Howrse

Release Date: August 20, 2005

Simulation, economic, free-to-play, about horses, singleplayer

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A simulation game in which we play the role of a beginner horse breeder. Our task is to take care of animals, train them, take part in competitions and breed. All in order to make our kennel the best.

Mechanics
Technical aspects

Howrse is a free-to-play game for iOS, AND and browsers. The production was created by Owlient studio, owned by Ubisoft. The title first made its debut in France, where it achieved considerable success. Nowadays, it is played by people all over the world, and the game itself has been translated into 24 languages. Interestingly, in 2005, when the browser version was launched, it was one of the few items in which the microtransactions system was used.

Mechanics

We play as a beginner horse breeder. At the start, we receive two specimens - a young stallion and a mare. What we do next depends only on us; the game is simply based on the endless development of our stud farm.

Horses are described by three parameters - energy, health, and morale. Keeping them at around 100% is essential. We do this by doing a variety of things - from feeding, through play, to grooming. This isn't an excessively complicated task, because it is based on clicking on the buttons available in the menu. However, you can't lose vigilance - for example, while feeding the horse you should be careful because it's easy to fatten or make it undernourished.

With the passage of time and the aging of horses, you get access to new activities - at first it is fun, then rides, training, competitions and breeding. More advanced forms of entertainment, such as rides, affect the horse's performance (stamina, speed, gallop, etc.), which in turn translates into the horse's performance in competitions. Sporting achievements result in a higher selling price or breeding payment.

However, it takes time for everything. While the performance of particular activities is very quick, the aging of horses takes several hours. This process can be accelerated by spending adolescence points. At the beginning of the game, we get them for free, but later you should either be patient or buy them with so-called coupons, purchased with real money. This currency is also useful when investing in cosmetic elements, e.g. coloring the horse or screen background.