Welcome back to another exciting installment of our Slime Rancher walkthrough! In this part, we will delve into the thrilling endgame content that awaits you in the Glass Desert. Get ready to uncover new areas, collect rare slimes, and unlock the secrets of this fascinating zone!
Setting Up Your Teleporter
Upon arriving in the Glass Desert, your first task is to establish your own teleporter. With this handy tool, you’ll be able to travel to and from this location instantly. I’ve discovered that the ideal spot for the teleporter in the Glass Desert is right behind where you find the Tangle Gordo, in the central part of the zone. I personally place it behind my house on the Ranch, taking advantage of the gadget spots available.
This location is not only convenient because it is central, but it also offers a plethora of nearby gadget sites where you can gather valuable Slime Science Resources. As you begin revitalizing the Glass Desert, you’ll also encounter Dervish and Mosaic Slimes in abundance in this area, along with a small group of Tangle Slimes nearby.
The First Visit to the Glass Desert
During your initial exploration of the Glass Desert, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the zone and set up your teleporter for easy travel. I recommend holding off on collecting slimes from the Glass Desert until you’ve unlocked at least one of the Range Exchange’s extra plots of land. In my experience, unlocking Mochi’s Manor is the easiest option, providing you with five additional plots of land to work with.
Once you have the necessary space, you can start collecting the three types of slimes found in the Glass Desert. Here’s a checklist to guide you on your first visit:
- Scout the zone and familiarize yourself with it
- Drop your custom teleporter
- Unlock extra plots of land via the Range Exchange
- Pop the Tangle Gordo to obtain Tangle Slimes
- Pop the Mosaic Gordo to obtain Mosaic Slimes
- Activate the Rock Plort water fountain near the center of the zone
- Collect Mosaic, Tangle, and Dervish Slimes for your Ranch
- Collect Silver Parsnips and Prickly Pears to start gardens with
The map above, courtesy of a talented Steam user, provides a detailed overview of the various locations within the Glass Desert.
Activating the Fountains
To make the most of your time in the Glass Desert, you’ll need to activate the four fountains scattered across the zone. Let’s take a closer look at each fountain and its respective statues:
Rock Plort Fountain
You can find this fountain a little southeast of the Tangle Gordo. It’s the easiest one to activate since all three Rock Plort Statues are within close proximity and easily accessible. For their exact locations, refer to the Rock Plort Statue in the Glass Desert Slime Rancher wiki or watch my Rock Plort Statue Locations Video.
Mosaic Plort Fountain
Located directly west of the Tangle Gordo, a small island awaits. Jetpack your way over and discover the three Mosaic Plort Statues nearby. Check out my Mosaic Plort Statue Locations Video for a visual aid.
Tangle Plort Fountain
Prepare for a bit of a challenge with this fountain. One of the statues can be found north of the ramp leading from the Ancient Ruins, the second one is next to the crumbled rock wall on your way to the Dervish Gordo, and the last statue is on a raised platform southwest of the Dervish Gordo. For an exact location, refer to my Tangle Plort Statue Locations Video.
Dervish Plort Fountain
This fountain is probably the trickiest to activate. While two of the statues are relatively easy to find, the third requires some hovering using your Jetpack. It’s located above the fountain, and you’ll need to exercise caution and precision to reach it. For the map locations of each Dervish Plort Statue, consult the Slime Rancher wiki or watch my video on locating them.
Once you’ve successfully activated a fountain, use your Vacpack to collect water from it. This “Ancient Water” provides a 30-second buff that allows you to activate any inactive plants you encounter in the Glass Desert.
In the image above, you can see what an inactive plant in the Glass Desert looks like. To activate it, simply splash it with Ancient Water.
Creating Ecosystems and Collecting Slimes
As you activate these plants, you’ll witness the creation of small ecosystems that spawn numerous types of slimes, along with fruits, vegetables, and other goodies for them to devour. It’s the perfect opportunity to collect Mosaic, Dervish, and Tangle Slimes for your Ranch. Tangle Slimes can be a bit elusive, but you’ll often find them in the area just south of where you encountered the Tangle Gordo. Look for a raised platform with stairs leading up to it and an inactive flower in a small cubby. Once you reactivate the flower, Tangle Slimes will start appearing in that vicinity.
In addition to these slimes, keep an eye out for Fire Slimes during your exploration of the Glass Desert. Occasionally, the screen will glow red, and smoldering rocks will be hurled around, accompanied by pillars of flame. Some of these rocks may contain Fire Slimes, a unique type of slime similar to Puddle Slimes. Remember that Fire Slimes can only be kept inside an Incinerator on your Ranch and they feed on ash, which you create by shooting food into the Incinerator. While farming Fire Plorts can be labor-intensive, you may want to have some Fire Slimes to deposit their plorts into the Refinery for crafting purposes.
Towards the End
As you progress through the Glass Desert, don’t forget to burst the remaining Gordos, including the Dervish Gordo. Bursting the Tangle and Mosaic Gordos also grants you their Slime Keys, which you’ll need for the post-game content we’ll discuss later.
Before wrapping up your time in the Glass Desert, make sure to locate the final set of Hobson Notes. Head to the northernmost point of the zone, where you’ll discover two doors accompanied by a switch. As you approach this area, you’ll gain insight into Hobson’s choice and his reasons for the path he chose. Reading the final note triggers a Starmail from Casey, Beatrix’s love interest, followed by the end credits accompanied by a lovely song about Beatrix and Casey.
In the screenshot above, you can find the two final Hobson Notes in the game, along with Hobson’s Starmail about the secret vaults.
After watching the end credits, you’ll receive a Starmail from Hobson, informing you about three secret vaults that he unlocked for you to explore. With the main story concluded, your focus will shift towards completing the remaining tasks in the endgame. These include collecting Treasure Pods, perfecting your farm, and discovering the secrets within “The Vaults.”
To help guide you through this part of the game, here’s a comprehensive endgame checklist:
- Burst the Tangle Gordo, Dervish Gordo, and Mosaic Gordo in the Glass Desert
- Activate all four fountains in the Glass Desert
- Revitalize all the plants in the Glass Desert
- Find the final Hobson Notes and watch the credits
- Complete all Range Exchange Helper Quests
- Collect all the Treasure Pods
- Create the perfect Slime Rancher Ranch
- Automate the entire farm with Advanced Helper Drones
- Visit “The Vaults”
Feel free to tackle these tasks in any order you prefer. Additionally, I’ll be sharing my endgame Ranch setup, which optimizes both Slime Science and New Bucks production. While you’re welcome to customize your own layout, my setup serves as a great reference point for combining slimes and placing them strategically.
In the image above, you can see my endgame Ranch layout. Here’s a breakdown of the different areas:
- Main Ranch: This area is home to my only Incinerator and Silo. I also keep Mosaic Slimes here since they can be fed with Silver Parsnips.
- Overgrowth: Here, you’ll find all my Rad Largos and an Oka Oka Garden to feed them. The pen with Boom/Rad Largos is the best spot to house slimes that shouldn’t be near other types. Earlier in the game, before unlocking Range Exchange locations, I recommend keeping Dervish/Tangle slimes in this pen.
- The Docks: I reserve this area for Quantum/Honey Largos, as Quantum Slimes tend to teleport out of their cages. It’s crucial to combine them with a friendly slime type, like Honey, to prevent them from attacking when hungry and breaking out of their enclosures. To ensure they don’t mix with other Plorts, don’t place Quantum Slimes in an area where they have access to different types of Plorts. The Docks is a great location since it’s isolated, and the slimes won’t be able to access other parts of your Ranch. Just be aware that they might occasionally get stuck on the rope walls due to their teleportation ability.
- The Lab: In my opinion, the only essential slimes to keep near your lab are a pen of around 100 Pink Slimes. Avoid combining them into Largos, as you’ll need a constant supply of Pink Plorts for numerous Slime Science recipes. You can place other frequently used Plorts for Slime Science in this area.
- The Grotto: Since The Grotto is already underground, I house all my Phosphor Largo combinations here, along with two Cuberry Gardens to feed them.
- Ogden’s Retreat: This location is perfect for Saber Largos of various types. I’ve set up drones to automate farming and selling their Plorts on the market. Since not many Slime Science recipes utilize Saber Plorts, I use this area exclusively for Plort sales. Keep this in mind when combining Saber Slimes with others.
- Mochi’s Manor: Lastly, I’ve dedicated this area to housing my Dervish/Tangle Largos. It’s a challenging Largo combination, so I’ve isolated them from other slimes in places like Mochi’s Manor, Viktor’s Workshop, or Ogden’s Retreat. By doing so, I minimize the risk of Tarr outbreaks caused by their mechanics.
That’s it for now! You’ve made it to the endgame content in Slime Rancher, and the possibilities are endless. Remember to refer to the provided checklist as you embark on your final adventures. Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, and secrets in our next walkthrough installment. Until then, happy ranching!
(To learn more about Slime Rancher, visit Capturing Fantasy for additional guides and content)
