Rusty Robot is a futuristic rogue-like which takes place in a small scientific colony on a distant Red Planet. You play the role of a maintenance robot in a colonial habitat who has been activated due to catastrophic failure in the habitat's life support systems.

It is your directive to search the nearby hills for sources of fuel which can be used to power the habitat's life-support systems and keep the scientists alive until future colony missions can provide a more permanent solution.

The scientists' lives are of utmost concern. All other concerns are secondary.