You play as an adventurous rancher named Beatrix, who has settled on her uncle’s ranch on a distant alien planet. The landscape is filled with colorful canyons, adorable bouncing slimes of every shape and value, and, for some reason… chickens.
Some slimes eat the chickens.
We’ll move past that.
You’re Not From Around Here, Are You?
So what’s the point of Slime Rancher?
At its heart, it’s a wholesome farming and exploration game where your primary tool is essentially a high-powered vacuum cannon. It’s surprisingly relaxing. The slimes even remind me of the sparrows that visit our backyard every day looking for food and water.
They’re just… squishier.
Building Your Ranch
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, the image below isn’t a slime prison.
It’s a ranch.
You build force-field corrals to house different slime species, then create gardens to grow vegetables and fruit for feeding them. Each species has its own preferences, so figuring out what everyone likes becomes part of the fun.
Whenever a slime eats, it produces a crystal-like resource called a Plort. Thankfully, the game doesn’t spend much time explaining the biological details.
You collect these Plorts and sell them on the Plort Market to earn money, which you can spend on upgrading your ranch, expanding your equipment, and unlocking new areas.
How the Economy Works
The Plort Market functions a bit like a real-world commodities market. Prices rise and fall depending on supply and demand, encouraging you to diversify what you’re producing instead of selling the same thing over and over.
Don’t overthink it, though.
Collect stuff. Sell stuff. Make money.
People have been doing that ever since someone invented currency.
Exploration and Secrets
I’ve only scratched the surface of what Slime Rancher has to offer, but I’ve seen videos from players with absolutely enormous ranches and sprawling exploration areas.
There are ancient ruins, mysterious portals, hidden regions, and a surprising amount of lore if you decide to dive into it. It’s one of those games that quietly becomes much bigger than you expect.
Final Thoughts
I don’t know just how deep Slime Rancher ultimately gets, but I do know it’s one of the most relaxing games I’ve played in a long time.
I never feel rushed or pressured. Even when I accidentally fell into the water, the game simply respawned me safely back at my ranch. It’s forgiving without feeling boring.
There’s also a surprisingly charming story told through the ranch’s mail system, where you’ll hear from friends living off-world as you continue expanding your ranch.
I usually jump from one game to another every day, so I don’t know when I’ll return to Slime Rancher. But whenever I do, it feels like a pleasant place to spend an afternoon.
If you’re looking for a low-stress game with charming creatures, satisfying progression, and plenty of exploration, Slime Rancher is absolutely worth checking out.
There are no tears here.
Only slime.
If you’re able to figure out how this game works, it might be for you. There are no tears here. It’s sliming. It’s good.
