Slime Rancher is an adorable first-person life simulation game where players run their own farm that raises an assortment of slimes. Combining slimes with one another to create hybrids is one of the goals in the game as each fed slime will drop plorts that can be sold for a hefty profit.
Gradually, the ranch will expand as players earn more money and need more space. With so many spaces to fill with slimes or gardens it can be difficult to decide what the best layout for the ranch could be, and therefore, players deserve a couple of tips on how to use their space wisely.
Have Two Gardens In Each Ranch Area
As the player's ranch begins to expand players will want to make sure they have enough food to provide for all the slimes they are attempting to rear. An easy way to make sure this is the case is always having two gardens on each ranch that are growing the favorite food of the slimes being kept in that area of the ranch.
It is recommended to focus on produce, such as fruit or veg, instead of creating pens for chickens, as maintaining a healthy and consistent chicken coop can be difficult. This is especially the case if a player is hoping to use drones on the ranch.
Keep Phosphor Slimes Only In The Cave
Phosphor slimes die in the sunlight. Therefore, a rancher that is hoping to keep them will have to consider this when setting up their corral. One such way of doing this is creating an enclosure with added sunlight protection. However, since players will already be spending a lot to keep these slimes inside their pens using an air net, having to buy every other upgrade also can be expensive.
That's why unlocking the cave area of the ranch can be incredibly beneficial; this gives the player's phosphor slimes natural shade, allowing the player to not concern themselves with the possibility of losing their slimes once the sun comes up.
Free Roaming Puddle Slimes At The Docks
Another way in which players can avoid extra costs for their slimes is by purchasing the Docks area of the ranch. This not only provides more corrals for even more slime hybrids but also the chance to raise puddle slimes in a free-roaming environment.
Unlike the other slimes available, Puddle slimes don't require a favorite food or need to be fed daily; they can be easily raised as long as they are kept in the designated environment of water. Therefore, keeping them in the pond at the Docks is not only adorable to watch but also cheaper than buying their own ponds, as well as having more space for them.
Have Separate Pens For Chickens
For players that are still hoping to raise chickens on their ranch to use as a source of food for their slimes. If raising several breeds of chicken, it is a good idea to raise them in their own separate coops. This avoids not only the player from getting confused but also helps the drones pick the right food source for the slimes when on the duty of feeding.
It would also be suggested to keep chickens away from any corrals that contain meat eaters, as they tend to try to climb out of their corrals to get to this delicious food source. No rancher wants to come home to an empty chicken coop.
Collect Chickens Consistently From The Overgrowth
Instead of wasting space with a chicken coop, players can find an abundance of free-ranging food directly on their ranch. By unlocking the Overgrowth, players not only get access to more spaces for building on their ranch but also an area that is full of free-growing vegetables and chickens that roam free.
Players can use this area to raise their own chickens or use it as a quick pickup spot for food if the slimes are running short. Another great strategy from this area is sending the drones to pick up the automatically spawning chickens and place them in storage with no need to breed them.
Have A Whole Ranch Area For Fire Slimes
Similar to puddle slimes, Fire slime require a specific environment to survive. As their name suggests, this means placing them somewhere hot. Unfortunately, Slime Rancher doesn't have a volcanic area available on the ranch, and therefore, players that hope to keep these fiery puddles will need to purchase incinerators for them to live in.
It also doesn't stop there. Fire slimes need to be fed ash and the incinerator they live in doubles up as a trash bin as well as a way to make that food. Setting up a couple of incinerators in the overgrowth means players can easily feed the lava slimes food by throwing the naturally spawning produce directly into their enclosure, where it will burn into ash. They will then drop the valuable Fire plorts.
Make The Most Of Drones
Eventually, the ranch and its inhabitants will become too much for one single rancher to tend to, and with no multiplayer in sight, players will need to rely on the assistance of drones to complete various tasks around their ranch. Players will be able to fabricate drones as well as other useful gadgets once they have unlocked the lab area of the ranch. Each ranch expansion can have two drones working in them at a time, limiting the amount of work the player themselves has to focus on.
Eventually, these drones can be upgraded to advanced drones, but even at a base level, these helpful bee-looking robots can be programmed to collect plorts to sell or even feed slimes as long as they have been fueled. Luckily, they only require water to run, making them easy to work with once built.
Slime Rancher is out now on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.