What is a door peek in Rust bases?
A door peek uses the gap around a garage door or door frame as a shooting window. Here's how they work, when to use them, and their limits.
A door peek is a shooting window that uses the gap around a garage door or door frame. It costs nothing to add and gives you an angle to defend without leaving cover.
How does a door peek work?
When a garage door sits in a wall frame, there's a gap between the door and the frame edges. That gap is your shooting angle.
Stand in the right spot inside your airlock or on an upper floor. You have a sightline through that gap to whoever is outside. They're exposed on your door path. You're behind a wall.
Two door frames placed side by side also create narrow gaps at their edges. At certain positions, you can shoot through those gaps too. No extra foundations, no extra resources — just placement.
How do door peeks compare to other shooting windows?
| Type | Extra pieces needed | Visible from outside | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Door peek | None | Yes — gap is obvious | Narrow |
| Offset peek | 1–2 pieces | Small but visible | Narrow |
| Wide gap | Frame buildout | Obvious open section | Wide |
| Shooting floor | Full floor layer | Clear windows | Full perimeter |
Offset peeks, wide gaps, and shooting floors all give you more coverage and better angles. But they cost more to build. Door peeks are the free version you grab before you can afford anything better.
When should you use door peeks?
Door peeks pay off most in the early wipe when stone is scarce.
Use them when:
- You just placed your starter and need any angle fast
- You're playing a 2x1 or small 2x2 with no room for extras
- Your airlock already uses a garage door — the angle is already there, use it
- You need to get online defense up before you can farm more stone
Upgrade or replace them when:
- You have enough resources for a proper wide gap or shooting floor
- You want angles that are harder for raiders to spot — offset peeks or pixel peeks are less obvious from outside
- Your base is large enough that one narrow angle barely covers your main approach
What are the limits of door peeks?
The gap works both ways. Whatever you see through it, raiders can see too. A raider camping your door path can aim straight back through the same gap. Good placement keeps you behind cover and makes their shot harder — but the gap is never hidden.
Coverage is also narrow. A door peek covers one angle directly in front of the door. Rotate around the base and there are blind spots a raiding team will push.
They're also no help for offline defense. A door peek is an active tool — you have to be online and in position to use it. A solid bunker and honeycomb protect your loot when you log off. A door peek doesn't.
Think of door peeks this way: a free angle beats no angle. They keep you alive during early online raids when you can't afford better. Upgrade as soon as your farm allows it.
What base sizes use door peeks?
Door peeks are most common on tight solo builds. A 2x1 doesn't have room for a full shooting floor without a significant extra build cost. A garage door in the airlock gives you an angle for free.
On a basic 2x1 setup:
- Replace one outer airlock wall with a garage door
- Stand inside the airlock at the right position
- Aim through the gap between the door and frame edge
- Anyone at your front door is in your sightline — and you're behind stone
That's the whole setup. No extra foundations. No extra upkeep.
On larger builds like a 2x2 or 3x3, door peeks often show up alongside other features — a garage door in the compound gate gives an early angle while you build the proper shooting floor above it.
Browse bases with door peeks on RustBases.gg and filter by the Door Peeks feature to see how builders work them into different designs.
Frequently asked questions
What is a door peek in Rust? A door peek is a shooting window that uses the gap around a garage door or door frame. It gives you a defensive angle without adding any extra building pieces.
Are door peeks worth using in Rust? For a starter base, yes. They're free and fast to set up. On bigger builds, wide gaps and shooting floors offer better coverage.
How are door peeks different from wide gaps? Wide gaps are permanent open sections built into your wall structure. Door peeks use the gap around a door — easier to add, but the angle is narrower.
Can raiders see through your door peek? Yes. A garage door gap is visible from outside — it's a two-way angle. Position yourself behind cover to reduce how much of you they can hit.
What's the cheapest shooting angle to add to a 2x1? A door peek using a garage door. Swap a wall in your airlock for a garage door and position yourself to shoot through the frame gap — zero extra resources.
Happy building!