Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: If someone knows him, let him know, we’ll take him.

Adriano Nicolosi: I was recently a lot with our composer for making-of stuff. It’s cool to see how he brings the whole game to life with instruments. I’ve already listened to this soundtrack many times – it never gets boring for me. I look forward to eventually holding the vinyl in my hand. Besides what Nikolai mentioned, it’s also incredibly beautiful to look at, and it delivers very authentic sounds. Especially in sound design. We also recorded real horses on different terrains.

Alice Ruppert: What could also be added is that the appeal and role of horses in the game is not just “you like them if you find horses cute,” but they have a deep mechanical significance.

The comparison is like this: The horses you can choose can be compared to your weapons in a shooter or cars in a racing game. You don’t take the Ferrari to drive over a mountain. You don’t take the shotgun to execute an assassination. The same applies to our horses. You have different animals with different strengths and skills that are trained differently. You breed improvements into them and train them.

Thus, the “horse variety” is not just “I think it’s cute,” but of very great mechanical importance. I have to choose my horses in such a way that they make sense strategically. I have to take the right horse to accomplish a certain mission or to traverse a certain terrain. I hope that even players who don’t care much about horses realize: “Ah wow, horses can vary like this.”

Of course, this is a gameplay decision of ours, but horses can also be extremely different and capable of different things in real life. This is inspired by real life, even though the stats cannot, of course, be directly transferred to real horses.

Nikolai Hilz: I can confirm that. You can develop empathy. That’s something you can’t really do with weapons and cars. With living beings, you develop empathy over time.

Adriano Nicolosi: That was also the feedback at Gamescom. From the press that isn’t in the horse business and from the general community. They mentioned: “Okay, cool, it doesn’t show completely ‘We are a horse game’ and that it’s all about that.” It plays an important role, but in that setting, it’s not quite so noticeable that you always have to do “horse things.”

Many were surprised: “You can breed horses, interesting. And I have to distribute my inventory in the saddlebags to maintain balance because I am a yam courier and have to ensure that the goods arrive safely.” You’re always depending on getting through the terrain well.

---

Those who want a pretty mount must work for it

MeinMMO: I was wondering if people who aren’t great with numbers can simply choose a horse they find visually appealing, or is it important to also do some min-maxing?

Alice Ruppert: You do have to optimize a bit, as you can’t do everything with every horse. Accordingly, it’s not enough just to choose the prettiest horse. Let’s put it this way: Those who place a great value on the aesthetics of the horses must specifically breed for that appearance in combination with the desired stats. So, it’s indeed a part of the gameplay to connect aesthetics and abilities.

I would also find it very unfortunate if someone could simply take any horse and master all the difficult missions and terrains. I believe we’d receive negative reviews because player decisions would have no impact.

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, exactly. Conversely, I would actually find it very cool if people role-play and say: “I would like this specific look, but I have this and that challenge ahead of me, so I will breed horses until I achieve that goal.” I would be very pleased. Theoretically, you could also say: “No, it has to be this horse; that’s my absolute favorite horse, and I do everything with it.”

Then one must collect a lot, craft, and build accordingly around it. But in the end, you might have a very rewarding story because you can say: “I did everything to ensure that this horse and I can experience our adventures together, and it was worth the effort.” I think the systems are set up for that.

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: If someone knows him, let him know, we’ll take him.

Adriano Nicolosi: I was recently a lot with our composer for making-of stuff. It’s cool to see how he brings the whole game to life with instruments. I’ve already listened to this soundtrack many times – it never gets boring for me. I look forward to eventually holding the vinyl in my hand. Besides what Nikolai mentioned, it’s also incredibly beautiful to look at, and it delivers very authentic sounds. Especially in sound design. We also recorded real horses on different terrains.

Alice Ruppert: What could also be added is that the appeal and role of horses in the game is not just “you like them if you find horses cute,” but they have a deep mechanical significance.

The comparison is like this: The horses you can choose can be compared to your weapons in a shooter or cars in a racing game. You don’t take the Ferrari to drive over a mountain. You don’t take the shotgun to execute an assassination. The same applies to our horses. You have different animals with different strengths and skills that are trained differently. You breed improvements into them and train them.

Thus, the “horse variety” is not just “I think it’s cute,” but of very great mechanical importance. I have to choose my horses in such a way that they make sense strategically. I have to take the right horse to accomplish a certain mission or to traverse a certain terrain. I hope that even players who don’t care much about horses realize: “Ah wow, horses can vary like this.”

Of course, this is a gameplay decision of ours, but horses can also be extremely different and capable of different things in real life. This is inspired by real life, even though the stats cannot, of course, be directly transferred to real horses.

Nikolai Hilz: I can confirm that. You can develop empathy. That’s something you can’t really do with weapons and cars. With living beings, you develop empathy over time.

Adriano Nicolosi: That was also the feedback at Gamescom. From the press that isn’t in the horse business and from the general community. They mentioned: “Okay, cool, it doesn’t show completely ‘We are a horse game’ and that it’s all about that.” It plays an important role, but in that setting, it’s not quite so noticeable that you always have to do “horse things.”

Many were surprised: “You can breed horses, interesting. And I have to distribute my inventory in the saddlebags to maintain balance because I am a yam courier and have to ensure that the goods arrive safely.” You’re always depending on getting through the terrain well.

---

Those who want a pretty mount must work for it

MeinMMO: I was wondering if people who aren’t great with numbers can simply choose a horse they find visually appealing, or is it important to also do some min-maxing?

Alice Ruppert: You do have to optimize a bit, as you can’t do everything with every horse. Accordingly, it’s not enough just to choose the prettiest horse. Let’s put it this way: Those who place a great value on the aesthetics of the horses must specifically breed for that appearance in combination with the desired stats. So, it’s indeed a part of the gameplay to connect aesthetics and abilities.

I would also find it very unfortunate if someone could simply take any horse and master all the difficult missions and terrains. I believe we’d receive negative reviews because player decisions would have no impact.

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, exactly. Conversely, I would actually find it very cool if people role-play and say: “I would like this specific look, but I have this and that challenge ahead of me, so I will breed horses until I achieve that goal.” I would be very pleased. Theoretically, you could also say: “No, it has to be this horse; that’s my absolute favorite horse, and I do everything with it.”

Then one must collect a lot, craft, and build accordingly around it. But in the end, you might have a very rewarding story because you can say: “I did everything to ensure that this horse and I can experience our adventures together, and it was worth the effort.” I think the systems are set up for that.

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: If someone knows him, let him know, we’ll take him.

Adriano Nicolosi: I was recently a lot with our composer for making-of stuff. It’s cool to see how he brings the whole game to life with instruments. I’ve already listened to this soundtrack many times – it never gets boring for me. I look forward to eventually holding the vinyl in my hand. Besides what Nikolai mentioned, it’s also incredibly beautiful to look at, and it delivers very authentic sounds. Especially in sound design. We also recorded real horses on different terrains.

Alice Ruppert: What could also be added is that the appeal and role of horses in the game is not just “you like them if you find horses cute,” but they have a deep mechanical significance.

The comparison is like this: The horses you can choose can be compared to your weapons in a shooter or cars in a racing game. You don’t take the Ferrari to drive over a mountain. You don’t take the shotgun to execute an assassination. The same applies to our horses. You have different animals with different strengths and skills that are trained differently. You breed improvements into them and train them.

Thus, the “horse variety” is not just “I think it’s cute,” but of very great mechanical importance. I have to choose my horses in such a way that they make sense strategically. I have to take the right horse to accomplish a certain mission or to traverse a certain terrain. I hope that even players who don’t care much about horses realize: “Ah wow, horses can vary like this.”

Of course, this is a gameplay decision of ours, but horses can also be extremely different and capable of different things in real life. This is inspired by real life, even though the stats cannot, of course, be directly transferred to real horses.

Nikolai Hilz: I can confirm that. You can develop empathy. That’s something you can’t really do with weapons and cars. With living beings, you develop empathy over time.

Adriano Nicolosi: That was also the feedback at Gamescom. From the press that isn’t in the horse business and from the general community. They mentioned: “Okay, cool, it doesn’t show completely ‘We are a horse game’ and that it’s all about that.” It plays an important role, but in that setting, it’s not quite so noticeable that you always have to do “horse things.”

Many were surprised: “You can breed horses, interesting. And I have to distribute my inventory in the saddlebags to maintain balance because I am a yam courier and have to ensure that the goods arrive safely.” You’re always depending on getting through the terrain well.

---

Those who want a pretty mount must work for it

MeinMMO: I was wondering if people who aren’t great with numbers can simply choose a horse they find visually appealing, or is it important to also do some min-maxing?

Alice Ruppert: You do have to optimize a bit, as you can’t do everything with every horse. Accordingly, it’s not enough just to choose the prettiest horse. Let’s put it this way: Those who place a great value on the aesthetics of the horses must specifically breed for that appearance in combination with the desired stats. So, it’s indeed a part of the gameplay to connect aesthetics and abilities.

I would also find it very unfortunate if someone could simply take any horse and master all the difficult missions and terrains. I believe we’d receive negative reviews because player decisions would have no impact.

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, exactly. Conversely, I would actually find it very cool if people role-play and say: “I would like this specific look, but I have this and that challenge ahead of me, so I will breed horses until I achieve that goal.” I would be very pleased. Theoretically, you could also say: “No, it has to be this horse; that’s my absolute favorite horse, and I do everything with it.”

Then one must collect a lot, craft, and build accordingly around it. But in the end, you might have a very rewarding story because you can say: “I did everything to ensure that this horse and I can experience our adventures together, and it was worth the effort.” I think the systems are set up for that.

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: If someone knows him, let him know, we’ll take him.

Adriano Nicolosi: I was recently a lot with our composer for making-of stuff. It’s cool to see how he brings the whole game to life with instruments. I’ve already listened to this soundtrack many times – it never gets boring for me. I look forward to eventually holding the vinyl in my hand. Besides what Nikolai mentioned, it’s also incredibly beautiful to look at, and it delivers very authentic sounds. Especially in sound design. We also recorded real horses on different terrains.

Alice Ruppert: What could also be added is that the appeal and role of horses in the game is not just “you like them if you find horses cute,” but they have a deep mechanical significance.

The comparison is like this: The horses you can choose can be compared to your weapons in a shooter or cars in a racing game. You don’t take the Ferrari to drive over a mountain. You don’t take the shotgun to execute an assassination. The same applies to our horses. You have different animals with different strengths and skills that are trained differently. You breed improvements into them and train them.

Thus, the “horse variety” is not just “I think it’s cute,” but of very great mechanical importance. I have to choose my horses in such a way that they make sense strategically. I have to take the right horse to accomplish a certain mission or to traverse a certain terrain. I hope that even players who don’t care much about horses realize: “Ah wow, horses can vary like this.”

Of course, this is a gameplay decision of ours, but horses can also be extremely different and capable of different things in real life. This is inspired by real life, even though the stats cannot, of course, be directly transferred to real horses.

Nikolai Hilz: I can confirm that. You can develop empathy. That’s something you can’t really do with weapons and cars. With living beings, you develop empathy over time.

Adriano Nicolosi: That was also the feedback at Gamescom. From the press that isn’t in the horse business and from the general community. They mentioned: “Okay, cool, it doesn’t show completely ‘We are a horse game’ and that it’s all about that.” It plays an important role, but in that setting, it’s not quite so noticeable that you always have to do “horse things.”

Many were surprised: “You can breed horses, interesting. And I have to distribute my inventory in the saddlebags to maintain balance because I am a yam courier and have to ensure that the goods arrive safely.” You’re always depending on getting through the terrain well.

---

Those who want a pretty mount must work for it

MeinMMO: I was wondering if people who aren’t great with numbers can simply choose a horse they find visually appealing, or is it important to also do some min-maxing?

Alice Ruppert: You do have to optimize a bit, as you can’t do everything with every horse. Accordingly, it’s not enough just to choose the prettiest horse. Let’s put it this way: Those who place a great value on the aesthetics of the horses must specifically breed for that appearance in combination with the desired stats. So, it’s indeed a part of the gameplay to connect aesthetics and abilities.

I would also find it very unfortunate if someone could simply take any horse and master all the difficult missions and terrains. I believe we’d receive negative reviews because player decisions would have no impact.

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, exactly. Conversely, I would actually find it very cool if people role-play and say: “I would like this specific look, but I have this and that challenge ahead of me, so I will breed horses until I achieve that goal.” I would be very pleased. Theoretically, you could also say: “No, it has to be this horse; that’s my absolute favorite horse, and I do everything with it.”

Then one must collect a lot, craft, and build accordingly around it. But in the end, you might have a very rewarding story because you can say: “I did everything to ensure that this horse and I can experience our adventures together, and it was worth the effort.” I think the systems are set up for that.

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

With “The Legend of Khiimori“ a new adventure with open world is launching on Steam. The focus is on horses and Mongolian culture – but there is much more behind it. We spoke to the developers in an interview about what makes their game exciting even for horse haters.

What kind of game is this? The Legend of Khiimori is a new open-world game with survival elements by Aesir Interactive, set to be released in early access on Steam on March 3, 2026. You take on the role of the Mongolian courier Naara in the 13th century and travel through vast, rugged landscapes.

Your horses are at the center, requiring regular feeding, care, and training. At the same time, you deliver valuable goods, craft equipment, build a network, and explore different biomes. A story is also planned but will only be available later, not at early access.

We asked the developers in our interview what makes the adventure exciting even for players who usually don’t care much about horses. We sat down with the following developers:

• Alice Ruppert – Consultant for Marketing and Horse Accuracy
• Nikolai Hilz – Game Narrative Designer
• Adriano Nicolosi – Communications Manager

An ambitious horse game – also for non-horse fans

MeinMMO: On March 3rd, you will start early access with The Legend of Khiimori, focusing primarily on a system-driven approach that emphasizes gameplay rather than story. However, there is supposed to be a story that players can follow, although it won’t be part of the early access. Will the focus still be on the game system at the time of release?

Alice Ruppert: It would be wrong to claim that we say, “Upon release, it will completely turn around and suddenly be a narrative-driven game.” That’s not going to happen. We want to offer players something narratively, but it will primarily remain this “system-driven experience.” The aspect where the game can impress lies in these self-written stories. Each player’s story will be different. Someone might say: “I tried to do this, this happened, then I was attacked by a bear, had to run away, but after that, my horse was in a bad mood because it was scared.” These stories emerge organically from the gameplay. There will be a main quest added at full release, but we won’t remove the systems because of that. It will not suddenly meet triple-A storytelling standards. It would have to be very successful in early access for us to suddenly be able to introduce Baldur’s Gate-style cutscenes.

MeinMMO: So you’re saying the game primarily lives off the system rather than the story itself?

Adriano Nicolosi: Definitely, absolutely. We have Nikolai, who also contributes to writing as a narrative designer. I believe you would be truly happy if someone said: “Hey, write a really cool, emotional story with deep character talks and character development.” But as Alice said: The focus is initially completely on the release. Then we have to see how well it sells. We are still “Single A.” We are far from triple A and actually also from double A. If it sells well enough for us to continue working on it for many years and the community really wants it, that might be an option. But that is not the next focus point after early access release.

MeinMMO: That fits well into the next question. How did you come up with the idea of developing a game where horses are so prominently featured? What was important to you? Which target audience did you want to address?

Alice Ruppert: I can start. I was the only one in this call who was involved from the beginning during the concept phase and had the lead on the project. It was clear that Aesir would have another horse game or a horse-focused game. Aesir has built some expertise and trust in this target audience through the two Ostwind games and Horse Tales.

[…] It was clear from the beginning: There will be another horse game. The question was more: What kind?

We went through several variations of concepts. In the early concept phase, we initially worked towards a modern setting and a rather typical story for a horse game. After a few months of concept brainstorming, we decided to do something different. Among other things, because I realized there is a certain fatigue in the target group. While it is still largely underrepresented – many would gladly accept a well-executed, modern horse game – I also noticed that there is a need for something fresh that is not: “You inherited the old farm and need to rebuild it.”

We wanted to create a different setting that Aesir can handle – which is far from triple A, but still one of the biggest players in this horse game market – and tackle that well. The decision was not “Are we making another horse game?” but “What kind of horse game has the most potential?” That led to the decision: Historical setting in Mongolia. We saw Mongolia as a place and this era as a time in history that is extremely well suited for horse-oriented gameplay. That leads to the second part of your question, the target audience.

We believe in this horse game target audience, but we also knew: If this thing is to be really successful, it would be good to break out of this niche target audience a bit. We can achieve that through the historical setting. Some people have called it “Death Stranding but Horses.” That’s an ambitious comparison; we would not necessarily make it ourselves, but it is more interesting to people than simply: “You save the farm by winning the tournament.”

The choice of setting is a very conscious decision to give horse game lovers everything they want – this very horse-oriented gameplay – while simultaneously expanding the target audience to people who, for example, really enjoy historical triple-A open-world games like Red Dead or Ghost of Tsushima. We might lose certain players who play it for the combat, but that’s certainly not all. There are many people for whom open-world exploration and fun are not dependent on having as many fights as possible, but it’s about discovery and travel.

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Horses are more than just riding animals

MeinMMO: What would you say are the most exciting aspects of The Legend of Khiimori for non-horse fans?

Nikolai Hilz: Without revealing too much about myself: I don’t own a horse. Hence, I might be able to answer this well. You already mentioned Death Stranding, Alice. One part is very similar, and that is this courier gameplay. I personally find that very exciting: You are rebuilding this historical, famous yam network. You connect people, deliver things, and that ties into the terrain and environment. This world was relatively dangerous just because of the terrain and weather.

Then there are wild animals involved. This adds a challenge to think about: When do I deliver what to whom, and which route do I choose? If there is that kind of challenge – in planning, preparing, and execution – that appeals to me as a player. The other is this open-world exploration. It’s a super cool setting. I think the game looks incredibly beautiful. I give a lot of kudos to our artists. I often stop, look around, and think: Wow. Those are the two or three things that can appeal to every player.

Adriano Nicolosi: Especially right before the release, we also announced a lot. Spirit Combat has also been revealed. It’s fun to immerse yourself in a world that you haven’t really seen in games before. Especially all the assets, the gears, and how the people are dressed.

You also learn a bit – even if there is no deep story – through the normal conversations and quests many Mongolian terms. It’s enjoyable to have a feeling of always discovering something new. Even though there’s no cinematic groundbreaking event like in Death Stranding, where a Mads Mikkelsen doesn’t suddenly appear.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter

Alice Ruppert: If someone knows him, let him know, we’ll take him.

Adriano Nicolosi: I was recently a lot with our composer for making-of stuff. It’s cool to see how he brings the whole game to life with instruments. I’ve already listened to this soundtrack many times – it never gets boring for me. I look forward to eventually holding the vinyl in my hand. Besides what Nikolai mentioned, it’s also incredibly beautiful to look at, and it delivers very authentic sounds. Especially in sound design. We also recorded real horses on different terrains.

Alice Ruppert: What could also be added is that the appeal and role of horses in the game is not just “you like them if you find horses cute,” but they have a deep mechanical significance.

The comparison is like this: The horses you can choose can be compared to your weapons in a shooter or cars in a racing game. You don’t take the Ferrari to drive over a mountain. You don’t take the shotgun to execute an assassination. The same applies to our horses. You have different animals with different strengths and skills that are trained differently. You breed improvements into them and train them.

Thus, the “horse variety” is not just “I think it’s cute,” but of very great mechanical importance. I have to choose my horses in such a way that they make sense strategically. I have to take the right horse to accomplish a certain mission or to traverse a certain terrain. I hope that even players who don’t care much about horses realize: “Ah wow, horses can vary like this.”

Of course, this is a gameplay decision of ours, but horses can also be extremely different and capable of different things in real life. This is inspired by real life, even though the stats cannot, of course, be directly transferred to real horses.

Nikolai Hilz: I can confirm that. You can develop empathy. That’s something you can’t really do with weapons and cars. With living beings, you develop empathy over time.

Adriano Nicolosi: That was also the feedback at Gamescom. From the press that isn’t in the horse business and from the general community. They mentioned: “Okay, cool, it doesn’t show completely ‘We are a horse game’ and that it’s all about that.” It plays an important role, but in that setting, it’s not quite so noticeable that you always have to do “horse things.”

Many were surprised: “You can breed horses, interesting. And I have to distribute my inventory in the saddlebags to maintain balance because I am a yam courier and have to ensure that the goods arrive safely.” You’re always depending on getting through the terrain well.

---

Those who want a pretty mount must work for it

MeinMMO: I was wondering if people who aren’t great with numbers can simply choose a horse they find visually appealing, or is it important to also do some min-maxing?

Alice Ruppert: You do have to optimize a bit, as you can’t do everything with every horse. Accordingly, it’s not enough just to choose the prettiest horse. Let’s put it this way: Those who place a great value on the aesthetics of the horses must specifically breed for that appearance in combination with the desired stats. So, it’s indeed a part of the gameplay to connect aesthetics and abilities.

I would also find it very unfortunate if someone could simply take any horse and master all the difficult missions and terrains. I believe we’d receive negative reviews because player decisions would have no impact.

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, exactly. Conversely, I would actually find it very cool if people role-play and say: “I would like this specific look, but I have this and that challenge ahead of me, so I will breed horses until I achieve that goal.” I would be very pleased. Theoretically, you could also say: “No, it has to be this horse; that’s my absolute favorite horse, and I do everything with it.”

Then one must collect a lot, craft, and build accordingly around it. But in the end, you might have a very rewarding story because you can say: “I did everything to ensure that this horse and I can experience our adventures together, and it was worth the effort.” I think the systems are set up for that.

Alice Ruppert: On such a special challenge run – completing the entire game with a specific, underpowered horse – players and YouTubers will definitely bite their teeth.

Violence is optional

MeinMMO: Hunting is part of the game, even though the focus is not on it. In an update, you mentioned that it’s important to you that hunting is a game element but handled respectfully. Is it theoretically possible to play the entire game without violence, without having to use a bow and arrow?

Nikolai Hilz: Yes, for two reasons: On one hand, you can avoid dangers; you can flee. Resources through hunting can also be purchased from merchants. On the other hand, we have these powder pouches, bags filled with powder, which are the non-aggressive variant. You can throw them to scare away wild animals. You can absolutely do a “non-violent playthrough.”

Alice Ruppert: That was a stretch goal in the Kickstarter – that there will be a peaceful mode or that you can do it. It is intended that people can complete it without having to kill animals.

MeinMMO: Is there a specific reason why this was important to you?

Alice Ruppert: It was important to our players. A request that came in often. Many people from the cozy game sector like the challenge but don’t want the stress and violence. That is a significant part of the players we want to address.

The respectful handling is also something that came from our experts. That was also a concern; it shouldn’t be the “Mongolian Murder Simulator.” It was important to handle it in a way that aligns with nomadic culture. Hunting is done for a purpose, not just for the sake of it. We were very inspired by what our advisors advised us.

MeinMMO: While we’re on the subject of non-violent gameplay: When the horses’ life bars run out, they are taken back to the stable. Will that remain the case at release, that horses cannot die, or will there be a mode where horses can actually die?

Alice Ruppert: To my knowledge, we have no plans to change that. It’s not something that is a mega request. Most people are rather glad that the horses cannot die. If we notice that there is a demand for a hardcore mode where horses can perish, that is generally a possibility. But so far it’s not been a priority.

Nikolai Hilz: That would make the game designers sweat when suddenly there are balancing issues because you no longer have horses in the middle and have to do everything on foot.

Alice Ruppert: That’s why it’s only an option if it’s really desired. We’re not adding it just for fun, as it could ruin many things. For now, it’s excluded.

Realistic representation in focus

MeinMMO: Is there a real horse that particularly inspired you during development?

Adriano Nicolosi: Visually, I can’t contribute much. Of course, there was a lot of research with the Mongolian breeds. Our 3D artist has his own horse. The entire art department visited a stable and looked at the horse. We were able to make cool recordings of horse sounds, from horse noises to tack, saddles, and how it all sounds when moved. That was really cool for me and our sound designer.

MeinMMO: Do you have something very specific that you definitely wanted to do differently than other games with horses or mounts? Especially regarding animations and mechanics.

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of what you compare it to. The more relevant comparisons are not necessarily other horse games but how horses are represented in games otherwise – in Zelda, Witcher, Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Where we stand out is in anatomy and animation. Horses are tricky to animate. And we still get feedback with improvement suggestions.

In many larger triple-A games, horse anatomy is often poorly implemented. I spend a lot of time analyzing this. Gross mistakes, like “How do horse legs work?” don’t happen with Khiimori. The other aspect is the mechanical level. There’s not just a speed upgrade.

In many games, the item “horse” could also be the item “power pants,” and you are three times faster. With us, the horse has needs, has to be taken care of, and there are different horses with different stats. That’s significantly more depth and mechanical relevance than in approximately 90% of all games with horses.

What I find extremely valuable are the many little behaviors. When I see how our horse eats grass and how its lip moves… I could watch that for an hour. You don’t see that elsewhere. Or that they scratch their ears with their hind legs, which looks super funny and what people without horse experience might never have seen.

It satisfies me to know that we can portray these quirks of horse behavior. For me, as a horse lover, those details make me really happy, and I could watch them for hours.

---

About future plans and multiplayer

MeinMMO: I have noticed this while playing, especially regarding reactions to different terrains or weather effects. Do you have any plans to introduce more biomes or weather effects or more influences on the horse?

Nikolai Hilz: We are more focused on deepening the biomes. Right now, you can only go so far into the desert or up the mountain. We are continuously expanding that. As for the weather, we have already covered a lot. When you are deeper in biomes like the snowy mountains, you experience longer snowstorms. We recently completely revamped the weather. It used to be very short and unpredictable in the alpha. Now we have real patterns.

Alice Ruppert: Regarding “which terrains can the horse traverse”: We added that the horses can also swim. That was requested a lot. It comes as an enhanced navigation mechanic with its own balances. Swimming requires a lot of stamina. I consider twice whether I want to swim through the lake or go around.

Do I have goods with me that shouldn’t get wet? Do I have enough food so that my horse can cross the river, or will I find a grassy area soon? Or do I go a few meters further, where there’s a bridge? This adds more route-planning strategic elements and a new way for the horse to interact with the terrain.

Adriano Nicolosi: Generally, there are still many stretch goals from the Kickstarter open. Fishing is still to come, falconry is still to come. These are things that are labor-intensive but further enrich the gameplay.

MeinMMO: Exactly, you have that Trello board where interested players can follow the features you still want to introduce, including things you have initially declined. While playing, I often thought – and I don’t think I was alone in this – that it would actually also be a perfect game to experience with friends. You do have multiplayer but have excluded that for the time being. How did that decision come about?

Alice Ruppert: It’s a question of resources. There are two things. First: When planning this game in multiplayer, you double the testing effort. At the same time, adding multiplayer afterwards is planner-wise and technically unwise because you have to redo many things. It does not balance with any other player request we have on the table. We could run three or four more Kickstarter campaigns and not get the budget together.

There are still many smarter things that we can prioritize, where we and the players would benefit more. Multiplayer is not at the top of the list. The skill at Aesir is not the problem; we have the capabilities. But it’s a question of resources. If the game sells extremely well, we might also reconsider things that we have excluded. With multiplayer, you invest an enormous amount of technical work, which is extremely poorly visible for players. […]

Especially in early access on Steam, we need good reviews to be seen. If we have half-baked multiplayer included, we will attract negative reviews. It’s a gigantic technical and marketing risk, which is not worth it.

MeinMMO: One last question. Is there a mechanic, detail, or experience that particularly stood out to you during development?

Alice Ruppert: I hinted at it already. My “magic moments” when playing the game are these horse details. When horse needs and survival mechanics were implemented for the first time: I rode out, realized my horse was hungry, and the thirst bar was going down. I needed to get food and water for the horse.

I rode the horse to the river; it drank. Then I placed it on a meadow; it grazed, and the bars went up. For me, it’s like… I don’t know if that sounds understandable that one can be so excited about “Wow, my horse is eating.” But no one else does that. I have no other open-world game where my horse is perceived as a living creature. For me, these things are my favorite moments.

Nikolai Hilz: Similar answer: When the systems come together. In a systemic game, you must trust that it works for a long time. Only when everything interacts does this magic happen. When you test, and several things happen in such an organic way that you almost think it has been scripted. I’m riding around; my horse gets dirty.

I think: Right, I rode through dirt. Then it starts to rain, and the horse gets clean. I think: “Wow, cool.” Then the horse gets tired, and Naara says: “Yeah, quit complaining.” You truly feel there’s a playful dialogue between me and the game. Those are cool moments that reward us as developers.

Adriano Nicolosi: We have an art showcase in the team where our artists post new cool things. Each time our environment artist posts pictures of newly built paths or buildings, it’s always: “Oh wow, that’s in now?” There was nothing there two weeks ago, and I want to ride back to that spot. And as Nikolai says: So many things happen on the way.

A storm comes; Naara has to protect herself, quickly go to an Ovoo, and have to get rid of the bad weather. Then assess the new point of interests, the ruins in the desert. That has always been cool. Especially when you are still at the beginning… I can still remember two years ago, when there was just this valley seen in the first trailer. The comparison to today is really drastic.

Behind the promising title is the German developer studio Aesir Interactive. The project began on Kickstarter and developed into a massive hit there. The campaign shot through the roof, far exceeding the original funding goal: Game for Steam and PS5 reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption without the gun battles – financed in a very short time on Kickstarter