STAFF PICKS
A life simulation game where you create, manage and decorate your own island residents.
Sophie Ehrman
Your productivity helps the environment when using this app.
It is a comical TV show with the uncomfortable type of comedy, like "The Office." "Animal Crossing New Horizons"
Bella Black
“Schitt's Creek”
Kennedy Ogden
"Forest”
Photo source: Slime Rancher website
'Slime Rancher' is a Jiggly Delight
A
BY CARYS WILLIAMS few years ago I started playing "Slime Rancher" because I was bored and wanted to play something laid back but before I knew it I had sunk over 300 hours into the game. It was a gem that I could have easily overlooked and never knew what a wonderful game it was. It has a charming story line, wonderful aesthetics and the gameplay is very forgiving for even the most inexperienced of players. Developed by: You get to meet various other ranchers Monomi Park as you play through the game. They range Game Designer: from an ex-food developer that wants to Nick Popovich go back to the bread and butter of farming Price: to a scientist studying the odd life forms 19.99 USD that are the slimes. All of the characters have their own charm and character development that adds a little bit of depth to a game that is very simple in design. The diverse environment is also a rare type of treat. Even in the beginning there is never a lack of secrets to be found and interesting slimes to collect. The environments also continue to offer new things to explore and do even after you sink loads of time into the game. It is also an ideal game to start someone on. Time is both important and unimportant and it is easy to fix mistakes at any level. It also
E10+
20 BLUEPRINTS WINTER 2021
has basic WASD controls and sticks to the basics in terms of key mapping. If you want to get someone used to keyboard controls, this is the game to do it. It can be compared to "Stardew Valley" in some ways with its farmer aesthetics, calm gameplay and chill soundtrack, but it brings its own uniqueness to the table. Rather than making relationships with others on the planet, you discover the adventures of someone who was there before you and rather than working towards repairing a community center you work at unlocking new features and areas of your ranch along with learning bits of the past of the character you play. It also offers a larger number of creatures you raise. It also has an easier farming mechanic that you use to feed said creatures. This game is a treat for everyone ranging from game veterans to people who are just dipping their toes into gaming. The only issue with the game is that it does not auto save; instead you have to save through the ESC menu. It is a wonderful game that offers much to do, learn and explore throughout the entire experience. This game is a five star game and I believe the developers should be proud of making this game and balancing easy mechanics with enough difficulty to make it interesting for everyone. If I could I would love to play this game again with fresh eyes and learn about it all over again.
