2022 in Review – Stats, Insights and Updates

Let me continue my tradition of using this “time between the years” to summarize what happened on The Mane Quest this year, provide some website statistics and share some reflections.

newsAlice RuppertDecember 28, 2022yearly review, tmq, tmq communities, stats, websiteComment

There are Four New Horse Games on PC and Consoles in 2022

For a long time, new horse game options for PC and Console players have been few and far between. In Fall 2022 however, our niche genre has gotten a whooping four new releases. Full reviews may be coming at some point in the future, but for now, let’s have a quick look at what each of these games offer:

An Exclusive First Look at the Irish Cob in Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch

With the initial announcement of Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch, publisher Microids revealed that the Limited Edition of the game would include an additional horse breed: the Irish Cob. It is with great pleasure that I get to share a proper first look at the additional horse model with you all today.

newsAlice RuppertOctober 26, 2022horse tales, horse tales emerald valley ranch, htevr, htevr irish cobs, exclusive revealComment

New Animated Horse Asset: Does Horse Herd by 3D Bear beat Horse Animset Pro in Anatomical Accuracy?

Popular Animated Horse Asset Pack Horse Animset Pro by Malbers Animations has become a bit of a thorn in my side, as someone who always keeps an eye out for new games that include horses. From its initially completely wrong walk animation to its current issues with wobbly bendy forelegs, the suboptimal asset pack is the direct cause for many game horses looking sort of wrong. With the release of Horse Herd by 3D Bear last month, it looks like HAP is getting some much-needed competition in the animated horse asset market.

developmentAlice RuppertSeptember 16, 2022asset pack, assets, unity asset, unreal asset, horse animset pro, horse animation, horse herdComment

Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch – Gameplay Trailer, New Info and Gamescom Press Roundup

Horse Tales game was exhibited at Gamescom in Cologne in late August, and Microids released a brand new trailer for the game that gives a lot of insight into various of the game’s features such as horse care, building and customization.

newsAlice RuppertSeptember 2, 2022horse tales emerald valley ranch, horse tales, htevr, htevr gameplay trailer, korion intro linkedComment

5 Crucial Games Industry Tips for Horse Game Creators

This article is an add-on to my recent post about upcoming Indie Horse Games: These tips were compiled while gathering info on upcoming games and noticing a few common areas of improvement. They don’t necessarily only apply to horse games but I do see it in almost every new horse game project launched by new creators without industry experience.

The Indie Horse Game Revolution: 6 Upcoming Passion Projects to keep your Eyes on

The vast majority of what we call “horse games” are cheaply made for kids. But what if instead, there were horse games made by people who really cared? A look at six work-in-progress horse games in various stages of development, made by people who really like horses and who want this niche to offer more.

Recommended: Polygon Asked Me Why Horses are so Hard for Video Games to get Right

Simone de Rochefort, Senior Video Producer at popular gaming website Polygon, is a certified Horse Girl. Needless to say, I was delighted when she recently asked me to appear in a video about video game horses and why so many games get them wrong.

newsAlice RuppertAugust 12, 2022polygon, horse animation, breath of the wild, shadow of the colossus, assassin's creed, elden ringComment

Horse Club Adventures 2: Hazelwood Stories Announcement: Teaser Trailer and Developer Insight

Horse Club Adventures 2: Hazelwood Stories will be coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam in October 2022. I talked to the game’s producer Stefan Kummer and game designer Daniel Boos, to give you some exclusive details about what to expect from Horse Club Adventures 2: Hazelwood Stories.

Announcement Trailer for Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch: An Open World Horse Adventure Game with Breeding, Building, Racing and more

French Publisher Microids and German Developer Aesir Interactive Horse Tales – Emerald Valley Ranch, an equestrian open world adventure. As the project’s creative producer, I’m excited to share our teaser trailer and give you all some exclusive new insights into what to expect from the game.

My Time At Sandrock Early Access Review – First Look & Hopes for Improvements

I am a big fan of peaceful “life sim” games that let me build up my farm or home base, explore a bit, meet some friendly NPCs and give me satisfying jobs to do like farming or crafting, especially if they include horses. With My Time At Sandrock now out in Early Access it’s obviously time to give this a try.

reviewAlice RuppertJune 6, 2022my time at sandrock, pathea games, mtas review, mtasComment

Introducing Wyvern and Waypoints: A Website about Dragons in Video Games

I would absolutely love more sites like TMQ who focus on one very specific subject in video games. As a result I was absolutely stoked to find out about Wyverns and Waypoints: A website dedicated to Dragons in Video Games.

newsAlice RuppertMay 1, 2022recommendation, wyverns and waypoints, dragons, interview, sister siteComment

“This is only the beginning” – Equestrian The Game: Global Release Announcement and Developer Interview

Equestrian the Game was just released in Europe will be out worldwide in May 2022. I thought this was a fantastic opportunity to catch up with Molly Ericson and share some insights with you all about what the work on ETG has been like and what is next in store for the team at Kavalri Games.

The Best Horse Games to play on PC and Console in 2022

So many of us feel the same way: we remember that one great horse game we played as a kid, having long forgotten about whatever wasn’t good about it. We start to wonder “hey, it’s been years since I played a good horse game, I wonder what’s new in that genre”.

"The Stable" of The Witcher 3: An Elaborate New Horse Customization Mod is Now Available

If you too wish that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had more options for horse customization, this new Mod has got you covered: The Stable is a horse customization mod now out in Beta and still being further developed.

newsAlice RuppertApril 17, 2022the witcher, roach, modding, mods, game with horsesComment

Wild Horse Islands, Horse Valley and more: Horse Games on Roblox

Roblox is a game creation platform that has exploeded in popularity in recent years, especially with kids and teens. A quick search reveals dozens of attempts at user-made horse games in every quality and style imaginable: Two of the more popular options are Horse Valley and Wild Horse Islands.

newsAlice RuppertApril 8, 2022roblox, wild horse islands, indie horse game, modding Comment

Today, Among Us is a Horse Game

Among Us is an online multiplayer game about social deduction, inspired by games like common parlor games like Mafia or Werewolves. For April Fools 2022, it has also become a horse game.

newsAlice RuppertApril 1, 2022among us, april foolsComment

"Astride" Kickstarter Announcement & Developer Interview – A Scandinavian Horse Game with Big Ambitions

Astride is a horse game inspired by Scandinavian environments and horse breeds currently on Kickstarter. I’ve been watching the project with both excitement and a bit of scepticism throughout, so the crowdfunding launch is the perfect opportunity to take a closer look – and to have a chat with Raidho’s Co-Founder and Lead 3D-Artist Mathilde Kvernland.