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themanequest.com
The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
@themanequest.com
1.2K followers 98 following 220 posts
The Mane Quest is a website dedicated to "horse games" and the portrayal of horses in video games. Always happy to learn about and give feedback to upcoming games with horses! 💖

themanequest.com
created by Alice Ruppert malicedafirenze.bsky.social
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Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
One of the more promising WIP horse games (that I am *not* involved in!) finally has a Steam page and you should add it to your wishlist!
February 14, 2026 at 4:04 PM
themanequest.com
NEWS ARTICLE: You can now Wishlist Fernhoof Grove: Riding Academy on Steam

www.themanequest.com/blog/2026/2/...
You can now Wishlist Fernhoof Grove: Riding Academy on Steam — The Mane Quest
Fernhoof Grove: Riding Academy is finally available to wishlist on Steam . I consider it one of the more promising WIP indie projects in the horse game space at the moment, because while I haven’t p...
www.themanequest.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:01 PM
themanequest.com
Demo release date coming up 👀
thoglistudios.com thogli studios 🐴 Wishlist Horses of Hoofprint Bay @thoglistudios.com · 5d
We're planning to launch our free public demo on February 16th! We've sent advance access keys to content creators today and yesterday, and we're SO excited to see what everyone thinks! 🥰🥰🥰
February 10, 2026 at 9:36 AM
themanequest.com
I'll add that I feel a bit petty sharing this here, but man idk, I've seen enough naive hopeful players jump on new horse game projects out of desperation and invest money they can't afford to lose, so I feel a bit of an obligation to share my critical thoughts for everyone to see. 🙃
themanequest.com The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴 @themanequest.com · 6d
The developers of Open Saddle decided to remove my comment asking them for clarification on which assets they used. I'll grant that I wasn't exactly being super nice, but I don't have a lot of patience for devs that use genAI and are deliberately misleading players www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq_z...
screenshot of youtube comment exchange: @maliceruppert: not disclosing that these are all store-bought assets while talking about how realistic your game is gonna be and using genAI for the profile pic / key art sure is a choice @OpenSaddle: thanks for your comment! just to add some context: the assumption that everything shown is store content isn’t accurate. genuine question – how do you see asset origin relating to realism? @maliceruppert: the horse model and character model are premade assets though, right? My issue with the wording in your description is that you're advertising "Realistic muscle movement depending on gait and speed", but as far as I'm aware those are features of the asset, not of your own work on top. It's just really disingenuous to advertise your "progress" without disclosing how much of it you've built on ready-made building blocks. It looks like you're deliberately obscuring that part of the process so that people who don't happen to recognize individual horse assets are easily impressed by what you already have to show. But then again, using generative AI for profile pic and key art is a surefire sign that you don't respect artists and their work. For what it's worth, I didn't realize this was connected to Riding Out and I don't blame you for starting fresh. But what you've shown here looks and sounds exactly like every other overambitious and vague horse game project that I try to warn people off from getting invested in on The Mane Quest. If you genuinely want to build trust, ditch the genAI and build an actual prototype that's fun while it's blocks or sketches, and then people will absolutely forgive the strorebought horse animations. @OpenSaddle: i think we’re talking past each other a bit here. first, just to clarify: the assumption that even the character or clothing assets are not original work is not correct. [exchange continues, too long for alt text, let me know if you need the full text!]
February 9, 2026 at 10:16 AM
themanequest.com
The developers of Open Saddle decided to remove my comment asking them for clarification on which assets they used. I'll grant that I wasn't exactly being super nice, but I don't have a lot of patience for devs that use genAI and are deliberately misleading players www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq_z...
screenshot of youtube comment exchange: @maliceruppert: not disclosing that these are all store-bought assets while talking about how realistic your game is gonna be and using genAI for the profile pic / key art sure is a choice @OpenSaddle: thanks for your comment! just to add some context: the assumption that everything shown is store content isn’t accurate. genuine question – how do you see asset origin relating to realism? @maliceruppert: the horse model and character model are premade assets though, right? My issue with the wording in your description is that you're advertising "Realistic muscle movement depending on gait and speed", but as far as I'm aware those are features of the asset, not of your own work on top. It's just really disingenuous to advertise your "progress" without disclosing how much of it you've built on ready-made building blocks. It looks like you're deliberately obscuring that part of the process so that people who don't happen to recognize individual horse assets are easily impressed by what you already have to show. But then again, using generative AI for profile pic and key art is a surefire sign that you don't respect artists and their work. For what it's worth, I didn't realize this was connected to Riding Out and I don't blame you for starting fresh. But what you've shown here looks and sounds exactly like every other overambitious and vague horse game project that I try to warn people off from getting invested in on The Mane Quest. If you genuinely want to build trust, ditch the genAI and build an actual prototype that's fun while it's blocks or sketches, and then people will absolutely forgive the strorebought horse animations. @OpenSaddle: i think we’re talking past each other a bit here. first, just to clarify: the assumption that even the character or clothing assets are not original work is not correct. [exchange continues, too long for alt text, let me know if you need the full text!]
February 9, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
thoglistudios.com
We're in the process of reaching out to content creators for advance access to our demo that will launch soon! Please use the TMQ creator signup if you're interested, and check your emails today if you've already signed up 😊
themanequest.com The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴 @themanequest.com · 18d
If you're a content creator/streamer of any kind and you're interested in covering horse games, make sure you're signed up for the TMQ Content Creator Contact List!

There's gonna be relevant outreach soon 😇

www.themanequest.com/content-crea...
Content Creators — The Mane Quest
www.themanequest.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
if you've signed up for this check your emails today! I sent out a big batch of outreach re. Horses of Hoofprint Bay demo access, so check your spam folder if it's not in your inbox.

if you got lucky you have even gotten the correct embargo date right away without a hastily amended correction 😇
themanequest.com The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴 @themanequest.com · 18d
If you're a content creator/streamer of any kind and you're interested in covering horse games, make sure you're signed up for the TMQ Content Creator Contact List!

There's gonna be relevant outreach soon 😇

www.themanequest.com/content-crea...
Content Creators — The Mane Quest
www.themanequest.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:06 PM
themanequest.com
I'm doing a poll on what to review next, though as always no guarantees that I won't just do what I feel like after all 😇

Since Bsky has no poll functionality, please just comment your preference in replies!
screenshot from a discord poll: Which game would you like TMQ to play/review? Options: Revisiting RDR2 (finish story, analyse horses) Red Dead Online equestrian communities Ecos: La Brea The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Vintage Story & Horse Mods
February 1, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
olliepow.bsky.social
Co-op weapon synergies in a shmup. Also you're a horse!
nationalvelvett.itch.io/night-mares
#gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday #shmup
December 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
themanequest.com
is that a bunch of cute pixel art horses I see 👀👀👀
xxemogalxx.bsky.social xxtayxx @xxemogalxx.bsky.social · Jan 1
happy horse year #gamedev
February 1, 2026 at 12:48 PM
themanequest.com
to keep an eye on if you're into horse racing games 👀
February 1, 2026 at 12:47 PM
themanequest.com
just a dot <<<<< lil guy on a horse
henrikhermans.bsky.social Henke @henrikhermans.bsky.social · 22d
this week's #gamedev: had the brilliant idea to change the player sprite from just a dot to a little guy on a horse. Much more charming.
February 1, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
elevator7009.bsky.social
@themanequest.com despite not being a horse girl myself I love reading www.themanequest.com anyways, thank you for the quality content
The Mane Quest
Everything About Horses in Video Games. The latest news about video game horses, reviews of horse games and horses in games, Analyses about which are the best horses in video games, developer insight ...
www.themanequest.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
I got like 13 new signups this week, which isn't huge but it's significant to me and represents a highly specific audience, which is really valuable 🥹❤️
themanequest.com The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴 @themanequest.com · 18d
If you're a content creator/streamer of any kind and you're interested in covering horse games, make sure you're signed up for the TMQ Content Creator Contact List!

There's gonna be relevant outreach soon 😇

www.themanequest.com/content-crea...
Content Creators — The Mane Quest
www.themanequest.com
January 31, 2026 at 10:34 AM
themanequest.com
If you're a content creator/streamer of any kind and you're interested in covering horse games, make sure you're signed up for the TMQ Content Creator Contact List!

There's gonna be relevant outreach soon 😇

www.themanequest.com/content-crea...
Content Creators — The Mane Quest
www.themanequest.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
I definitely don't spend enough time actually playing Legend of Khiimori but the nice thing about having a bit of distance from it is that whenever I DO play, I get to just revel in details like a new player might. Like that pinto horses accurately have two color manes matching their markings 🥰
cropped screenshot from The Legend of Khiimori, showing main character Naraa on a Bay Tobiano horse (left side). The horse's mane is black in the front and white in the back. cropped screenshot from The Legend of Khiimori, showing main character Naraa on a Bay Tobiano horse (right side). The horse's neck has a white patch near the withers (matching where the mane is white on the other side)
January 26, 2026 at 1:37 PM
themanequest.com
I'll remind y'all when its closer, but I'll be doing an AMA on reddit in time for Steam Horse Fest and the launch of the Horses of Hoofprint Bay Demo 🥰
malicedafirenze.bsky.social Alice Ruppert 🐴🎮 @malicedafirenze.bsky.social · 23d
I have fun news: I'll be doing a reddit AMA on /r/Games to celebrate Steam Horse Fest!
screenshot from /r/games sidebar, it reads: AMA Schedule (UTC Time) One Tap Trivia | William Volk January 23, 2026 • 19:00 The Mane Quest | Horse Game Consultant February 19, 2026 • 14:00
January 23, 2026 at 8:09 AM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
none of these things are really exclusive to horse games by the way, that's just the frame I'm always looking through. AND because it's such an underserved audience, scams and asset flips find rich soil there, much more so than in more saturated genres I would assume
January 21, 2026 at 7:58 AM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
soooooo.... anyone know someone at Playground Games and can give me an email so I can pitch my horse specific consulting services?
screenshot from the new Fable gameplay trailer released today, showing the main character riding on a horse across a meadow
January 22, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
docky.games
I love the bingo card approach of identifying dubious indie games.
January 21, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
this'll be boring and obvious to industry folk and anyone used to thinking critically about games, but I've seen enough people get lulled into the most dubious-looking game announcements that I thought it would be worth putting together a guide on how to tell if a game might deliver on its promises:
January 20, 2026 at 9:35 PM
themanequest.com
NEW ARTICLE: Scams, Asset Flips, and Naive Amateurs: The Horse Girl's Guide to Recognizing which Games are Worth Supporting

www.themanequest.com/blog/2026/1/...
Scams, Asset Flips, and Naive Amateurs: The Horse Girl's Guide to Recognizing which Games are Worth Supporting — The Mane Quest
Horse Games are an underserved niche and their players are practically begging for new projects to follow and support. With this article, I want to give people in the horse game audience some tools an...
www.themanequest.com
January 20, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
malicedafirenze.bsky.social
barely three weeks into the year and we've already got a strong contender for most traffic-intense day of the year on the horse game website 😌
squarespace site traffic graph screnshot for themanequest.com, showing 2026 so far. There are 600-1000 site visits per day, then a big spike to about 3.5k visits on Monday, Jan 19th
January 20, 2026 at 9:55 AM
themanequest.com
Horses of Hoofprint Bay - soon with very satisfying real life hoof scraping sounds 😁
michalsinka.bsky.social Michal Sinka @michalsinka.bsky.social · 26d
Field recording at a horse stable for Horses of Hoofprint Bay 🐎🔊

Currycombs, hoof picks, brushes, and other textures that will help bring the hand-drawn, tactile game world to life.

Hard to source elsewhere, so recording on location was key.

@thoglistudios.com @themanequest.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by The Mane Quest 🐴🎮 Horses in Video Games 🎮🐴
jimtrinca.bsky.social
That's @chrisbratt.bsky.social cancelling the preorder, absolutely devastated
January 19, 2026 at 1:21 PM