The Legend of Khiimori’s new gameplay shows Death Stranding with a horse is an idea that has legs

Horses in real life terrify me. They’re absolutely huge, can bite off your fingers, kill you in a single kick, and their sweat is all foamy and stinky—gross. Horses in videogames, though? They’re another kettle of fish entirely. Kettle of horses? Forget the kettle. The point is, I love a good equine boah as long as they’re made of pixels. That’s why the new gameplay walkthrough for upcoming early access horsey delivery game The Legend of Khiimori has me so excited to trek through 13th-century Mongolia.

In a newly released five-minute long video, Aesir Interactive design director Steve Bristow walks and talks us through how Legend of Khiimori actually plays. You start out at an outpost and choose which deliveries you’d like to complete. The world itself looks large and alive—there’s dynamic weather, large, snowy mountains, and blizzards showcased, so preparation for your journey is essential.

You’ve got to chart your course through the world—do you take the longer route you’ve travelled before? How about the shorter one with less stable terrain and more wild animals? There’s less grass there, so you’ll have to pack some hay.

As well as the usual packing of food for yourself and your trusty steed, you’ll need tonics for the various weather conditions, animal-repelling arrows to scare of wolves and other predators that may spook your horse, and you’ll have to actually pick which mount is best suited for the route you’ve chosen. Picking somewhere to camp and tending to your horse is important, too, so don’t forget your grooming gear.

And not only do you need to pick which pony will be best suited to the mission, but you must balance your saddle bags so that your horse isn’t off-balance and liable to fall. Honestly, the whole experience seems a lot like Death Stranding. That suits me just fine, I love both of the games, especially all the long, lonely walks. It seems like the perfect game to help you slow down and enjoy the scenery.

There are more features not shown in the video but coming to the game, such as breeding. These will be based on real-life breeds, so the horse fans among you can get thoroughly stuck in. On top of that, there are ruins to explore, spirits to contend with, and gear to unlock by increasing your courier rank.

The Legend of Khiimori launches in early access March 3, 2026. You can wishlist it on Steam here.

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