The best things in life are free, so the saying goes, and while Slime Rancher's 65/100 review score doesn't necessarily mark is as among "the best," it's undergone numerous updates since then, has sold very well—it recently surpassed two million copies—and, finally getting to the point, it's free for the next couple of weeks on the Epic Games Store.
Slime Rancher is a first-person sandbox farming sim, but your farm is on a distant planet and your herds are slime. The title is more or less literal, you see: "Each day will present new challenges and risky opportunities as you attempt to amass a great fortune in the business of slime ranching. Collect colorful slimes, grow crops, harvest resources, and explore the untamed wilds through the mastery of your all-purpose vacpack."
It sounds innocuous enough but it probably bears mentioning that the "resources" you'll be harvesting is actually poop, although it's technically referred to as "plorts." There's a big market for the stuff out amongst the stars, and the money you earn from it will enable you to expand your operation into a true poo powerhouse. But beware! Slimes apparently find the stuff quite tasty, and if they eat the plorts from the wrong kind of species they can mutate into a potentially dangerous hybrid slime. (Reminds me of my sister's dog.)
It all sounds very weird to me, but it's awfully cute, and free until March 21. Get it from epicgames.com.
