Horses of Hoofprint Bay: Review: Before You Buy

Horses of Hoofprint Bay is a hand-drawn 2D barn-building and horse-care sim from Thogli Studios, published by The Mane Quest and FinPlay, released November 4, 2026 as a full release (not early access). The official Steam store page lists it as "Overwhelmingly Positive" with 99% positive from 660 user reviews (snapshot checked November 6, 2026). The draw is the depth of horse-care detail; the main thing to know before buying is that early footage may come from the demo, which is capped at 25 in-game days, while the full game has unlimited days.

Core pillars

You start with a run-down stable and a trusted mare, train to qualify for show jumping and cross country events, and grow the property into a stud farm. The listed features:

• Care: grooming, brushing, and hoof-picking to avoid saddle sores and abscesses, plus treating scrapes and injuries.
• Training and competition: build strength and confidence to qualify for events and earn prize money.
• Trails: forest, beach, and mountain rides with finds along the way.
• Breeding: foals inherit a mix of parents' coloring, white patterns, and personality traits.
• Management: building upgrades, staff hiring, and later a breeding lab that previews possible foals and sells stud services.
• Customization: color-picking tools for your character and tack, plus editable game files for custom palettes.

The store page states the game is made entirely by humans without generative AI, lists Windows and Linux support (no native Mac version), and marks it Playable on Steam Deck.

Practical tips from play footage

These are individual player impressions from video, not verified universal rules — use them as a feel for how the game plays.

• Watch the body-condition system. Neglecting daily care can lead to minor illnesses that escalate into major ones; in one account an overweight horse developed laminitis, and welfare can take a horse away if a condition is left untreated.
• Balance strength and endurance for competitions. Strong stats with poor endurance will hold you back, so keep both up.
• Part-boarding pays early. Taking on part-board horses for income and training a boarder's horse before the owner returns is a steady loop while you save toward a stable upgrade that lets you take on more boarders.

Demo vs. full release

Older impressions and early videos may reflect the demo, which is limited to 25 in-game days; the full game has unlimited in-game days, per The Mane Quest's release and developer Q&A post. Don't assume demo balance or restrictions carry over unchanged.

Price and platform notes

At the time of the store snapshot, the game was listed at $26.99 with a 15% introductory discount to $22.94, ending November 11. It is also sold in bundles with The Ranch of Rivershine and Rival Stars Horse Racing, per the store page. Prices change, so check the store page before buying.

Who it suits

If you want a management sim where horse welfare has real consequences and breeding and stable upgrades drive long-term progress, the feature list and review summary point to a detail-focused experience. If you mainly want fast arcade racing, note that competitions are gated by training strength and confidence rather than by speed alone.