Farming simulation games are always fun to play especially when you are a creative person looking for great games to pass time. This is why I have compiled a list of games like Slime Rancher which are oriented towards exploration and life simulation and farming remains its main elements.
10 Best Games like Slime Rancher
However, the games which I have mentioned below under this category are oriented towards life simulation with different themes. Some focus on combat and some on farming and some on other stuff but the gameplay is quite similar and relatable to real life elements too. To know more check out the description given below.
1. Stardew Valley
Website:Â https://stardewvalley.net/
Even you would be expecting Stardew Valley to be on top of the list of games like Slime Rancher and it has every reason to be there. Developed by ConcernedApe, this is a farming simulation game with the essence of role-playing and released in 2016.
This indie style simulation game offers a role to the player where he is done with the hustle of office job and now takes over the farm of his/her grandparents called Stardew Valley.
The player needs to perform all the farming functions here like planting crops and taking care of them too. Character’s time and energy levels are the important counts of the game. Other tasks involve crafting goods, engaging in social activities, raising cattle, involving in romance and leading to marriage etc.
This is quite like the real life and timely reminds of the day to day activities too. Just like Slime Rancher PS4, it is also available for PlayStation 4 platform. You can play the game in single player mode only.
Compatible with:Â 
 
 
2. Harvest Moon
Website:Â https://www.nintendo.com/
Another example of farming simulation game is Harvest Moon which is also known as Farm Story too. It is developed by Amccus and belongs to the Story of Seasons series. Just like Stardew Valley, it also involves role-playing elements in it.
Harvest Moon follows the story of a young boy whose character is played by the protagonist and he needs to take care of their farm in his father’s absence.
The main objective of this game is to firstly restore the withered farm into appropriate condition and then do necessary to maintain and run it. Apart from farming there are other elements of this game too like raising livestock, fishing, foraging and involving in other social activities.
With so many tasks to be performed the game involves really entertaining elements related to them. For the leisure activities, the player can go in the bar and enjoy drinks with non-playable characters. You can actually experience real farming simulation through this game and hence I enlisted it in the category of games like Slime Rancher.
Compatible with:Â Â
3. Virtual Villagers
Website:Â http://www.virtualvillagers.com/
Here I am not talking about a single game but an entire Virtual Villagers game series developed and published by Last Days of Work. It is a life simulation game with god game elements in it and available to be played in single player mode only.
Despite being a simulation game it is quite different from the rest of the games like Slime Rancher here and this is because of the various gaming elements involved in it.
From puzzles to strategy making, it involves everything with the background of ethnic and cultural mixes. The game’s plot is based on the island Isola with four portions on it. The game starts with a volcanic eruption and the dystopian story afterwards.
Now, you need to start a new life on the island of Isola and develop a village out there. The game also involves elements like getting married and giving birth to village development tasks too. It means you have the power and control over a big part of the game.
Compatible with: , Palm OS
4. Grow Home
Website:Â https://www.ubisoft.com/
Grow Home is an adventurous platforming game developed and published by Ubisoft in 2015. Although it is quite different to be in the list of games similar to Slime Rancher but there are some elements of simulation in it which makes it worth being included.
Main protagonist of this game is a robot named B.U.D. whose main task is to grow a planet which is finally going to oxygenate its own planet.
The game follows an open world environment like the rest of the games like Slime Rancher and tasked with harvesting the Star Planet. Throughout the game, B.U.D. keeps on interacting with its spaceship M.O.M. which tells it about the next element of the gameplay.
After getting done with the farming games I think the brand new concept and theme of Grow Home is a great change. In the single player mode, you have a great world to explore and continuously travel around to different parts of it.
Compatible with:Â
5. Everything
Website:Â http://www.everything-game.com/
Another simulation game in the row is Everything developed by David OReilly. The game mainly focuses on the exploration element and released in March, 2017. It can be played in single player mode and generated in a controlled and procedural way differentiating it from other games like Slime Rancher.
The player starts the game in a universe with exploring around and controlling various objects in it. Player belongs to a unique species who are the few to move around in this universe.
Everything is unique in concept because player has the ability to keep on transforming its character into something else. When it shifts the control to smaller creatures, scale of the game changes accordingly. As the gaming world is open-ended there is no specific objective of this game.
The game has some restrictions too like the player can only shift to smaller parts only. To be true, I am sure no other game functions the way Everything does because its scope is so abundant and rich that you will never get tired of playing it.
Compatible with:Â
6. Viva Pinata
Website:Â http://www.vivapinata.com/
Developed by Rare, Viva Pinata is a life simulation game released in 2006. This single player game is focused on an island named Pinata. Here the player is assigned a task to take care of a neglected garden and do everything possible to make it lively again.
Quite similar to Slime Farmer game, Viva Pinata also involves farming elements perfectly. One thing which you are going to like the most about the game is the visuals. The color palette, graphics everything is so amazing.
In this first person game, the player starts with restoring this garden and then moves to higher tasks. Player needs to perform various tasks like sowing seeds, create ponds, breed animals, and sculpt the garden into a beautiful place. As the things get improved, the garden starts transforming into full colored version from black and white aspects.
This gardening and simulation elements makes it perfect for the category of games like Slime Rancher. There are some minigames inside this game also and other variations too keeping the pace of the game fun and unpredictable too.
Compatible with:Â Â
7. Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
Website:Â http://www.carpefulgur.com/
Recettear is basically a role playing game but that does not mean that it is not based on simulation element. Developed by EasyGameStation, it was released in 2007, and this Japanese game revolves around the concept of starting an item shop and making it popular and successful.
Recettear is a perfect game for the list of games like Slime Rancher and unlike other life simulation game it is more focused on business simulation.
So, the gameplay involves in a fantasy world where the player takes the role of Recette Lemongrass who is a daughter of a shopkeeper. After the mysterious disappearance of this shopkeeper, Recette must run an item shop to pay her debts and run her home.
The game lacks great visuals and sticks to 2D environment and text-based representation only. Another thing you are going to find irritating is that some of the Japanese lines are not translated to English which breaks the feelings of relativity for the gamers. However, despite all this, the game is still worth giving a try.
Compatible with:Â
8. Rune Factory 4
Website:Â http://www.runefactory4.com/
Sixth installment of Rune Factory series, RF4 is developed by Neverland Co. and released in 2012. The game not only has similar features to Stardew Valley slime farming but there are also some modifications done which takes simulation to a whole new level.
Talking about the game play then it starts with the player choosing its gender and then focuses on the town of Selphia where player needs to develop the rest of the story.
Player needs to develop this town and do a lot of tasks like attract tourist, gaining the trust of the villagers, getting married, explore around, interact with the non-playable characters etc. Marriage and having child is an important aspect of the game where player can choose from 6 choices given with different skills and attractive features.
Although different in approach, Rune Factory 4 is still quite similar to other games like Slime Rancher and live up to the expectations when it comes to the life simulation element.
Compatible with:Â Â
9. Proteus
Website:Â http://www.visitproteus.com/
I am sure you might not even have heard of this game before but trust me it has created enough hype since its release in 2013 that it is totally worth to be included in the list of games like Slime Rancher.
It is an exploration based game which is set in the procedurally generated environment like that in Everything game. It is set from the first person perspective and the way they have utilized the use of audio effects, it has made the game way more interesting than ever.
In the gaming universe which is open-ended, there is everything like hills, animals, trees etc. The games goes on without any narrative and only focuses on exploration and no interactions. However, the way soundtrack changes along with the movement and actions of player is really something which reminds you of simulation element.
The game does not follow a special objective but surely a pattern where player needs to go through every season in the game until the winter where the game ends.
Compatible with:  , PlayStation Vita
10. Animal Crossing
Website:Â http://ms.nintendo-europe.com/
Animal Crossing is a game which has gained superb popularity because of its interesting concept. It is a life simulation game developed by Nintendo and released in 2001. It also includes the elements of role-playing in it and this is the only game in the list of games like Slime Rancher which can be played in multiplayer mode too.
It is an open ended game with no specific objective and also has various following games too catering to an entire game series.
The game works in real time and it can be observed through the GameCube’s internal clock in the game. Player needs to interact with the anthropomorphic animals in the game and the interactions determine player’s character and gender too. As the player moves to a new village, they need to establish new social relations with everyone.
To prevent the game from going mundane, Animal Crossing also introduces mandatory tasks to be completed in between the games too. It keeps the players entertained throughout and also adds new elements to the game too.
Compatible with:   , GameCube, iQue Player
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Conclusion
Some games are only available for Nintendo platform only so you would have to opt for some kind of emulator if you are not having Nintendo. Apart from it, other ones support multiple platforms making them versatile and simpler to access too.
I am sure the various elements of these life simulation games like Slime Rancher would not disappoint you at all. They might differ on the basis of gameplay and theme but all of them are quite entertaining and the open world approach makes thing unpredictable as well as interesting too.
