Ranch Simulator

About

Ranch Simulator is a single player and multiplayer open world simulation game. It was developed by Toxic Dog and was released on November 3, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Ranch Simulator" is an open-world game with support for 2-4 players in co-op or PvP multiplayer modes. The goal is to restore your family's struggling ranch, which includes rebuilding and renovating buildings, purchasing and caring for livestock, and managing resources. Despite outstanding graphics and humor, the game is poorly optimized and can be very grinding, with plenty of bugs.

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 13,551 reviews

gameplay205 positive mentions

grinding1k negative mentions

grinding
1,083 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The grinding aspect of "Ranch Simulator" has received mixed feedback from players. Many describe the gameplay as excessively grindy, particularly in the early stages, where tasks such as gathering resources and managing animals can feel tedious and repetitive. While some players appreciate the relaxed, immersive experience and find enjoyment in the grind, others criticize the lack of depth in farming mechanics and the overall slow progression, suggesting that it may not be suitable for those seeking a more streamlined or rewarding farming simulation experience.
- “Not too grindy either.”
- “The feeding/watering mechanic is straightforward and not tedious.”
- “No farming or mining or crafting.”
- “Prepare for the grindiest game I personally have ever played.”
- “The grinding the game asks you to do isn't hard, but it isn't rewarding on any level.”
- “The farming mechanics lack depth, leaving players with little to engage with after the initial excitement wears off.”
gameplay
820 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The gameplay of "Ranch Simulator" has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its clunky mechanics, particularly in driving and building, which detract from the overall experience. While some find the game engaging and fun, especially in multiplayer, others describe it as repetitive and plagued by bugs, leading to frustration. Overall, the game shows potential but requires significant improvements to its mechanics and content to provide a fulfilling simulation experience.
- “The gameplay revolves around establishing and expanding your ranch.”
- “With its deep crafting system, expansive world to explore, and multiplayer options, it provides hours of engaging gameplay for fans of the genre.”
- “Ranch simulator is a delightful escape into the countryside, offering stunning visuals and engaging gameplay.”
- “The mini tutorial for the game provided almost nothing towards the actual gameplay that you get released into afterwards, except for how to pick up items and destroy buildings.”
- “Driving mechanics are terrible, missions are boring, and the building system is frustrating; long story short, this game is disappointing.”
- “With its poor graphics, clunky mechanics, repetitive gameplay, and a slew of bugs, it falls short of delivering a fulfilling simulation experience.”
graphics
686 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
49%
13%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many players describing them as outdated, lacking polish, and reminiscent of early 2000s titles. While some users appreciate the beautiful environments and attention to detail, others criticize the poor performance, glitches, and low-quality textures that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics seem to be a significant point of contention, with many players expressing a desire for improvements and optimizations.
- “The graphics are stunning, and the attention to detail is impressive.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the world is breathtaking!”
- “The graphics are mighty fine, with gorgeous vistas and realistic-looking animals that'll make you feel like you're out there on the range.”
- “The overall concept is exactly what I have been looking for, but the graphics are so bad that it isn't even enjoyable to play.”
- “With its poor graphics, clunky mechanics, repetitive gameplay, and a slew of bugs, it falls short of delivering a fulfilling simulation experience.”
- “The graphics are horrendous and I refunded within the 2 hour limit.”
story
575 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
77%
12%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting that it feels repetitive and uninspired. Most quests can be completed quickly, leading to a sense of monotony once the initial missions are finished, and there is a strong desire for more varied and meaningful content. Overall, players express disappointment in the absence of a compelling narrative or substantial quest system, making the gameplay feel empty and lacking direction.
- “The story, fed to you by notes left behind, still seems to be the original ideas/placeholders for a story that never turned into something interesting and are poorly and obviously translated.”
- “The quests have a lot of potential in the future, and to my surprise for an early access game it performed exceedingly well!”
- “I love the open-world aspect, and I would love for more quests to be added down the line!”
- “The missions feel repetitive and uninspired, and the game does little to encourage exploration or creativity.”
- “All of the quests in the game can be finished in the first hour of play.”
- “It's super boring and the only missions you get are the starter ones.”
stability
455 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that disrupt gameplay. Many describe the experience as feeling unfinished and akin to early access, with issues ranging from vehicle instability to unresponsive tasks. While some find the glitches amusing and part of the charm, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial improvements to its stability before it can be fully enjoyed.
- “The game has been smooth, no glitches so far, the controls are nice and the layout is super too.”
- “When I first bought the game, I read a few reviews saying that the game runs poorly, controls are wonky, the driving mechanics are not very good, etc. This game runs great, has a good control setup, and the driving mechanics are good enough for you to go hunting/selling your products.”
- “Otherwise, it's a good, bug-free foundation for what I hope becomes a great game.”
- “I encountered frequent glitches that disrupted my gameplay, from getting stuck in the environment to tasks not registering as complete.”
- “The game is listed as complete, but it's very buggy and feels very much like early access.”
- “Game is full of glitches and crashes that make it unplayable.”
optimization
230 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
57%
39%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, low frame rates, and excessive CPU/GPU usage, even on capable hardware. Many users express frustration over the game's inability to run smoothly, citing it as a major detractor from the overall experience. Despite some updates claiming to address these issues, players feel that the optimization remains severely lacking, making the game frustrating and often unplayable.
- “If the optimization problem is solved, it will be a truly perfect game.”
- “The upside is that the performance is noticeably better, at least when it comes to the number of animals on the farm.”
- “I really like how the game is and what it is trying to be, but please devs fix performance.”
- “Additionally, I encountered numerous performance issues; the game stutters and lags even on decent hardware, which is frustrating and takes away from the immersion.”
- “The optimization in the game is bad, bad, bad and sh*t.”
- “On top of all of this, the game is poorly optimized for what it is, requiring much more CPU/GPU usage than should be necessary.”
humor
185 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its janky physics, hilarious bugs, and absurd driving mechanics, which create memorable and often chaotic moments, especially in multiplayer settings. Players report that the game's glitches and awkward mechanics lead to a lot of laughter, making it a fun experience when played with friends, despite some frustrations with repetitive gameplay and technical issues. Overall, the game is seen as a source of comedic enjoyment, particularly in a group setting, where the silliness can be fully appreciated.
- “The game allows you to team up with your friends and work together to manage a ranch, which can lead to hilarious and memorable moments.”
- “This game keeps us laughing the entire time we play.”
- “End up laughing so much I almost passed out playing this game. 10/10 would recommend with at least 1 friend, alone not so much.”
music
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it enjoyable and fitting for a relaxing experience, while others criticize it for being repetitive, lacking variety, or even non-existent in certain contexts. Many users suggest that the in-game radio is underwhelming, with limited tracks and poor sound quality, leading some to prefer playing their own music instead. Overall, while there are moments of appreciation for the soundtrack, the consensus leans towards a need for improvement in the game's audio experience.
- “The music is very nice.”
- “The visuals, the music, it's all great.”
- “I did not know what true joy was until I was tearing down an ugly house with nothing but a crowbar and classical music playing in the background.”
- “The background music and sound effects quickly become grating.”
- “The sound quality is terrible or lack thereof, no music, radios with no sound.”
- “No audio, soundtrack, or really even animal noises - it's the quiet game.”
atmosphere
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
49%
8%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by dynamic weather, day-night cycles, and detailed graphics that capture the essence of country living. Players appreciate the relaxed environment, free from immediate quests, although some note the need for ambient sound effects to further enrich the experience. Despite some game-breaking bugs, many find the overall atmosphere enjoyable and conducive to a fun, laid-back gaming experience.
- “The atmosphere is immersive, enhanced by day-night cycles and dynamic weather patterns that affect gameplay and add to the sense of realism.”
- “This sim captures the atmosphere of the country and the never-ending and ever-growing task list of country living perfectly.”
- “The atmospherics of the game are awesome: animated grass and trees, realistic clouds, storms and lightning, livestock that is interactive, and the current ability to harvest wood anywhere and build with the logs anywhere.”
- “Added a beautiful weather aesthetic to the game which adds to the atmosphere but somehow made the game feel even less realistic.”
- “#1 low hanging fruit: the game desperately needs some ambient sound effects like birds, wind, etc. It's not gonna be a simulation in the end, so atmosphere will be paramount.”
- “It's really great and if it wasn't for this glaring issue, I'd recommend it, but there's a game-breaking bug where vehicles are launched into the upper atmosphere, along with yourself, seemingly at random with no way at all to retrieve them.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
60%
11%
The game's replayability is a contentious topic among users, with some praising its potential for infinite replayability due to a fun gameplay loop and multiplayer capabilities, while others criticize its limited scope and repetitive tasks that diminish long-term engagement. Many players express a desire for more content, such as missions and customization options, to enhance replay value. Overall, while some find it enjoyable for extended play, others feel it lacks sufficient variety to warrant repeated playthroughs.
- “✅ infinitely replayable”
- “To surmise: very few to no bugs, fun gameplay loop, replayability is there, multiplayer capable (I haven't tried personally), easy 50+ hours playtime though can definitely be into the hundreds of hours as they continue adding multiple things.”
- “ infinitely replayable”
- “The developers have made several decisions that seem aimed at addressing the glaring issue with the game: harshly limited scope and replayability, on a game that looked and felt beautiful and full of potential.”
- “I have completed the basics of the game and I don't feel the need in its current form that it is replayable at all.”
- “What the game lacks now is replayability; I want the ability to decorate my farm, especially I want paths and roads to layout my farm better.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, often forming attachments to characters and animals, such as an overfed pig, which adds a heartwarming touch to the experience. The daily routine of tending to fields and livestock contributes to a wholesome atmosphere, despite frustrations with gameplay mechanics and glitches. Overall, the emotional connection is a standout aspect, even amidst technical challenges.
- “That was touching.”
- “Had to uninstall as I had an emotional attachment to an overfed pig.”
- “Waking up every day to tend your fields and livestock has a good 'wholesome' feel to it.”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with players feeling that it lacks sufficient content and engagement. Many reviewers express frustration over the developers' apparent disregard for community feedback and the presence of numerous bugs, suggesting a low-effort execution aimed at capitalizing on popular trends rather than delivering a quality experience.
- “It feels like a cash grab; there’s just not enough meat on the bones to keep players engaged.”
- “Well, by having 'ranch' in the name and because Yellowstone is popular, it's an instant cash grab for low effort, low execution, and the saddest looking game for UE5.”
- “To me, Rancher Simulator is feeling more like a cash grab, and the devs are either not listening to the gaming community reporting all these bugs and complaints of lack of content that have been reported in the past month before release from the YouTube streamers they gave keys to, which gave them plenty of time to fix and add content, and the devs did nothing. That's why I feel it's a cash grab and the devs don't care.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game has been criticized for its misleading design options, as players feel there is a stark contrast between the high-tech visuals presented in trailers and the simplistic, almost 2D gameplay experience. Additionally, the character's movement animations, described as awkward and exaggerated, detract from the overall immersion.
- “The character design option was very misleading, because once you start the game, it's as if you're going from high-tech trailer mode into almost a 2D version of gameplay; your character sort of 'jogs' when walking, and sprints like a maniac when running.”