"What is man that thou art mindful of him?" wondered the Bible's Psalmist some 3,000 years ago. Today, I ponder a similar question – "What is horse girl that we are mindful of her?" The answer is likely tucked behind some star in heaven, though Blue Scarab – a new studio from former Helldivers 2 and World of Warcraft devs – might say I'm overthinking it. A horse girl is a girl like any other, and she's worthy of her own video game, as the studio is set to prove with its debut MMORPG Equinox: Homecoming.
"What would happen if we actually approached a title for this demographic with the same seriousness and budget that we would give to, like, a double A kind of production for any other demographic? Traditional teenage dudes in black t-shirts and jeans?" Blue Scarab CEO Colin Cragg – previously the CEO for tween horse MMO Star Stable – tells me during a recent interview.
"What if we gave this audience half of the respect that we financially provide to all of these other projects?" he continues. "How would this demographic react?"
Graceless, American; rough hands, and breath that smells of apple pie – the stereotypical female horse enthusiast, or horse girl, is more often the subject of ridicule than she is offered the dignity of playing the hero. Her affection for animals, golden hay and farm life makes her hard to romanticize, unlike the suntanned, white knights of mostly-male centric horse games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or The Witcher 3.
But because of his experience with Star Stable, which he tells me pulls "$35 million of recurring revenue every year," Cragg is confident it's time for video games to be made specifically for women.
"The appeal for your game doesn't have to be, why are they going to play your game over the other 55 titles that are extremely similar that are coming out? And, oh, well, 'Our guns are the coolest,'" Cragg says. "Oh my God, you're ignoring 52% of the world population."
Having myself noticed indie and double A games slowly, but insistently, start prioritizing historically female interests like dress-up, romance, and murder in cold blood, I agree with him. And, now, having experienced an hour of Equinox: Homecoming during its playtest period, I'm dizzy over how perfectly Blue Scarab seems to understand its chosen audience.
The MMORPG – which will cost $25 during its year-long Early Access – focuses on your customizable character and horse as you return to your hometown, hoping to uncover why your mother went missing, and why a local girl suddenly turned up dead.
Immediately, I was impressed with the character creator's customization options. As a FromSoftware enthusiast, I'm used to "makeup" in RPGs meaning congealed, gray eyelashes and a bit of berry stain around the mouth.
But Equinox: Homecoming's playtest let me do my character's eyeliner exactly how I do my own in real life – a heavy cat eye on both my top and bottom lash line – and it was the kind of Allure magazine detail that made me feel like I was being catered to. For once.
"It's a big first," Cragg says about Equinox. "We're trying to actually make the title for the [female] demographic and have it developed by the demographic, like, closely in tandem, so that we're actually making what they want."
And, crucially, I didn't feel like Equinox: Homecoming was a begrudging "girl game," either. It didn't seem infantilizing. There's grown-up love in its details, which attempt to push the boundaries of both the MMO genre and female-focused gaming.
Blue Scarab used motion capture on both its human and horse actors, so trotting into a canter, and then a world-spinning gallop with my magnificent Bay horse felt good on my Steam Deck's controls. Naturalistic dialogue also means characters say "fuck" like the teenagers they're meant to be, rather than speak in My Little Pony talking points about friendship and magic.
Of course, while exploring the forested cliff faces and dirt hills of Alderwood Island, I noticed that Equinox: Homecoming features many mechanics expected from the cozy genre, too. You can talk to skeptical neighbors, for example, or do meditative chores like brush your radiant horse and scoop gunk out of its hooves.
But the game also thrummed with potential like an exposed piece of wiring. My mother's empty barn sat like an abandoned church to my childhood. The patchwork quilts and old Christmas lights I found in her bedroom looked inviting, but there was a distinct, X-Files whiff beneath the moth balls. Why did she leave? What's this hiding behind the closet? Why did she tell me my dreams had meaning?
The syrup of mystery settles into my twitchy fingers after I put my playtest down. I know that Blue Scarab takes me seriously, and I'm itching to return to its serious barnyard adventure when Equinox: Homecoming releases in Early Access on May 8.
