Welcome to the colorful and chaotic world of Slime Rancher 2! Whether you’re new to the series or just looking for some early-game guidance, this guide will cover essential mechanics, tips, and strategies to help you get started on your ranching adventure.

---

Understanding Your Base and Plots

The Observatory: Your Starting Point

• This is where you spawn when you start the game and where you’ll constantly return throughout your adventure.
• Pressing the map button (Middle button on PlayStation, similar on Xbox) opens the map, which shows available plots and areas to unlock.
• Plots are locations where you can build different structures, including Corrals, Gardens, Coops, Silos, Incinerators, and Ponds.
• Expanding your base requires Newbucks, the in-game currency, which you’ll earn primarily by selling plorts.

The Plort Market

• The Plort Market is where you sell plorts to earn Newbucks.
• The value of plorts fluctuates—some increase in price while others decrease depending on supply and demand.
• Different slime species produce different plorts, with rarer ones selling for more.

---

Slime Management: Collecting, Feeding, and Ranching

Starting with Your First Slimes

• The Pink Slime is the most common and eats everything (Fruit, Veggies, and Meat), making it an easy choice for beginners.
• The Cotton Slime, found early in the game, eats only veggies, with a favorite food of Water Lettuce.
• Feeding a slime its favorite food makes it produce two plorts instead of one, maximizing profits.

Building Your First Corral

• You start with one pre-built Corral but will need to build more to house different slime types.
• Essential early-game structures:
  • Corrals (for slimes)
  • Gardens (to grow food for slimes)
  • Coops (for chickens if you want to raise meat-eating slimes)
• Avoid getting Incinerators and Ponds early, as they are only needed for specific slime species.

---

Exploring the World and Finding Resources

Navigating the Map

• The fog-covered areas on the map require exploration to uncover.
• Find and activate map nodes (marked with smiley face icons) to reveal parts of the world.
• Hidden paths and platforms often contain treasures or shortcuts.

Avoiding Danger

• Water is deadly—falling in sends you back to the Observatory and you lose everything in your inventory.
• Watch out for Tar Slimes, which form when a slime eats a plort that doesn’t match its type. These slimes are aggressive and will attack other slimes and the player.
• Feral Slimes exist in certain areas and will attack on sight unless pacified with food.

---

How to Unlock New Areas and Find Resources

Gordo Slimes: Unlocking Paths

• Gordo Slimes are extra-large versions of normal slimes that act as roadblocks.
• Feeding them their required total amount of food (usually 30) will make them burst, unlocking new paths and rewards.
• Pink Gordo Slimes are the easiest to deal with since they eat anything.

Refinery Links and Crafting Materials

• Refinery Links allow you to store resources for later upgrades.
• These links appear on the map and are essential for crafting and progress.

---

How to Build a Profitable Ranch

Best Early-Game Slime Combination

• Cotton Slimes + Tabby Slimes:
  • Tabby Slimes only eat meat, which is difficult to manage early on.
  • By feeding a Cotton Plort to a Tabby Slime, you create a Largo Slime that can eat veggies instead of just meat.
  • This allows you to farm higher-value plorts using Water Lettuce, doubling your plort output.

Managing Slime Containment

• Upgrade Corrals with High Walls to prevent slimes from escaping.
• Install Air Nets to stop flying slimes from leaving their enclosures.
• Add a Music Box to keep slimes calm, reducing their urge to jump out.

Selling Plorts Efficiently

• Monitor plort prices—sell when prices are high and store excess in Silos if prices drop.
• Prioritize selling higher-value plorts first for maximum income.

---

Additional Tips for Efficiency

Sleeping to Speed Up Growth and Reset Spawns

• Sleeping in the Observatory allows you to pass time, which helps in:
  • Growing crops faster
  • Resetting slime spawns
  • Refreshing the world’s resources

Avoiding Slime Overpopulation

• Too many slimes in a corral leads to hunger, aggression, and escape attempts.
• If you have too many slimes, release them into the wild by shooting them into the sea (they respawn naturally elsewhere).

When to Use Phosphor Slimes

• Phosphor Slimes only spawn at night and need to be housed in Solar Shield Corrals or kept underground.
• They are difficult to manage early, so focus on Cotton and Tabby Slimes first.

---

Final Thoughts

By following these early-game strategies, you’ll quickly build a profitable ranch, expand your base, and explore the world efficiently. Whether you’re growing crops, managing slimes, or discovering hidden paths, your journey through Slime Rancher 2 is bound to be filled with fun and adventure.

Now, go forth and start ranching—just don’t fall into the water! Happy farming!