The Legend of Khiimori mixes survival play with deep horsemanship

As my dapple grey Mongolian trudges through a foot of snow up the last hill into a remote mountain village, my character Naraa lifts her forearm to block the setting sun. The shadows left by my horse's hooves briefly recalled the same effect in Red Dead Redemption 2, and for a moment I thought The Legend of Khiimori might be the one to put horse games on the map—once it gets through early access.

Khiimori is being developed by Aesir Interactive, with horse game developer and critic Alice Ruppert consulting, which bolsters confidence in its horsemanship. The survival elements focus almost entirely on the mount: food, water, mood, stamina, and health. My character is effectively immortal, so managing stamina and choosing when to trot, canter, or gallop—and whether to stick to dirt roads—becomes the core of play.

The systems go deeper than simple meters. Route planning matters to pass water sources, saddle inventory affects balance and can make a horse stumble, and mounts will even graze autonomously when you dismount near grass.

khiimori, aesir interactive, alice ruppert, horsemanship, horse game, survival elements, stamina, saddle, route planning, red dead