"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. This is includiding, but not limited to, Horse Games.

Parts of the essay echo many points that I often make here on TMQ – which is no coincidence, since channel host Moony mentions me and my work on The Mane Quest as an influence in the video. I am flattered, I feel heard, and I may have cried a little from sheer validation.

I hugely appreciate this nuanced and spot-on take about this often-forgotten niche, and can heartily recommend watching it.

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Horse Games and Gender – How Video Games often fail to combine Quality and Femininity
Horse Games and Gender – How Video Games often fail to combine Quality and Femininity

There has been a significant amount of progress in recent years in how female characters are included and designed.

What remains is an imbalance between how our industry tackles subject matters and activities that have a gendered connotation, which is a significant factor in the utter scarcity of well-made games about horses.

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“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

2024 in Review – Numbers, Insights and Reflections
2024 in Review – Numbers, Insights and Reflections

The year is coming to a close, and TMQ regulars know what that means: it’s time to dive into statistics, look back at highlights and share some reflections on the past, present and future. Let’s look at the numbers, achievements and highlights.

Review: My Horse: Bonded Spirits is a Fresh Take on Horse Games, but Unfortunately Not a Very Good One
Review: My Horse: Bonded Spirits is a Fresh Take on Horse Games, but Unfortunately Not a Very Good One

My Horse: Bonded Spirits first caught my eye (and ire) when its CG-rendered announcement trailer released in Spring 2023. Today we’re looking at the actual game: What fresh ideas it brings to the table, what it offers in terms of content, how that compares to similar available products and of course: how the actual release compares to that initial trailer. 

Announcement – Unbridled: That Horse Game will Release in Early Access on February 19th 2025
Announcement – Unbridled: That Horse Game will Release in Early Access on February 19th 2025

Unbridled: That Horse Game is an independently developed work-in-project horse game. After an extended period of Closed Beta testing with Patreon backers, developer Mindev Games has now announced their Early Access release date on Steam for February 19th 2025. 

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!

Game Release: ROAM: Wild Horse Simulator is out on Steam now!
Game Release: ROAM: Wild Horse Simulator is out on Steam now!

A cute, somewhat silly little game that tackles the “horse game where you actually play as a horse” concept, which is remarkably rare in our niche. As of November 22nd, after only a few months of solo development, ROAM is now available on Steam for around 5 €/USD!

analysisAlice Ruppertgirl games, horse game history, barbie games, recommendationComment