The developer behind two cornerstone PC games just hit the big 1-5.
As a Birmingham lassie myself, I do have a patriotic soft spot for Facepunch Studios. The British developer has produced some mainstay PC gaming bangers: Garry’s Mod changed the face of my YouTube recommended for several years, and players continue to run around as naked blokes smacking trees with rocks in Rust.
Facepunch also turned 15 years old earlier this summer which is a pretty big milestone, especially in this industry. It’s certainly a cause for celebration, which means the studio is throwing a big ol’ sale to celebrate its decade-and-a-half existence. Right now you can get Facepunch’s entire library of games, DLC and soundtracks for a tidy 50% off from now until July 22 on Steam.
There’s PvP survival crafting game Rust, which is currently going for $19.99/£17.49. The game’s sold over 17 million copies since it launched over 10 years ago, regularly making an appearance on the list of Steam’s best sellers.
(Image credit: Facepunch Studios)
I’ve never played Rust myself but found far too many hours of enjoyment watching my pals build bases and form alliances with strangers over muffled voice chat. We gave the game an 80 in our Rust review back in 2018, with Luke Winkie writing: “I think everyone should at least have a taste of Rust. It’s hard to think of many other games that are this uncompromising in its worldview, and I’m utterly entranced with how little faith it has in our ability to get along. We could build a utopia on this island! … I love how Facepunch dangles that potential in front of our face, with no real incentive pushing us in any direction.”
If it somehow isn’t already in your Steam library, you can also nab a copy of Garry’s Mod for $4.99/£3.49. Turns out it’s actually got a Guinness World Record for being the highest selling PC-exclusive game, shifting over 22 million copies over the last 18 years. It’s a real timeless classic that’s always ripe for potential thanks to its community, being the originator of some huge user-created game mods and moes like Prop Hunt, Jailbreak, and Trouble in Terrorist Town. It’s also been home to some famous machinima like Shelf-Life and Haven.
(Image credit: Facepunch Studios)
It’s tough enough pushing out one legacy game that ends up with a surprising amount of staying power, but Facepunch has somehow managed to do it twice. We’ve done tons of neat interviews with founder Garry Newman over the years too, which you should most definitely check out. From how a “total accident” led to Garry’s Mod’s funniest feature to the immense player freedom Rust offers, it’s worth checking out all the neat things Newman and team have managed to accomplish over the years.
Looking to the future, there’s also Facepunch’s next game in the works: s&box. It’s spun off into its whole own thing after originally being marked as a spiritual successor to Garry’s Mod, and if the studio’s track record is anything to go by I reckon it could well be another banger.
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