Hobby Horse: First Ride

Hobby Horse: First Ride is such a silly and charming idea that I honestly had a lot more fun with it than I expected. The whole concept is built around hobby horsing, which means I am running around with a horse on a stick and trying to complete obstacle courses. It sounds ridiculous at first, but the game actually does a good job of making the activity feel playful and surprisingly satisfying. The main gameplay is all about moving through obstacle courses and getting better at handling the hobby horse. I have to jump over barriers, follow different routes and keep my movement under control while trying to finish each course successfully. I liked how simple the controls feel because I can understand what I am doing almost immediately, but getting cleaner runs still takes some practice. The courses also give me a nice reason to keep improving. I can earn trophies, beat my previous times and work toward achievements while gradually becoming more comfortable with the movement. There are routes set in places like a gym and forest paths, which gives the free experience a little bit of variety. I especially enjoyed trying to improve a run after I already knew the course, because small mistakes suddenly become much more noticeable. The power ups are another fun little addition. Finding boosters during a ride can help me deal with trickier obstacles, and I liked the feeling of getting through a difficult section after using one at the right moment. They do not completely change the game, but they give the courses a little more personality and stop the experience from feeling like nothing more than repeated jumping. I also really like the customization. I can create my hobby horse and choose its color and shape, which makes the whole thing feel more personal. It is a small feature, but it fits the playful nature of the game perfectly. I think being able to make a horse that looks the way I want adds a little extra motivation to keep playing through the available content. My biggest issue is that this is very clearly a small free experience rather than a full game. The amount of available content is limited, and once I have learned the courses there is not a huge amount left to discover. I would have liked more environments, more advanced obstacle designs and more customization options. The current version feels more like an introduction to the full Hobby Horse idea than something I would spend a huge amount of time with. Overall, Hobby Horse: First Ride is a surprisingly enjoyable little sports and simulation game. I liked the simple movement, obstacle courses, boosters and the ability to customize my hobby horse, while the cheerful presentation keeps everything feeling light and fun. It is definitely limited in scope, but I think it succeeds at making a very unusual hobby feel genuinely entertaining. As a free introduction, I had a good time with it and would happily see the idea expanded further. Rating: 7.5/10

I'm sure this game can be a lot of fun for someone who has more patience than me, but sadly I am not that person. If you have a low tolerance for failure this isn't a game for you. In the vast desert that is the horse game genre this looked like a compromise. At least it's still about horses...somewhat. But the steering is horrible compared to a proper horse game, which I'm sure is part of the point. But I was hoping for a horse game, not carpal tunnel syndrome. And steering with the keyboard isn't responsive enough to be in any way functional, even when going slow. It looks really fun, and the customisation options are fun to play around with, but that's it. This isn't the game I was hoping it'd be, and if you're like me and deperately wish for a good horse riding game, don't get this one. Even if it's free.

Симулятор хобби‑хорсинга — виртуальная версия «езды» на палке с головой лошади. Вы создаёте своего хобби‑хорса, тренируетесь преодолевать препятствия, участвуете в соревнованиях и открываете новые трассы. По мере прогресса разблокируются трюки и усиления, помогающие проходить сложные участки. Игра рассчитана на расслабленный досуг: подходит для всех возрастов. Плюсы Необычная тематика. Редкий симулятор хобби‑хорсинга — свежий взгляд на жанр гонок. Кастомизация. Можно настраивать внешний вид своего хобби‑хорса. Постепенное усложнение. От простых трасс к сложным маршрутам с препятствиями. Усиления на трассах. Бонусы помогают преодолевать сложные преграды. Расслабляющий геймплей. Казуальный стиль подходит для коротких сессий и отдыха. Бесплатно. Доступ без вложений. Поддержка русского языка. Удобно для русскоязычной аудитории. Минусы Одиночный режим. Нет мультиплеера — нельзя соревноваться с друзьями. Ограниченный контент. В стартовой версии — базовые возможности кастомизации и немного трасс. Повторяемость. Однотипные задания могут наскучить при долгом прохождении. Технические риски. Как у новой игры, возможны баги или проблемы с оптимизацией. Нишевая аудитория. Тематика заинтересует не всех — может показаться слишком необычной. Итог Hobby Horse: First Ride — милый и необычный симулятор для тех, кто хочет попробовать хобби‑хорсинг без подготовки и снаряжения. Он привлекает казуальным геймплеем, возможностью кастомизировать скакуна и постепенным ростом сложности. Подойдёт для расслабления и коротких игровых сессий, особенно детям и любителям нестандартных симуляторов. Однако отсутствие мультиплеера и ограниченный контент могут снизить долгосрочный интерес.

10/10

As a retired pro hobby horser and multiple-time champion, I approached this title with high expectations. And I’m pleased to say: it delivered exactly what I didn’t know I needed. Hobby Horse: First Ride is a bold step forward in interactive sport simulation. It captures the essence of elite competition… while also reminding you that your “horse” is, in fact, a carefully animated stick with confidence issues. The gameplay is surprisingly refined. Controls feel intuitive in that very special way where you’re never fully sure if you’re doing it right, but it somehow still counts as success. That’s talent. Jumping mechanics deserve praise. There’s a beautiful unpredictability to every leap, as if physics itself is watching and quietly saying, “let’s see what happens.” And honestly? It works. The competitive atmosphere is intense in the most polite way possible. You can almost feel the pressure of top-tier performance, surrounded by equally serious athletes all committed to the same noble cause: stick-based excellence. Customization is another highlight. The emotional bond you develop with your horse (again, a stick) is surprisingly real. I’ve seen less attachment in actual sports franchises. In conclusion: This is not just a game. It’s a lifestyle statement wrapped in absurdity and held together by determination and questionable physics. 9.5/10 Would absolutely compete again, preferably on grass that understands what it’s witnessing.

had a lot of pottential, but when I played it it was hard to controle tbh. I still had fun and love the design !

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