Must-Read: Polygon Analyzes Assassin's Creed Horses with an Expert of Equine History

Polygon writer Simone de Rochefort and Horse Historian Professor Donna Landry take a close look at the horses in the Assassin’s Creed games: The recent titles Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla all use the same horse model regardless of their vastly different settings and cultural context.

De Rochefort and Landry draw comparisons between this horse type and modern breeds, and go through the games’ Viking, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece settings to discuss how horses in those regions and time periods might have looked.

I absolutely love this deep dive and am incredibly happy that for once, I am not alone in reporting on video game horse accuracy. The article is an absolute must-read for TMQ fans, horse history enthusiasts and equestrian gamers. Go read it, and let Polygon know if analytical horse content is something you want to see more of!

Click right here: Polygon: A horse expert weighs in on the Assassin’s Creed pony debate (that we started)

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Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori Kickstarter Campaign concludes with over 500k € raised
Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori Kickstarter Campaign concludes with over 500k € raised

After 30 days of campaign and another week of late pledging, the crowdfunding campaign for Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori by Aesir Interactive has officially closed on Friday, April 11th 2025. The total amount raised ended up at €504 798 from 8889 backers, just unlocking the much asked-for stretch goal “Falconers of Mongolia” that promises giving players an option to hunt with an Eagle. 

Recommended: "The Horse In Stardew Valley Deserves Better. Here’s What ConcernedApe Could Try"
Recommended: "The Horse In Stardew Valley Deserves Better. Here’s What ConcernedApe Could Try"

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I both adore Stardew Valley but also find its horse incredibly underwhelming. It turns out that a recent conversation invigorated someone else in their long-held belief that the Stardew Valley horse could be so much cooler: Over on the Punished Backlog blog, Amanda Tien dives into the many ways in which mechanical and emotional depth could be added to our sadly underdeveloped pixel horse.

“Horses 2025” on PlayStation 5 and The Massive Red Flags in its Trailer and Screenshots
“Horses 2025” on PlayStation 5 and The Massive Red Flags in its Trailer and Screenshots

A PlayStation 5 game by the name of Horses 2025 has recently appeared on the PlayStation Store.  A Cinematic Trailer was posted today via the official PlayStation YouTube Channel. Let’s take a look at why I have serious doubts about the legitimacy of this listing and why I consider it highly unlikely that anyone will get a quality experience out of this.

Abandonware Scam or Legitimate Re-Release? Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge is available on Steam now, but raising suspicions
Abandonware Scam or Legitimate Re-Release? Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge is available on Steam now, but raising suspicions

A new release of an old horse game is raising suspicions in the community: Let’s take a quick look at what we know so far, and why you might be better off saving your money

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Friends, Forage and Freedom: Why We Should Stop Normalizing Solitary Confinement in Horse Games and What Devs Can Do Instead
Friends, Forage and Freedom: Why We Should Stop Normalizing Solitary Confinement in Horse Games and What Devs Can Do Instead

How do horses live? What does a stable look like? Splendid barn aesthetics are nice to have for humans, but what horses really need are the so-called three Fs: Friends, Forage and Freedom. Today I want to have a look at what meeting those needs looks like and how horse-focused media can play an important role in education and normalization when it comes to the question of “What should a cool, fancy, high quality stable look like?” 

Recommended: "The Problem With Red Dead Redemption 2’s Horse Testicles – 'There's Too Many of Them'"
Recommended: "The Problem With Red Dead Redemption 2’s Horse Testicles – 'There's Too Many of Them'"

I was invited to a brand new podcast called You Are Error, hosted by games journalist Nathan Grayson for Aftermath. Nathan and I talked about some of the many ways in which mainstream video games keep dropping the ball when it comes to including horses and why I’m sure that the horse game audience is bigger than anyone realizes and has a lot of potential.

Horse Games – History of a Neglected Genre and its Untapped Potential – Talk from Devcom 2024
Horse Games – History of a Neglected Genre and its Untapped Potential – Talk from Devcom 2024

I was a speaker at Devcom 2024 in Cologne, giving a presentation on my horse game work. The recorded talk is now available on YouTube!

"Why Doesn't the Industry Make Good Girls' Games?" – A Video Essay into the History and Market of "Girly Games"
"Why Doesn't the Industry Make Good Girls' Games?" – A Video Essay into the History and Market of "Girly Games"

Moon Channel, a YouTube creator of gaming video essays, has released a fantastic video tackling the history and market of so-called “girl games” – video games deliberately marketed to and targeted at young female players.

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