14 Games Like Slime Rancher
Our list of games like Slime Rancher features other unique titles that use farming or breeding mechanics while encouraging exploration and challenging the player in interesting ways.
Slime Rancher entered Steam Early Access in early 2016 and was rapidly praised for its unique gameplay mechanics and presentation. Following a rancher by the name of Beatrix LeBeau players will explore an open world as they attempt to wrangle various slimes. Once placed in your own slime farm players are tasked with feeding, raising and breeding these slimes while expanding your farm as desired. With dozens of slimes that range from friendly to hostile and have their own diet requirements this slime ranching challenge is anything but easy.
By caring for slimes and feeding them the appropriate food items based on the type of slime you’ll be able to produce plorts, one of the games main currencies that can be exchanges for gold to upgrade your farm further and explore new locations. In order to achieve these objectives players are armed with a sucking vacuum tool called the VacPack that lets you suck in objects (or slimes) and release them later.
The games similar to Slime Rancher below feature other adventures that use farming or breeding in interesting ways. The majority of titles below also feature open ended gameplay that let the player choose their own destiny and explore varied game locations.
Stardew Valley
Drawing inspiration from the Harvest Moon franchise Stardew Valley puts you at the centre of your own farming adventure. Using the well known as a foundation Stardew Valley takes the experience further than ever before with its own unique mechanics and superb game design which were refined throughout the games lengthy original development. Starting your adventure in the countryside players inherent a vast plot of land from their grandfather in the area known as Stardew Valley. At this stage char...[Read Review]
Zoo Tycoon 2
Zoo Tycoon 2 builds on the gameplay of the original game and offers a solid tycoon experience that will have players creating animal exhibits, maintaining the park finances, keeping the guests happy and everything else that comes with running your own zoo. The game was published by Microsoft Game Studios and released in late 2005 (with 4 expansion packs released in future years). Zoo Tycoon 2 is also available on Nintendo DS (note that this review only covers the PC and Mac versions). Gameplay i...[Read Review]
Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale explores an interesting blend of mechanics as you operate your own item shop and attempt to earn the maximum profit while haggling with your customers. On top of this core mechanic though Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale also encourages players to engage in dungeon crawling to obtain a steady flow of items to sell. Originally released in Japan Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale was translated and brought to Steam in 2010. In Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale you will play ...[Read Review]
Wildlife Park 2
Wildlife Park 2 is the second game in the popular business simulation game series and has a number of similarities to the Zoo Tycoon series although flips the script slightly towards a large park with your own selection of rare and unique animals. Originally released in 2006 Wildlife Park 2 was later expanded with four expansion packs (Crazy Zoo, Marine World, Fantasy and Dino World) that expanded on the number of animals and attractions while going even beyond the real world. Like similar video...[Read Review]
Grow Home
Grow Home is an adventure where you’ll literally have to grow your own Star Plant to be able to return home one vine-like branch at a time. Selling itself as more of an adventure than a platform title (despite the heights that Grow Home throws at you) this short robotic adventure is focused on the exploration based journey than the sense of challenge. Set in a colourful game world of unique style players control B.U.D. (Botanical Utility Droid) a robotic life form in charge of growing a pl...[Read Review]
Zoo Tycoon
The original Zoo Tycoon promises an experience very similar to that of Roller Coaster Tycoon and has players managing their own zoo. The game was originally released in 2001 with two expansion packs, a Nintendo DS port, a sequel and a complete 2013 remake for the Xbox also created. Zoo Tycoon allows you to tackle the game in two different modes (three if you include the tutorial). These modes are fairly standard with the scenario mode offering a range of scenarios for players to complete with va...[Read Review]
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is the Xbox 360 exclusive sequel to the widely popular Viva Pinata. With similar gameplay but additional biomes and co-operative play the title is everything you loved from the original plus a little extra. The game was eventually made available on Xbox One through the Rare Replay compilation allowing Xbox users broader accessibility to the adventure.. In Trouble in Paradise players will return to the magical island of the original Viva Pinata game and once again...[Read Review]
Farm For Your Life
Farm For Your Life is an interesting indie experience that combines zombies, farming, tower defence and even running your own restaurant into a single game experience. All of these gameplay elements are wrapped together into a cute graphical package and an affordable price that encourages gamers of all backgrounds to step into the colourful world. Set in a game world where a heavy storm has struck your quiet town and in turn unleashed the living dead it’s up to you the player and the few survivo...[Read Review]
Proteus
Proteus joins the ranks of other video games that aim to offer an artistic exploration experience rather than traditional gaming. Like others in this gaming niche though it still manages to offer an impressive, immersive and engaging adventure as you explore a randomly generated game world. With no other objective other than to take the time to enjoy your surroundings players can create their own stories from adventuring over hills or finding new unique biomes. If you enjoy going on exploration ...[Read Review]
Shepherd’s Crossing 2
Shepherd’s Crossing 2 is farm simulation game available on the Nintendo DS that has many similarities to the popular Harvest Moon series and challenges players to efficiently develop their own farm. Released in 2010 for the Nintendo DS the game also serves as a sequel to the PlayStation 2 Shepherd’s Crossing title that was English released in 2008 (originally developed in 2003). At the heart of Shepherd’s Crossing 2 players will find a beautifully crafted anime themed graphic design that h...[Read Review]
Viva Pinata
Viva Pinata turns a unique game concept into a fun sandbox simulation game with beautifully crafted graphics that can be enjoyed by all ages. Challenging players to design their own dream garden and fill it with pinata animals based on real life counterparts. Published by Microsoft Game Studios Viva Pinata is available on PC and Xbox 360 (later Xbox One as well) with some spin-off titles with similar gameplay on alternative handheld consoles like the Nintendo DS. The focus in Viva Pinata is on d...[Read Review]
Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning
Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning is the second game in the franchise of farming and life simulation roleplaying titles to land for the Nintendo 3DS. Opting to introduce new customisation depth to the widely praised Harvest Moon franchise you’ll otherwise experience a similar but highly polished adventure to the previous titles. With these new upgrades its the same Harvest Moon as always but with enough new content that long term fans will enjoy their farming adventure. This time around pla...[Read Review]
Funky Barn
Armed with a strange name and Nintendo exclusivity Funky Barn enters into the farming simulation genre, challenging players to build a farm of cute animals and while managing your farm economy on your handheld Nintendo device. Starting at the basics as one would expect players are given a fairly barren plot of farm land, limited resources and only a small number of tools which is built upon slowly throughout the story. Taking over after your uncle Hatsworth’s who died from staying out in the col...[Read Review]
Farming Simulator 2015
Ever wanted to play realistic modern day farmer? Farming Simulator 2015 (also known as Farming Simulator15) lets you achieve just that with a sprawling farm at your disposal and all the associated technology of modern industrial farming activities. Featuring authentic vehicles the game lives up to its simulator name by making you feel like you’re working hard on the farm while optimising your available technology to ensure you have a healthy operating margin. Farming Simulator 2015 isn’t the fir...[Read Review]