Slime Rancher

Slime Rancher 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.

CONTENT RATING

PLATFORMS

Xbox One

PC

PlayStation 4

Mac

Nintendo Switch

Xbox Series X|S

POSITIVE GAMEPLAY

Exporation

Gardening

Leadership

Silly Fun

Strategy

Collecting

Exploration

PLAY STYLE

Player vs Enemies

Team with Game Allies

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 with a more focused remit of just farming Slimes. That said, the many different kinds of Slimes 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.

GAMEPLAY TRAILER

Good to know

Insights to ensure your child's gaming experience remains safe and enjoyable

Consider time investment

Adventure games often take a long time to finish. Encourage regular breaks to get moving, rest their eyes and balance their time with other activities.

Nurture key skills

Many adventure games incorporate problem solving and critical thinking, important skills for school, work and more offline. Talk to them about their game to see how it supports them and their goals.

Build resilience

Encourage children to take risks with their characters in-game to safely learn potential consequences. Talk about what might happen outside of the game and why it's important to keep those risks in-game only. While playing, encourage them to think about innovative risks their character can take.

Skill level age

Suggested by Family Gaming Database

7+

You can enjoy exploring the world from a young age. Progress and collecting the different slimes you need to progress requires strategic thinking and persistence.

Content rating

Rated PEGI 3. When you jump into ponds, lakes or seas (deeper waters), you receive a message “You’ve been knocked out, a day’s rest should get you back up on your feet”. A day passes, and you begin outside your house again. This loop also happens when your health points have been depleted. This only happens when you encounter ‘dangerous’ slimes. These slimes can bump into you, or curl up in a ball of spikes. If you don’t have the right tools for these encounters, the slimes can hurt you. As for the slimes themselves, you can’t really harm them. When you throw them in the water, they disappear. When you shoot them in the air, they just bounce when they hit the floor. You can, however, dissolve some slimes with water (or other substances). When this is done, they just disappear in a few drops, leaving behind some crystals or slime essence.

PEGI rating explained?