Rust’s crafting update gives the survival sim real-time food cooking and pies to rival Monster Hunter, but the tastiest treat is the ability to make and throw ‘bee grenades’

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At present, video gaming is engaged in a fierce competition (or perhaps, one could say, ‘a bountiful contest’) to create the most appetizing virtual food imaginable. This contest is primarily being steered by the Yakuza series, Final Fantasy, and more recently, Monster Hunter: Wilds, which showcases a cheese naan so tantalizing it sparked an increase in sales of dairy-based bread products in Japan.

Currently, the intense survival game Rust is diving into the culinary world, with its somewhat questionably named ‘Crafting update’ placing a strong focus on domestic cooking. The developers at Facepunch describe it as bringing a “smorgasbord of changes” to the game, introducing numerous features dedicated to creating gourmet dishes.

Primarily, we have the “cooking station,” a recently introduced piece of equipment that enables you to concoct various new dishes. Items derived from this cooking station appear to grant stat and modifier advantages, making it worthwhile to assume the role of a chef (though in Rust, wearing anything white could get you into trouble).

The latest update for crafting significantly alters the cooking experience as well. Now, when food items are placed on cooking devices, they have a visual representation, and they cook in real-time. This means you’ll observe steaks browning, chicken griddling, ribs crisping, and various other foods being prepared in a realistic way. Additionally, food can spoil over time, so it’s essential to either cook the food or refrigerate it to slow down the decaying process.

You’ll find new dishes to prepare such as bread, which comes with the advantage of learning how to cultivate and harvest wheat, and a variety of pies, each offering distinct stat and bonus modifications. Preparing a pie will also treat you to a visual of your character enjoying the fresh aroma of the baked pie, as demonstrated in the trailer for the latest update.

Among the novel additions are options to brew herbal teas for heating or cooling your character, a chicken coop to tame wild birds, a crafting station known as an engineering workbench, and a useful device called a hopper that can be connected to storage items to vacuum up any nearby dropped items. This includes any creature that is slain within its range, which will be “harvested” in the Fargo manner – a fact that may make you lose your appetite for pie.

After we’ve enjoyed our meal and finished off our greens, let’s proceed to dessert. It appears that Rust is attracting bees now. Yes, BEES! These tiny yet mighty creatures are set to construct their homes on wild oak trees, offering a bountiful supply of delectable honeycomb (don’t forget your hazmat suit to avoid any stings). Interestingly, these bees can also be cultivated by creating beehives, granting access to an unparalleled video game weapon—the bee grenade.

Here I am, excitedly sharing that it’s essentially a jar brimming with buzzing bees! You can hurl these at fellow players, causing them to shriek in horror and become *Eddie Izzard voice* ENSHROUDED IN BEES. These thrown swarms will gradually generate up to 3 smaller Swarms that assault nearby players.

Now, here’s the catch: bee swarms can be managed with fire or water, or by donning a hazmat suit. In case you’re not up for that, Facepunch suggests you “bolt like the wind to escape swiftly”.

You can read the full details of the update here. I haven’t played Rust in a very long time, but I was sorely tempted to jump back in last month when Facepunch added siege weapons and swords in its primitive update. Now the studio’s also added pies and bee grenades, that might just be enough to pull me back in.

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2025-03-09 19:02