Rust Keycards
There are three keycards in Rust — green, blue and red — and they chain: a green opens the room holding a blue, a blue opens the room holding a red. Below is every monument that needs one, and exactly where each card comes from.
Which monument needs which keycard
| Monument | Cards needed | Fuse | Radiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor | green | Yes | Low |
| Satellite Dish | green | — | Low |
| Sewer Branch | green | Yes | Low |
| Small Oil Rig | blue | Yes | Low |
| Train Yard | blue | Yes | Medium |
| Airfield | green→blue | — | Medium |
| Ferry Terminal | green→blue | — | Medium |
| Power Plant | green→blue | Yes | High |
| Radtown | green→blue | Yes | High |
| Water Treatment Plant | green→blue | Yes | Medium |
| Large Oil Rig | blue→red | Yes | Low |
| Launch Site | blue→red | Yes | High |
| Military Tunnels | blue→red | Yes | High |
| Missile Silo | green→blue→red | Yes | Medium |
14 keycard puzzles, easiest chain first. 11 of them also need an Electric Fuse. Card requirements and radiation come from our monument data — each monument's own page has the route through the puzzle. Two more monuments are card-gated without our data naming a colour: Arctic Research Base (recorded as "Card swipe"), Underwater Labs (recorded as "Card + keycards"). They're listed rather than assigned a colour we can't verify.
Where to get each keycard
The entry card — cheap, common, and the first step of every puzzle chain.
- ScientistsRHIB, PT Boat and Military Tunnel scientists each have roughly a 1-in-3 chance to drop one; Outbreak scientists, Bandit Camp guards and Outpost scientists are lower-odds backups.
- Monument desksSpawns as static loot on desks at Abandoned Cabins, Abandoned Supermarket, Ferry Terminal, Junkyard, Lighthouse and Oxum's Gas Station — the no-fight route.
- Power Plant puzzleCompleting Power Plant's own puzzle rewards a green card.
The mid-tier card — usually sitting behind a green-card door.
- Green-tier puzzlesFinishing the green-card puzzle at Harbor, Satellite Dish or Sewer Branch rewards a blue card — spend a green to earn a blue.
- FishingCatfish, Orange Roughy, Salmon and Small Shark each have roughly a 1-in-5 chance to give one when gutted.
The top card — the one that opens the best loot at the big monuments.
- Blue-tier puzzlesCompleting a blue-card puzzle at Airfield, Arctic Research Base, Missile Silo, Power Plant, Train Yard or Water Treatment rewards a red card.
- Bandit CampThe Scrap 4 Sale vendor sells a red keycard for 40–160 scrap — the safe route if you'd rather farm scrap than run a puzzle chain.
Keycards can't be crafted. The red card is the only one sold anywhere — Bandit Camp's Scrap 4 Sale vendor — and every card is consumed the moment you swipe it, so carry one per door you plan to open.
The green → blue → red chain
Keycards tier up, and the tier you hold decides which monuments are open to you. A green card is easy to find and opens the first door; inside is usually a blue card, which opens a bigger door; behind that is a red card, which opens the best loot at the big monuments. You spend the lower card to earn the next one.
In practice that means a run, not a single trip: pick up greens as you loot, cash one in at Harbor, Satellite Dish or Sewer Branch for a blue, then take the blue to a blue-tier monument for a red. Bring an Electric Fuse and a spare card for every door — the lock takes the card whether or not you make it back out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many keycards are there in Rust?expand_more
Three: the Green, Blue and Red Keycard. They form a chain — a green unlocks the room holding a blue, a blue unlocks the room holding a red, and a red opens the top loot rooms.
Which monuments need keycards in Rust?expand_more
14 monuments have a keycard puzzle: Harbor, Satellite Dish, Sewer Branch, Small Oil Rig, Train Yard, Airfield, Ferry Terminal, Power Plant, Radtown, Water Treatment Plant, Large Oil Rig, Launch Site, Military Tunnels and Missile Silo. Each monument's guide covers its exact card and fuse requirements.
Can you buy keycards in Rust?expand_more
Only the Red Keycard — Bandit Camp's Scrap 4 Sale vendor sells it for 40–160 scrap. Green and blue cards aren't sold anywhere; they come from loot, fishing or puzzle completion.
What order do Rust keycards go in?expand_more
Green → Blue → Red. Green is the entry card you loot freely; you spend it to reach a blue, spend the blue to reach a red, and the red opens the best rooms at the big monuments.
What's the difference between the green, blue and red keycard?expand_more
Tier and where they're used. Green cards are common and open the smaller monuments' first doors; blue cards sit deeper for mid-tier puzzles; red cards are the rarest and gate the highest-value loot at monuments like Launch Site and Military Tunnels.
Do you need a fuse for keycard puzzles?expand_more
Most keycard puzzles also need an Electric Fuse to power the card reader and doors — bring one (and usually a green card) to any monument puzzle. Each monument guide lists its exact requirement.
Are keycards single-use?expand_more
Yes — each keycard is consumed when you swipe it, so carry a spare for every door you plan to open.
Which Rust monuments need a fuse as well as a keycard?expand_more
11 of the 14 keycard puzzles in our monument data also need an Electric Fuse: Harbor, Sewer Branch, Small Oil Rig, Train Yard, Power Plant, Radtown, Water Treatment Plant, Large Oil Rig, Launch Site, Military Tunnels, Missile Silo. Carry a spare — a fuse burns out and you'll want the door open on the way back out.
What's the easiest keycard puzzle in Rust?expand_more
Harbor, Satellite Dish or Sewer Branch — green card only, and low radiation, so basic gear is enough. They're also where you go to turn a green card into a blue one.
Related guides
A Rust monument tier list ranked from beginner-safe to end-game: radiation levels, keycard puzzles, recyclers, and the gear you need for each.
New to Rust? Here's exactly what to do on your first wipe — gathering, your first base, tools, scrap and staying alive. Real numbers, no fluff.