Slime Rancher
Review

Slime Rancher (2016) is a farming simulation with a difference. Rather than chickens, sheep or cows, you farm slimes. As you gather more slimes and species, you collect more types of plorts from them, which can be used to upgrade your farm and your gear. It stands out for the surprising nuance and intricacy involved with breeding new slime species and selling your produce.

Different types of slimes can be combined and grown by feeding them specific items, and sometimes plorts from other species. If a slime eats more than two different "plorts", it becomes an aggressive malevolent black slime called a Tarr, which causes havoc on the farm and must be washed away with precious water.

The appeal of the game is in the open-ended farming, not unlike Stardew Valley. Only here you are in a 3D open world and with a more focused remit of farming just slimes. That said, there are many different kinds that lead to a complex web of collecting, feeding and breeding. This is extended by the scarcity of a particular slime determining its market price, a small touch that adds a layer of realism to the otherwise unreal experience.

The result is a game that combines gentle exploration with whimsical and lighthearted farming to create a laidback experience that's silly fun, yet still requires strategy and savvy selling to make the most out of what you have.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Slime Rancher 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Ben Kendall and updated 4 months ago.