The Ranch of Rivershine

I really wanted to like this game! I bought it on a 40% discount... and I still feel like it cost too much. I don't care about realistic or advanced graphics, so long as the game is fun, and delivers. Game didn't. Camera and controls feel clunky and annoying, and the game overall feels unpolished. Characters irked me a little, they feel bland at best... which is a shame, because I enjoyed the art, I think it's probably the nicest aspect. I'm not a newbie at videogames, yet I found the gameplay not very intuitive. Sigh. Finding good horse games... When will the 'genre' offer something different, for once?

When my grandmother passed away, I struggled to play the games that typically provided me with a good distraction. One game reminded me too much of her because she got me into the series, the others took too much focus at a time when I had none to spare. In a desperate attempt to find something cozy, but fun, I bought The Ranch of Rivershine. This game has given me a calm place to just escape the grief. My dream was always to own a ranch, and in this economy, this is probably the closest I'll ever get. I grew up attending lessons in riding and horse care at local farms all around me. So I mean it when I say: I love this game, and I am so grateful to the Dev team for creating a new place of comfort for those of us that just need to escape the world for a few hours (by a few, I mean I've played at LEAST 8 hours a day). If I could change one thing, I would add some hoof care to it. It's an important part of horse care and oddly enough, I find myself missing picking and polishing hooves.

I love this game, I have been playing it for years, it's cozy and nice and sweet, but I do have some things that would maybe help people playing the game. 1. Prices are lower at festivals (I think this would help new and old players a lot, so you don't have to keep selling your horses to get some money for the festivals) 2. You can put your horses in forever herds, with a lead mare, so it's easier and when you send the horses to the pasture they immediately go to their herds. 3. You can buy or make decorations for the barn, or have seasonal decorations, like Halloween, or Christmas decorations. other then those 3 things that I would love to see happen, the game is amazing for people who want a sweet non stressful horse/farm game, with realistic things in the game. Love it!!

It is so hard to find a good Horse game, and Rivershine finally gets *close* but yet still lacking. It's like someone who really likes & knows horses made the game, but also has no understanding of good game desgin. The world is great, stuff you can do is great, but learning the game is not easy, the controls are so wrong, and ultimately the MENUS are awful. I find myself not being able to play well with a controller or a keyboard. I've gotten used to the keyboard best, it's still awkward, but don't get me started on trying to move the map with your mouse, why does it only work sometimes!?!? It's so frustrating. Also, to not have a mini map drives me up the walls. The worst is trying to shop or navigate a menu with a controller, I have skipped so much dialogue by accident, bought things by accident, and can't see what is selected bc there's no real contrast of the highlighted item, like use a color for goodness sakes. Also, why can't I go from left to right if I'm not highlighting the exact right spot? The UI is seriously just bad. But the horses, how much you can do with them, and the art and the fact that there are no other good horse games pretty much saves it. The tutorial of how to take care of and train your horses could also use some work so it was more intuitive and I didn't have to look things up (there's a lot of aspects just not explained, which would make the game hard for someone who has never played video games before). I'm having a ton of fun, so I still recommend the game, just know it takes some getting used to. I would love to see these issues addressed in a update down the road.

The game is absolutely gorgeous, you are a ranch owner within a small town. You meet lots of charming folks, who can't wait to share their stories. The town is filled with activities, shops and of course..horses! You're welcome to join a festival every two weeks, where lot's of fun is waiting. Scenery changes with the season, unlocking a whole new experience of nature. You can work on your ranch, building and unlocking new structures, expanding existing ones and even taking care of your garden. Each map feels very unique with new resources to gather. You can even own barn and coop animals, that you care for. You also keep pets, that help you collect things without needing to get down from your saddle. Wild horse system is honestly my favourite part! I'm not going to spoil it further, but in each locations you own their specific pen and you can adopt them. There are many things to do in your stable. You need to take care of your horses daily, brush them, feed them, clean their boxes and give them supplements. You also need to watch out for illnesses. Of course, each horse can be styled with different hair styles (depending on length) or equipment you have, making them the prettiest. Every horse has 3 different traits with them. It's for you to decide which are the best. There are tons of horse coats to discover. Each horse is unique, and you can create something that no one else has. Training system feels exciting. Each horse has four skills that can be trained. It's your job to check which horse is best for training outside, inside or on special courses, that drastically improve their percentage. There are many things in the game that help you achieve full potential with fun, but I'm not going to spoil them. It's rewarding to see your performance improve, after competing in a race. For the visual parts, the animations are alright. The biggest issue I have, are the animations of riding your horse - they feel [b] stiff and unnatural, it would be nice to see you work on that [/b]. The feeling of riding is the most important in horse games! 😅 You can also own clothes, but I always feel "uglier" than the other town members. I feel that the lack of unique [b] clothing, hair and face customisation needs to improve [/b]. When I look at [spoiler] Daphne [/spoiler], I want to cry lol. Overall, the game is super enjoyable, an experience for everyone, regardless of age. You can easily spend here over than 150 hours! Endless fun. 4.5⭐ out of 5⭐.

I’ve played The Ranch of Rivershine for about 7.5 hours now, and wow — it’s genuinely a great game. The world is charming, the gameplay is relaxing, and the whole experience feels made for horse lovers. The only downside for me is that some of the movement can cause a bit of motion sickness, especially during faster riding. It’s not a deal‑breaker, but definitely something to keep in mind. The little hand‑drawn OCs are adorable — honestly, they’re almost cuter than the NPCs themselves. They give the game such a sweet, cozy personality. Overall, I highly recommend The Ranch of Rivershine to any horse lover, male or female. It’s wholesome, creative, and full of heart. Good job, Cozy Bee Games — you made something really special

horseys

great game

i love horses. and if u love horses and cant have horses its very fun hehehe

This game just wasn't for me. It's cute and nostalgic but just doesn't have the substance I need to keep me entertained (especially at that price) and sometimes it gives me motion sickness. Riding the horses doesn't feel intuitive to me when compared with the controls in other games. Just not my cup of tea.