fertilizer loop pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Echo: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Haiku once you understand core mechanics and have access to Water Bot
- Keep a Splunk setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Forbic for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Buy Water Bots before any other bot, because unwatered tiles stop growing entirely and every other job depends on crops finishing.
- Click the golden cog whenever it appears on the strip, since it hands over free spare parts and costs nothing but the click.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Rusty's Retirement Guides
- Rusty's Retirement Rusty's Retirement Overview
- Rusty's Retirement Tier List
- Rusty's Retirement Walkthrough
- Rusty's Retirement Beginner's Guide
- Rusty's Retirement Tips & Tricks
- Rusty's Retirement Weapons Guide
- Rusty's Retirement Combat Guide
- Rusty's Retirement Boss Guide
- Rusty's Retirement Maps & Locations
- Rusty's Retirement Crafting Guide
- Rusty's Retirement Classes & Characters
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