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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Welcome Kelpie: An Unreal Tech Showcase gives us a First Look at Ciri's Horse in The Witcher 4
Welcome Kelpie: An Unreal Tech Showcase gives us a First Look at Ciri's Horse in The Witcher 4

As part of the State of Unreal 2025 event, CD Project Red showed the world exciting new material from their w upcoming fantasy RPG The Witcher 4. The Tech Demo shown at State of Unreal introduces Ciri’s equine companion Kelpie, named after the mythological water horse.

Tiny Horse Game Jam: 8 Adorable New Horse Games you Can Play For Free
Tiny Horse Game Jam: 8 Adorable New Horse Games you Can Play For Free

I always advise people to “make and finish tiny horse games”.

Well, a bunch of community members have taken this to heart in the best of ways: They organized the first official TMQ Tiny Horse Game Jam: Of the 8 resulting games, several were made by people who had never made a game before, but who now made their small but wonderful debut titles available for all to play.

The Ranch of Rivershine is now out in Full Release – and currently 35% off!
The Ranch of Rivershine is now out in Full Release – and currently 35% off!

The Ranch of Rivershine is a standout in the horse game niche for various reasons. I’ve written about the game and talked to developer Éloise Laroche back when the game released its first playable demo in early 2023 and came away with very positive impressions, and from everything I’ve seen, the project has only improved from there. After about two years in Early Access with several game updates and patches, the game has received its final major content updates on May 23rd 2025.

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. 

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Recommended: "A murder-mystery horse MMO baffled me so much that I spoke to gaming's resident horse expert"
Recommended: "A murder-mystery horse MMO baffled me so much that I spoke to gaming's resident horse expert"

Following the announcement of Equinox: Homecoming, Harvey Randall at PC Gamer began to wonder why someone would make a game like that and what is up with the horse game niche in general. Naturally, I was happy to provide some insight.

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!

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