What is a pixel peek in Rust bases?
A pixel peek is a tiny gap in your base that lets you shoot out unseen. Here's how they work, when to use them, and why they get patched.
A pixel peek is a tiny gap between building pieces that lets you shoot out of your base. From outside, it's nearly invisible.
How does a pixel peek work?
When building pieces meet in Rust, the geometry doesn't always line up flush. Walls, floors, triangles, and frames leave small gaps at their edges and corners.
A pixel peek uses one of those gaps as a shooting angle.
From inside, you see through the gap and shoot. From outside, the gap is so small it's easy to miss entirely. You know exactly where to stand. Your attacker has no idea where the shot is coming from.
That's the point. A good pixel peek doesn't look like a peek at all.
How are pixel peeks different from other shooting angles?
| Type | Visible from outside | Build difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting floor | Yes — windows are clear | Easy |
| Offset peek | Small but visible | Easy |
| Wide gap | Clear open gap | Medium |
| Pixel peek | Near-invisible | Hard |
Offset peeks and shooting floors are intentional, visible windows. Attackers see them and know to shoot back. Wide gaps are obvious spaces in your wall structure.
Pixel peeks are different. The gap is so small that most attackers walk past it without noticing. When you fire, it's usually a complete surprise.
When should you add pixel peeks to your base?
Pixel peeks pay off most when you're playing online against active raiders.
They're worth adding if:
- You're on a high-pop server where online raids happen often
- Your base gets camped and you want angles to punish door sitters
- You've already built your bunker and shooting floor and want more coverage
- Someone in your group is regularly online to use them
They're less useful if you mostly log off between sessions. Strong offline defense — a good bunker, honeycomb, solid footprint — matters more for players who aren't online to shoot through anything.
Where do you place a pixel peek?
Location matters as much as the gap itself. Place pixel peeks where attackers have to stand:
- Above your airlock door path — raiders pushing your main entrance walk right into your sightline
- Facing your compound entrance — spot and shoot attackers before they reach your outer walls
- Beside a honeycomb section — gives an angle into the gap between your outer and inner wall layers
- Above a common breach point — punish raiders who've blown through your first wall layer
Before you go live, test each angle on a build server. Confirm you have a clear sightline, you're behind cover, and the gap isn't obvious from the attacker's side.
Do pixel peeks get patched?
Some do. Facepunch fixes specific gaps when they become too well-known or too easy to abuse.
That doesn't mean avoiding them — it means checking the upload date on any guide you follow. A design from six months ago might use gaps that no longer exist. New ones appear regularly too, so active builders are always finding fresh angles.
If you're building around a specific pixel peek location, verify it still works before you plan your whole base around it.
What makes a pixel peek effective?
Not all gaps are equally useful. A strong pixel peek does three things:
- Clear sightline — you can actually see the threat. A gap facing a wall is wasted.
- Cover for you — you're behind protection while using it, not standing in the open.
- Hard to find from outside — if it's obvious, raiders will camp it instead of you using it.
The best pixel peeks cover high-traffic approach angles: your main door path, compound entrance, or the wall raiders have to stand next to while they blow through.
What base sizes work best with pixel peeks?
Pixel peeks appear on all kinds of builds. They're especially common on duo and trio bases in the 2x2 to 3x2 range. Those footprints have enough wall intersections to create angles without adding extra foundations.
On a small solo build like a 2x1, there's limited space to work with. On larger builds like a 3x3 or 4x4, you have more wall intersections — though the bigger your base, the more angles you already have through other methods.
Browse bases with pixel peeks on RustBases.gg and filter by the Pixel Peeks feature. Combine with a footprint or group size filter to find builds that match your wipe plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pixel peek in Rust? A pixel peek is a tiny gap between building pieces that lets you shoot out of your base. From outside, the gap is nearly invisible — making it very hard to shoot back through.
Are pixel peeks legal in Rust? Yes. Pixel peeks are a base-building technique, not an exploit. Facepunch may patch specific gaps over time, but using them won't get you banned.
Do pixel peeks get patched? Some do. Facepunch fixes specific gaps when they become too prominent. Always check the upload date on a build guide before copying a design that relies on them.
How are pixel peeks different from offset peeks? Offset peeks are visible shooting windows built into your wall structure. Pixel peeks are near-invisible gaps — the key difference is how hard they are to detect from outside.
What group sizes benefit from pixel peeks? Any size can use them. They're most popular on duo and trio bases where every defensive angle matters and raiders are actively looking for ways in.
Happy building!