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Abstract The SRV fracturing is the core of commercial exploitation of shale gas, and the design philosophy of the SRV fracturing is gradually introduced into the stimulation of conventional low permeability reservoir and unconventional reservoir. However, in reservoirs with poorly developed natural fractures or high horizontal principal stress difference, it is difficult to achieve the multi-fracture or fracture network by conventional hydraulic fracturing, and effectively stimulating reservoir needs other assisting methods. This paper aims to present a method of guiding the multi-directional hydraulic fractures by multiple radial slim holes drilled in spatial positions, and creating multi-fractures and even complex fracture network. In this paper, a 3D hydraulic fracturing extended finite element numerical model in the vertical well assisted by planar multi-radial slim holes was established, and the effect of radial slim hole number, diameter, length, vertical density, azimuth and phase angle, Poisson's ratio, horizontal principal stress difference and rock Young's modulus, fracturing fluid viscosity and injection rate, reservoir permeability, etc. on guidance of radial slim holes were investigated. Then, we conducted the true tri-axial hydraulic fracturing test with the artificial core, and the feasibility of the technology was verified. The results show that decreasing azimuth and phase angle and increasing hole diameter, length and vertical density strengthen the guiding effect of planar multi-radial slim holes, and increasing Poisson's ratio, reservoir permeability, and fracturing fluid injection rate and viscosity enhance the guidance effect of radial slim holes. Increasing horizontal principal stress difference and reservoir Young's modulus weaken the radial slim holes guiding effect. The physical modeling experiment proves that controlling generation of complex multi-fractures is feasible by rationally arranging the spatial positions of radial slim holes. The spatial arrangement of four planar radial slim holes with phase angle of 90°, azimuth of 45° and vertical density not less than 2 holes/m in the vertical well is a scientific scheme. With the reasonable treatment scheme, creating 6 main fractures is possible. The research results provide theoretical support for multi-fractured stimulation assisted by planar multi-radial slim holes, and help the design of well completion parameters and fracturing treatment parameters of the technology. Highlights • The new multi-fractured stimulation technique for hydraulic fracturing was put forward. • Stimulation experiments of radial slim holes-assisted hydraulic fracturing were carried out. • The effects of multiple factors on the guiding strength of radial slim holes were studied. • The best technical solution for radial slim holes-assisted hydraulic fracturing was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]