Slime Rancher 2

Slime Rancher 2 continues Beatrix LeBeau’s bubbly adventures on a prism-soaked island full of new critters, gadgets and a shiny conservatory to decorate. If you loved the chill loop of the first game, you’ll find plenty to smile at — but expect more back-and-forth, more resource hunts, and fewer of the old automation conveniences.

Core gameplay is familiar: catch slimes with your vacpack, feed them, harvest plorts, upgrade gear and expand your base — now anchored around a beautiful conservatory that shows off Rainbow Island. The map is bigger with varied biomes, a few genuinely neat slime gimmicks and environmental events that keep exploration lively. New gadgets and toys give slimes more personality, and drones exist but feel deliberately limited compared to SR1 — you’ll hunt parts in the world and cap how many helpers you can field. Crafting/upgrades now lean on gathered materials rather than pure cash, which rewards exploration but also forces more running. The market and plort economy feel different: high initial prices can quickly settle, so stockpiling strategies don’t always work like before. There are quality-of-life touches and a polished visual/sound package — the world looks and sounds excellent — but some design choices (teleporter cooldowns, limited automation, long unlock costs) add tedium. Endgame sections like the Grey Labyrinth split opinion: neat puzzles for some, slog for others. Overall it’s a tasty expansion of the original formula with obvious love poured into art and charm, even if the pacing and grind will test patience.

Slime Rancher 2 is a delightful, lovably weird follow-up that doubles down on atmosphere and exploration — but some design choices around grind and automation keep it from being a flawless upgrade. Worth playing, especially on sale, if you like cozy sandboxing with occasional tedium.