RUSTICDOCSSearch documentation
DOCSENGINEGETTING STARTEDREQUIREMENTS AND INSTALLATION

Requirements and installation

Available builds

Windows: experimental pre-alpha builds. The engine’s GitHub releases publish x64 setup executables. On 12 October 2026 the newest published release tag was v0.5-Pre-Alpha. Choose the release explicitly: GitHub’s “latest” shortcut can exclude pre-releases. Read its notes, download the attached RusticGameEngine-Setup-*.exe, run Setup, and launch Rustic from its Start-menu entry.

This is an engine release tag, separate from Docs v0.1. An installer filename’s package version is not the documentation version. No download is hosted by this docs site.

Setup bundles Project Manager, editor, runtime and asset worker; Lua 5.4, JavaScript/QuickJS, HTML/inline JS and the Luau host are engine-provided. Optional Python, C/C++, C#, Java and PHP tools can be selected in Setup or installed later through the Language Toolchain Manager. These tools use Windows Package Manager. You do not need Rust, Cargo or Inno Setup to use the installed editor.

If a release asset is unavailable, a successful Windows installer workflow can provide an artifact to users with GitHub access. Extract the artifact ZIP before running Setup. Artifacts expire; a workflow existing does not guarantee a successful downloadable run.

System requirements and platform status

PlatformWhat the available evidence supports
Windows x64Published pre-alpha installer; MSVC source workflow and Windows CI. Native audio output, microphone capture and device selection are Windows-specific.
LinuxSource builds and Linux CI. Requires a desktop/window environment and working graphics drivers for the GUI. The current player audio implementation is headless on non-Windows hosts. No Linux installer is established by the checked-in packaging workflow.
macOSArchitectural target; release qualification and a ready-to-use package are not established by the inspected source.
Browser/mobileNo verified browser or mobile game export workflow. HTML scripting is not browser deployment.

A working native graphics driver, writable project directory and space for project assets/caches are required. No verified minimum RAM, CPU, GPU or disk specification is published; do not treat invented hardware numbers as requirements. Rendering backend selection is covered in Rendering System.

First launch

  1. Launch the installed Project Manager.
  2. Choose a writable location for projects, such as a directory in your user files. The program installation directory is not a suitable project workspace.
  3. Continue to Create and reopen a project.

Installation and startup problems

  • Optional tool install failed: Setup runs one hidden PowerShell process for all selected languages and skips already-installed tools. A host initialization failure stops the batch and reports one optional-toolchain error; the engine remains installed. Retry later from Language Toolchain Manager after repairing the failing PowerShell or Microsoft App Installer installation. Setup does not require Windows Terminal.
  • Error 142 or 0xc0000142 during Setup: retain the complete message; these are distinct codes. The failure dialog shows the launch error or exit code and the Setup log path. Setup automatically creates Setup Log ...txt in %TEMP%; run the installer with /LOG="C:\path\setup.log" to choose a location. If PowerShell started, its transcript is in the original user's %LOCALAPPDATA%\Rustic Game Engine\logs\toolchain-install.log. If that file is absent, the Setup log still records PowerShell startup failures. Start with bundled Lua while diagnosing optional tools.
  • Tool installed but not discovered: restart Rustic after changing PATH. Use Project Manager Settings and the editor Console to inspect language availability.
  • Access denied: choose a writable project directory. Avoid a protected installation location; check the actual OS permission error.
  • Editor does not launch or the viewport stays blank: inspect Project Manager Diagnostics, then editor Console output. Check graphics-driver/backend errors and Troubleshooting.
  • Luau host missing: reinstall a complete build or ask the distributor for the matching host. A standalone editor executable is not the full installed application.

Build from source instead

Use Building Rustic Engine from Source if no suitable binary is available or you want to develop the engine. It documents the pinned Rust toolchain, native linker/dependencies, and cargo xtask commands. These are contributor requirements, not installed-editor setup steps.