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This page sets expectations for Dust Front RTS, a post-apocalyptic real-time strategy game by the solo developer rtsDimon that has not yet released, though a free demo is now playable. If you are new here, the overview explains what the game is, the Gameplay Overview walks through how it plays, and the World and Setting page covers its ruined Earth.
Because the game is still in development, this guide describes the kind of experience to expect rather than a full control reference, which has not been published. The control and convenience features that have been shown are collected under Controls and Interface.
Before You Begin: The Basics
Question | Answer |
|---|---|
What kind of game is it? | Real-time strategy with grand-strategy elements, a procedurally generated world, and a non-linear campaign |
How many players? | Single-player |
What platform? | PC (Windows) only |
Is it free? | No; it is a paid game, with the price not yet announced. The demo is free |
When does it release? | To be announced |
Is there a demo or playtest? | Yes; a free demo released on June 15, 2026 for the Steam Next Fest, kept available for an indefinite additional period (to be removed at a later, unannounced time) |
What languages? | English and Russian, both with full audio |
How long is a campaign? | Designed to run for roughly 15 hours, covering one faction |
What to Expect From the Game
Dust Front RTS asks you to manage two connected layers. In real-time battles you deploy a base, gather resources, and command an army of tanks, aircraft, infantry, and vehicles, frequently against an enemy that outnumbers and outguns you. On a turn-based global map you steer the bigger war: economy, territory, technology, and the movement of your veteran troops.
Build and defend a base; remember that losing all of your buildings means defeat
Field a varied army and win through maneuver and composition rather than equal numbers
Capture and hold territory on the global map, where your buildings and mining also carry strategic weight
Advance through technology branches and doctrines to unlock and upgrade units and buildings
Fit blueprints to your units between battles to trade one strength for another
Keep veterans alive: troops gain ranks and can move between fronts as strike groups or stay as garrisons
Expect the battlefield to change as you fight over it, with deformed ground, collapsing structures, fire, and weather
For the strategic side in detail, see The Global Map and Technology and Doctrines. The unit types are listed under Units and Armies.
The Developer's Tips for the Demo
When the demo launched, rtsDimon published three pieces of advice for getting through it. They are the closest thing to official guidance the game currently has.
Tip | What he said |
|---|---|
Think in battalions | This is not a game about squads. Build large numbers of units and lead them in. Whether you trade armies away or fight with elite veterans is your decision |
Economy is everything | If you are short on resources, move your base, develop a passive economy, and set production to run continuously |
Control the frontline | Holding too narrow a front lets the enemy strike with their whole army, and your resources can run out before a passive economy pays off |
The demo also includes a basic tutorial that covers the fundamentals, and the developer has said he deliberately left the rest to be discovered in play.
While You Wait
Until a release date is announced, you can add Dust Front RTS to your wishlist so you are notified when it becomes available. A demo released on June 15, 2026 for the Steam Next Fest, the first chance to play the game hands-on. It covers the real-time side of the game, a siege battle with a choice of two factions; the turn-based global map is not part of it.
The demo stayed up for one extra week after the festival, and the developer then decided to keep it available for an indefinite additional period rather than removing it; it will still be shut down at a later, unannounced time, so it may not always be available. He has left open the possibility of bringing it back for other festivals, potentially with new content, but has not committed to it. The demo date does not set a launch date for the full game, which is still to be announced.
Mature-content note: the game contains death animations of human units and mutants, with blood and corpses.
Where to Go Next
Gameplay Overview for the core loop
Base Building and Resources for how bases and economy work
Destruction and Terrain for the reactive battlefield
Factions for the four powers of the setting
Superweapons for the rare faction superweapons
Release and Platforms and System Requirements for platform and hardware details
Frequently Asked Questions for quick answers