Devlog #1: Horses that feel alive
The first thing we wanted to get right was the horses. In a stable game you spend most of your time next to them, so they have to feel like animals with moods, not furniture that waits for a click.
They notice you
When you walk down the aisle in the morning, a horse turns its head toward you and nickers. If it hasn't been fed yet, it paws at the stall floor. Call a horse by its name and it answers. On a quiet afternoon you may find one dozing with a hind leg rested.
Grooming you can see
We tried floating words and sparkles when you finish brushing, and they felt fake. Now the coat itself tells you how you're doing: dust and dirt fade as you brush, and a clean coat catches the light. A grey horse like Bulut shows every speck, which makes her the most satisfying one to finish.
Sharing the stall
Horses are big. When you walk into a stall, the horse steps aside to make room, and if it needs to turn around it moves you gently toward the open side instead of pinning you against the wall. It's a small thing, but it is the kind of detail that makes the stable feel real.
Next time: the riders. Children, parents and regulars, and why matching each of them to the right horse matters.