After 17 years as the butt of every bad joke about girl games, Barbie Horse Adventures is back with a generation of grown-up horse girls ready to give it the love it deserves

A whopping 17 years have passed since Barbie released its last Horse Adventures game back in 2008 – but the beloved doll is now returning to star in another title tailored for all of us horse girlies, many of whom are all grown up.

As a certified horse girl with hundreds of hours spent trail riding in Red Dead Redemption 2's online counterpart, I can safely say games like Barbie Horse Adventures: Mystery Ride and Wild Horse Rescue shaped my childhood – and even though I'm an adult now, I'm still clearly just as obsessed with virtual horseback shenanigans. That's why Barbie's last Horse Adventures entry, Riding Camp, has always been a bit of a sore spot for me... but it isn't anymore.

That's because we're finally getting a new Barbie horse game: Barbie Horse Trails. Made in collaboration with publisher Outright Games, Mattel's upcoming open-world adventure looks like the spiritual successor to its early 2000s titles I always yearned for. It ticks all the cozy boxes I'd expect of a Horse Adventures game, beginning with plenty of biomes to explore on horseback, including wildflower meadows, lush forests, mountains, peaceful lakes, and more.

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Much like in Mystery Ride and Wild Horse Rescue, Horse Trails features a plethora of clues and puzzles to solve, too, adding an extra layer of depth to the otherwise relaxing gameplay loop. There's plenty of flora and fauna to discover while riding as well, and you can even bust out your camera for cute photos of wildlife – Pokemon Snap-style. When you're not taking pictures or unearthing mysteries, you can expect to care of your horse.

Caring is my favorite part of horse games, if I'm honest, and Horse Trails doesn't seem to be lacking in that department at all. You can build your bond with your horse up by cleaning, feeding, grooming, and pampering it – as it should be. There's not much longer left now until we can relive our childhoods (okay, maybe I'm projecting a bit here), either, as Barbie Horse Trails releases this year, October 10 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

This is definitely a massive W for both the cozy stans and the horse girlies, if you ask me. For far too long has Barbie's Horse Adventures series been the butt of every bad gamer joke…

It's the beginning of a new era.

Excited for more? Here are some of our other most hotly anticipated new games coming this year and beyond to look forward to.