Snowrunner with horses: The Legend of Khiimori aspires to captivate fans outside the stables too

Philipp Rüegg

3.3.2026

Translation: Katherine Martin

A game that appeals to both horse lovers and vehicle simulator fans? The Legend of Khiimori might just manage to pull off this balancing act. I interviewed Swiss horse game expert Alice Ruppert to find out how.

In The Legend of Khiimori, you play a Mongolian courier rider in the 13th century. Both your horse and the country’s culture form the central focus of the game. While in most games, you can manoeuvre horses in the wildest ways, endlessly driving them onwards, your steed in The Legend of Khiimori behaves much more realistically. The game’s a mixture of a horse simulator and an open-world adventure.

Aesir Interactive, the Munich-based studio that developed the game, is keen to appeal to players outside of the traditional horse community.

Alice Ruppert reveals what challenges come with creating a historical horse simulator, how the horse genre has developed over time and why comparisons with Red Dead Redemption 2 are a double-edged sword. She works across numerous areas of the gaming sector – previously a game designer, she’s now taking on increasingly regular projects as a consultant and producer, including for Legends of Khiimori. She’s also been involved in titles such as Equinox: Homecoming, Horses of Hoofprint Bay and Okomotive’s latest game Pinkeep.

With her website The Mane Quest, she’s gathering a growing herd of horse game lovers around her. She’s been considered the expert on the genre for a while now.

Eight years ago, you joined us to play Red Dead Redemption 2. How have horse games developed since then?
Alice Ruppert, consultant and producer for The Legend of Khiimori: In 2018, horse games were still a niche product, usually developed by traditional publishers for a younger audience. Since then, the genre’s exploded and the indie sector’s also seeing steady growth. At the same time, a lot of people still swear by Red Dead Redemption 2 because it’s the biggest game with the most elaborate animations. Plus, it’s not as if new Rockstar games come out every day.

Recently, Steam even hosted its first Horse Fest dedicated to horse games. Why is the genre suddenly so popular?
It’s difficult to nail down a specific reason for it, but that rise in popularity is long overdue. People have been interested in equestrian sports but also games for a long time, so it’s not surprising that the two overlap. Developers and studios often approach me because they’ve found my community and me. Although I’m not saying that this popularity’s all down to me, our community’s certainly been listed as a key early adopter in some pitches.

It’s rare to see a game about Mongolia that doesn’t revolve around Genghis Khan. A game allowing you to play a Mongolian courier might even be a one-off. How did you guys come up with the idea?
We were originally planning a game you’d traditionally see in this genre; a vaguely European setting, where players enter tournaments and build and develop their stables. Then, Wolfgang Emmer (the CEO of Aesir) and I started to question the concept. Our community was ready for something new, and I had my doubts about reusing the typical clichés. The question was: what were our alternatives? We soon thought of the idea of a Mongolian courier rider. Historical settings make it easier for new players to get into a horse game, without leaving typical horse gamers behind.

A friend of mine has described the game as «Snowrunner with horses». Do you think that’s a fitting comparison?
I’m not familiar with Snowrunner, but I’ve heard several times that The Legend of Khiimori is Euro Truck Simulator with horses. Movement’s a central part of the game, so there’s no doubt it has some similarities with relaxed delivery simulators.

You can breed your own horses in the game too. How does that affect the way the game unfolds?
Think of it like a skill tree. New skills are unlocked by combining the right horses. For example, a foal combines the stallion’s strength with the mare’s stamina, allowing you to continuously upgrade your own stable. Rather than creating the ultimate horse, the goal is to breed the right horse for every job. We’ve added different horse breeds with specific dispositions and abilities. While one horse might be better suited to a journey up a mountain, another might cope better with winter temperatures. You’ve got to be strategic with your approach. Let’s face it, you wouldn’t take a Ferrari for a drive over a snowy mountain.

Even as someone with no clue about horses, I’ve noticed how unusual it feels to ride the horses in this game. Unlike cars, they don’t immediately react to your commands. When your stamina’s running low, they feel sluggish and more difficult to control. I can’t think of any other games in which your horse slips if it steps on a stone slab the wrong way.
The horse in The Legend of Khiimori isn’t a machine – it’s a tool. You need the right tool for the right job. The mechanics go beyond just speed upgrades. Do you take a shortcut through the mud or stay on the road? One path might be faster, but it might also be more strenuous for the horse, draining its energy and getting it dirty. And if that happens, you’ll have to clean it again. This gives the game greater depth than if you were simply jabbing the sprint button.

Is The Legend of Khiimori the most realistic horse game out there?
Realism can relate to lots of different things, from animation to models to mechanics. The Legend of Khiimori has plenty to offer on the mechanics front. That being said, it’s almost impossible to compete with industry giants such as Red Dead Redemption 2, which estimates suggest cost 100 times more. Drawing comparisons with blockbusters like these are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we’re pleased that the game looks good enough to go toe to toe with «the big players». On the other hand, people might start the game with far too high expectations.

Speaking of big budgets, I’m guessing you don’t put your horses in motion capture suits like Rockstar does?
No, we don’t. Technically, it’d be feasible for us to do that, but it’d bring a lot of challenges along with it. Motion capture isn’t necessarily better than keyframe animation. Evaluating the data is complex, and motion capturing a horse is an immense logistical challenge. While a small office provides enough space for human subjects, a horse needs a special indoor riding arena. A horse would also need to wear a motion capture suit, as markers wouldn’t stick to its coat.

Let’s go back to Red Dead Redemption 2 for a sec. Horse testicles were a big deal in that game. Are there any horse genitals in The Legend of Khiimori?
We haven’t included any. A lot of people have asked me about the horse balls in Red Dead Redemption 2. Honestly, it was just a marketing stunt. Plus, they look bad – they’re awkward-looking, totally stiff and hang prominently. It’s the most unrealistic thing about the whole horse. There weren’t that many stallions around back then anyway, with castration already widespread in the Wild West.

The Legend of Khiimori is set in Mongolia and includes Mongolian script, dialogue, music and customs. How did you gather the expertise for that?
We knew right from the start that if we were going to venture into the realm of another culture, we’d have to do so with respect, care and authenticity. Historical games are never 100 per cent authentic. That’s impossible. But you can do your homework. The art and game design teams did this from day one. As well as conducting extensive research ourselves, we worked with consultants, including people from Mongolia and academics who study the culture. The Mongolian band that played on the soundtrack also gave us important input.

Did you overlook authenticity at any point?
Yes. In Mongolia, it’s unusual to give horses names. They’re working animals, and are sometimes known by descriptors such as «the brown one» or «the white one». Even so, we wanted to give players the opportunity to name their horses because lots of people enjoy doing that. And besides, it’s not an absolute no-no in Mongolia.

Are there any obvious clues that a horse animation is unrealistic?
The thing that bugs me most is when a horse stands on bent front legs. This is something you see in almost every game, including Red Dead Redemption 2. And it’s anatomically incorrect – horses need to extend their front legs in order to bear weight. It’s a fundamental principle of how their joints, tendons and muscles work. Since horses have no muscles in the lower legs, that area functions like a suspension system. Games such as Ghost of Tshusima and Elden Ring are even worse for this than Red Dead Redemption 2.

But the horse from Elden Ring is also some kind of magical being.
It doesn’t matter! For all I care, it might be able to do a double jump – but it can’t stand on bent legs (laughs).

The Legend of Khiimori will be available in early access for PC from 3 March.

Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles. more

Follow

---

Gaming

Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest

Follow topic

---

Background information

Interesting facts about products, behind-the-scenes looks at manufacturers and deep-dives on interesting people.

Show all

These articles might also interest you