The Ranch of Rivershine

Today we are checking out The Ranch of Rivershine which is a fun sim game about looking after horses on a ranch. The game as I write this is still in early access, but there is plenty to see and do here and they have a detailed roadmap of what they intend to add to the game and it all seems like exciting stuff. The thing is, while I enjoyed my time with the game, I do think that if I waited and played the game when it was fully finished, this would have gone from being good to being amazing!

The Ranch Of Your Dreams

The idea behind The Ranch of Rivershine is that we have this ranch in this lovely little town and we want to make it the best ranch possible. We will have the best horses around and we will be the ultimate champion when it comes to racing and training horses. As I write this, there is not much in the way of a story in the game. You do get to meet the people of this town, but things are very shallow right now, and stuff like “bring me this or that” is about all the character interaction you get. I am interested to see how they build this side of the game as I would like the people to feel more alive.

All About Our Four Legged Friends

Even in the early access state that I played The Ranch of Rivershine the stuff with the horses is pretty full on and implemented really well. You have to take care of your horse by training and them and making sure that they are well fed. The horses have various stats and the better your horses' stats are, the better they will perform in the cross country style activities that you will be part of. It is fun stuff and while it may seem a bit grindy as you do the same things over and over again, that to be fair is the case for most sim and farming style games that are similar to what this is offering.

More Horses Means More Fun

The progression in The Ranch of Rivershine is what I think is going to make this a rather addictive game for some people. You can find horses in the wild that you can bring back to your stable and make them your own. You can also breed horses and this is more in-depth than you would think as it is not just a case of playing a horse cupid! By breeding with certain kinds of horses, you can make it so their foul will have special attributes or have a special kind of color to them. You may get attached to certain horses, or you may just have as many as you can have and always be looking for the next best horse to add to your ranks!

Life On The Ranch

While I would certainly say that the horses are the main event of what The Ranch of Rivershine is offering. You do also have a ranch to run and this is where the “farming sim” side of the gameplay is showcased. You can build up your ranch, by adding more stalls, better training equipment, and so on. You can also farm various foods, foods that you can use to make sure your horses are well fed. By looking after your horses right on the ranch, they will perform better and be worth more money. While there may not be a ton of content in the game as I played it, the foundation and basics of a deep and fun sim style of game are certainly here.

Pros:

• Horse lovers will get a real kick out of this
• I liked the horse breeding aspect of the game
• Finding and training new horses is fun
• The game has a very wholesome and relaxing vibe about it

Cons:

• The game as I write this is still in rather early access
• I hope that they do have a bit more story dialogue planned

The Ranch of Rivershine is a simulation of running your own ranch. Congratulations! You have inherited an entire ranch in the small rural town of Rivershine. Repair ramshackle barns and breed future racehorses. Who knows, maybe you'll raise a racing legend.

Pros of the game:

• Raise a full-fledged farm: cows, sheep, chickens and horses await your attention
• Breed rare horse colors and make a splash at the auction
• Make friends with the locals and trade for bargains