Despite my favorite games consisting of rough-and-tough FPS titles or action-packed games with gray hues and depressing tones, Slime Rancher 2 scratches an itch that I never knew I had. The bright, colorful slimes that make up the experience are fun and exciting to care for, and the entire premise of growing a budding slime farm that you can capitalize on is as exciting as it sounds. If you're looking for a great Steam Deck adventure, as well as one of the best cozy games, Slime Rancher 2 is an essential addition, and one you can get at a steep discount right now.
Sometimes after a long day, I don't want to stress about beating the competition in the best FPS games like Call of Duty. Instead, I want to chase after elusive slimes and capture them, get their valuable Plorts, and sell them on the market. That's the main loop of Slime Rancher 2, and as you get more Plorts and rare slimes to your ranch, you'll be able to upgrade your facilities - meaning more slimes, more Plorts, and even more elusive creatures that you may not have had access to catching.
It's one of the best Steam Deck games, in my opinion, because of how low-stakes it is. Each slime requires different food to eat, which means you'll have to invest some of your hard-earned money into growing different resources, another management aspect of your ranch. However, Slime Rancher 2 introduces all of the variants of slimes and their requirements as you progressively traverse the open-world game, meaning that nothing feels too overwhelming.
I love how Slime Rancher 2 easily handles the wonder of exploring a new world. The vibrant visuals make looking around Rainbow Island satisfying, and the whole experience of looking for new slimes to add to your farm makes it a great, easy game if you love losing yourself in a unique land. Sure, there are risks - the chances of summoning The Tarr, which is what happens when a Largo (two slimes combined) eats the wrong Plort, is one of the most common issues. But it's all about that learning curve, which remains fun throughout.
As a Steam Deck Verified game, Slime Rancher 2 remains a mainstay on the best handheld consoles for me, and you can grab it at its cheapest price at Fanatical, with the game just $18.59 / £14.87. That's lower than any Steam sales have offered it, and considering it just launched the major 1.0 update with plenty of new content, there's never been a better time to give it a try.
So, whether you're enjoying it on the small screen or pulling out the best Steam Deck dock to see Slime Rancher 2 in all its glory, this isn't a deal to pass on. Now that I've talked about it so much, I think it's time to see how my ranch is doing. It's been a long time… well, it's been about a couple of hours, to be honest.