Thinking of Switching from C++ to Rust for Fun Projects – Is It Worth It?

Hey r/rust!

I’ve been using C++ for a while now, mainly for fun projects like fluid simulations, raytracers, and procedural map generation. While I love the performance and flexibility, I feel like I spend more time battling dependency issues and CMake than actually coding. It’s been frustrating, and I’m starting to wonder if there’s a better way.

Since I’m not tied to C++ for work and mostly code for fun, I’m considering making the switch to Rust. My main question: Can Rust fill the niche that C++ does for me? Specifically, I need a language that offers high-performance computing while being easier to set up and maintain.

For those of you who’ve used Rust for performance-critical applications like simulations, how has your experience been? And as someone coming from C++, how steep is the learning curve?

I’d love to hear your thoughts before diving in. Thanks in advance!