My Horse: Bonded Spirits

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 67 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
My Horse: Bonded Spirits Game Cover
Starting at $19.99Buy now
Get on Steam

"My Horse: Bonded Spirits" is a game that puts you in charge of rebuilding a neglected stud farm. You'll need to learn the ins and outs of horse management, develop your skills, and work to return the farm to its former glory. The game also emphasizes the special bond between horses and their caretakers, adding a unique and heartfelt element to the experience.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 67 reviews
story5 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • The game features humorous characters and dialogues that add charm to the experience.
  • Stable management and horse care mechanics are interesting and provide a unique aspect to gameplay.
  • The game has a good premise with potential for exploration and bonding with horses.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, leading to a frustrating user experience.
  • Horse animations and controls are subpar, making riding feel sluggish and unresponsive.
  • The open world is largely empty with little to discover, and the gameplay can become repetitive quickly.
  • story29 mentions

    The game's story revolves around a simple premise of repairing a broken relationship with a father after gambling away his money, but it suffers from weak execution and abrupt endings that leave players feeling unsatisfied. While some characters are enjoyable and the gameplay offers engaging quests, the overall narrative lacks depth and progression, often feeling like a series of fetch quests without a meaningful conclusion. Despite its potential, the story ultimately feels hollow and fails to provide a compelling reason to continue playing after completion.

    • “It's a fun game with a really engaging storyline!”
    • “The storyline is simple yet entertaining: you gambled your father's money away, and he forces you into physical labor on the ranch. Your character has a snobby personality, and the text responses can be quite funny.”
    • “The story line is what makes the gameplay more interesting; we love our uncle.”
    • “The story ends abruptly with no real ending or progression; we do a few short 'races' and missions and are quickly left with 'reach bonding level 10'.”
    • “The game has a pretty standard 'fix the broken down farm and the relationship with your father' story, but it is poorly executed and does not allow us to do the 'usual' expected competitions against a rival and does not actually progress or have the expected happy ending.”
    • “The story feels like it gets cut off short; it's in dire need of a foal breeding mechanic, and some areas and arenas have courses that you are currently unable to unlock but are just sitting there... teasing you.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users comparing them unfavorably to late 90s titles and noting significant bugs and performance issues. While some appreciate the character artwork and UI design, the overall graphical quality is seen as lacking, with poor NPC visuals and animations that detract from the experience. Despite a lengthy development period, players feel the graphics are underwhelming and in need of substantial improvement.

    • “The graphics are quite nice; it's realistic for the most part.”
    • “The graphics are nice, and it would be a good game for any horse fan.”
    • “A game that is well programmed, has beautiful graphics, decent animations, and first of all - a game where you can tell that the publishers actually have good knowledge about horses.”
    • “The thing is I couldn't play it; it's extremely buggy, and the graphics look like something from the late 90s, no matter which settings you put it on.”
    • “A whole team worked on it for a good few years, they had time, feedback from players, resources, and what we get is a watered down game with half-baked features and terrible graphics.”
    • “The graphics are terrible and the clipping through stuff.”
  • gameplay15 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its nostalgic yet innovative mechanics, particularly the grazing feature, while others criticize it for being shallow and clunky. Issues such as stuttering performance, poor design choices, and a lack of depth in stable management detract from the overall experience, leading some to view it as a cash grab. Despite these flaws, some players found enjoyment in learning the mechanics and exploring the game.

    • “I really really like the gameplay and mechanics for this game; it feels really nostalgic but still innovative in some ways (like the grazing on grass, love that).”
    • “The somewhat innovative gameplay of a ranch management game centered around horses is refreshing.”
    • “I had fun learning the mechanics and how to ride the horse while unlocking each function.”
    • “Basically an asset that was culled incorrectly, and they kept the incomplete asset in the gameplay.”
    • “Although the gameplay is easier, it's still very clunky, and most of your gameplay is going to be 'run from point A to point B'.”
    • “With the horses, grass, and other terrain being bought from the Unity Asset Store, stuttering gameplay and unacceptable rider animations, this game smells of cash grab.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game's stability is severely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, such as graphical issues reminiscent of outdated technology, horse behavior anomalies, and obstacles preventing free exploration. Players frequently encounter game-breaking bugs, particularly during racing and environmental interactions, leading to a frustrating experience that requires significant optimization. Overall, the game is deemed too unstable for enjoyable play.

    • “The game is far too linear; if you don't follow a trail, you end up with glitches.”
    • “Ignoring the fact the game has so many bugs and glitches, such as not being able to explore freely without there being invisible walls all over the majority of the land, the barrel racing where the horse flies and idles with no way of getting out without having to restart the game, and the stable hands being a glitchy mess and glitching all over the place.”
    • “The environment is buggy and difficult to traverse at times.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by funny characters and witty dialogues, often featuring a crude and sarcastic tone. While the initial comedic elements are enjoyable, some players feel that the humor becomes repetitive as the game progresses. Overall, the lighthearted approach and amusing interactions contribute positively to the experience.

    • “The characters and dialogue were funny and did not take themselves too seriously, which I enjoyed.”
    • “It's crude, sarcastic, and funny, which I honestly appreciate!”
    • “Simple story summary: you gambled your father's money away, and so he forces you into physical labor on the ranch. You have a snobby/bratty personality, and the text responses can be a little funny.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The game's optimization is heavily criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering gameplay, crashes, and poor animations, suggesting it feels like a cash grab or asset flip. Many users find it only playable at low settings and 1080p, indicating that the game's open world exacerbates its optimization problems.

    • “The game crashes my PC and resets the screen resolution with every start. Despite having a decent rig, it's only really playable in 1080p with everything turned off, set to low on every setting, and using DLSS performance mode on ultra.”
    • “It's obviously just a poorly optimized Unity game, and the open world design is not helping with these issues.”
    • “This game seriously needs optimization.”
    • “With the horses, grass, and other terrain being bought from the Unity Asset Store, stuttering gameplay and unacceptable rider animations, this game smells of a cash grab.”
    • “Badly optimized and feels like an asset flip.”
    • “It crashes my PC, resets the screen resolution with every start, and despite having an alright rig, this is only really playable in 1080p with everything turned off, low on every setting, and DLSS performance ultra for me.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious and unrealistic, often involving repetitive clicking without significant rewards beyond achievements. However, players who are passionate about the subject may still find enjoyment in the game's charm and its blend of realism with less tedious gameplay.

    • “Incredibly tedious and unrealistic.”
    • “Played a bit more and witnessed the poor excuse of stall cleaning... more tedious clicking on random stuff.”
    • “It raises the reputation level of the farm, but other than grinding for achievements, it has no real benefit.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players appreciate the emotional depth of the game, particularly in building a bond with their horse, which resonates with horse lovers. The characters, described as having distinct emotional layers, add to the overall emotional experience, enhancing player engagement.

    • “We must build a bond with our horse and gain his trust; if you are a horse lover, you will appreciate that he has this little emotional layer.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with players noting the use of low-quality assets from the Unity Asset Store and poor gameplay performance, including stuttering and subpar rider animations.

    • “With the horses, grass, and other terrain being bought from the Unity Asset Store, stuttering gameplay and unacceptable rider animations, this game smells of a cash grab.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
    • “I can't believe how much they charge for basic features that should have been included in the game from the start.”
  • music1 mentions

    Players note the absence of music during map traversal, which is a frequent activity in the game, leading to a less engaging experience.

    • “There is no music while riding over the map, which we have to do a lot.”
    • “The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “The music doesn't match the game's atmosphere, leading to a disjointed experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the character designs and voice acting, noting a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic horse games, which adds to the overall enjoyment of the character development.

    • “I liked the character designs and the voice actors; the format reminded me of old-school horse games, but it was fun nonetheless.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy My Horse: Bonded Spirits

Play time

19hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
3-24hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News