[Nellas]

Equid Name: Sadie
Submission: EQUID

[p-ond]

closed for judging

[p-ond]

Hi everybody! 

Thank you for your patience with me in the judging for this contest.

I have reviewed all the entries, and choosing a final winner is proving still very difficult even at this stage. The quality of the entries across the board has been incredible and I am so proud of all of you guys for your creativity, hard work, and clear passion for this contest.

The standard of entries is all very high, and I think all of you deserve feedback on your work- so many of these game ideas are really imaginative works that I would love to see come to fruition, and I would encourage you all to pursue further development of these concepts if your hearts desire it. I will be posting detailed feedback in this thread for each entrant before I come to a final decision.

The winner I choose will be the one who wins the equid, but I would like to open up a second prize to community vote (though the prize has still yet to be determined). Once I have chosen a winner and all my feedback has been posted, I will ask one of the staff in the discord to run a poll for the community winner.

Thanks again guys for being so understanding, I am so, so proud of you and the beautiful work you’ve all created here, which deserves a huge celebration!

[p-ond]

In no particular order: feedback!

Submission: Hoof Beats and Mountain Peaks

Lady Crowsong: Hoofbeats & Mountain Peaks
If somebody said to me “Nintendogs but equids” I’d eat them whole instantly on the spot. This is the vibe I’m getting from this entry, as a vintage-style pet game like Petz or Creatures: The Albian years. Did anyone here play Pony Luv or Barbie horse games, or, Pippa Funnel ds/pc games? I’d eat it up in an instant if you served me an equid-themed version.

Creatures: The Albian Years^
Expect the atmosphere to be a calm and relaxing self-directed gameplay style, with ambient animal noise to accent the experience. Give me zoo tycoon for equids.
This was a great entry with clear effort and thought put into the idea. I love the retro feel. I love the aesthetic of it. The story is engaging, 10/10 would play. All the sections are present, but it could have benefitted from some visual aids, even some screenshots of the mentioned inspiration would have been great to see! If you like retro games, or horse breeding games, give this entry a read and daydream about Hoofbeats and Mountain Peaks (looove the name) existing for real.

Petz^

Submission: "GOD" The Game

Shebster: God The Game
An ambitious project: a hyper-realistic sandbox game where you can create anything you want, to the most minute detail? Yeah I'm sold! I'm sold! It would have been really cool to get some backstory or lore attached to the game, but it works without it too, and the idea is certainly unique. I love that thought has been put into achievements and the use of UI mockups- I LOVE the ambition and the vision of the project. Budget? 250 trillion? Now we are TALKING, that is a game I'd play. Minecraft on steroids. First thing I'll make is a quiet glade on which my equids will peacefully graze. Read the post and let this one tickle your brain if you're into space and building worlds.

Submission: Just Clumsy...

Gorgeous title art, Just Clumsy is a point and click farming game with a horror-comedy twist, in a pixellated style. There's been really excellent thought put into the mechanics of the game and its gameplay, and the premise is super engaging and dare I say? Titillating? I WOULD PLAY THIS GAME. Bizarrely, it's giving me Animal Crossing meets Cookie Clicker vibes, with a hint of Wallace and Gromit's curse of the were rabbit.
There's a great sense of what it might be like to play the game from the description, and it's one of my favourite entries for this feature. I can visualise this game, it feels tangible and real already. Not only that, but I can hear it. The audio choices described marry so perfectly with the chosen art style. It's cozy, it's exciting, it has a clear vision for style, story, game progression and characters, and I 10/10 want to play it. Great detail in the production and planning section, great layout and formatting, great use of examples. Absolutely go and give this entry a read, you will not regret it. Awooo


More feedback to come tomorrow after I get off work. Results by the weekend!

[p-ond]

More feedback:

Submission: Mountains & Equids; a TTRPG

As somebody who is familiar with the idea of TTRPG, but has never played one, this equid-themed entry into the genre was a beginner friendly introduction to the premise. There is a really good description for how the game is played and I got a good understanding of how it works just from reading the document. The rules and objectives are great and straightforward, the sample story is fun and challenging (and cozily reminds me of the story in Zoombinis (a beloved childhood puzzle game)) and it's great to have a starting point as clear as this set out for beginner game masters; if you want to play this game now, you can! It's all ready.

I would have loved some more suggestions or resources for audio for DMs to use in their games, but the visual style suggested is cohesive with the genre and the style of the game, which is great. Great use of examples here- I know exactly what visual direction is being shot for.
The game assets provided are excellent; the title art lines up with the desired visual style and looks clean and professional. Everything is clear, well laid out, and easy to understand. Fantastic detail in the development section, it was a joy to read this entry. Guys we should all be playing mountains and equids in the discord server right now. why aren't we doing it we need to get a group together to play this game. please can we please please please 🙏

Thank you penultima for this gift to the community, a really excellent game idea that I would, 10/10 play immediately.

[p-ond]

Submission: EQUID

First things first we need to talk about that title art. It is so, so beautiful, and is definitely my favourite piece of artwork from across this competition. The style is so soft, so gentle, and so welcoming too. Such a lovely piece of work that drew me in instantly. It gives me the same sort of softness as the illustrations by Stephen Lambert in the children's book Nobody Rides the Unicorn. Which is to say, perfect. In another life we'd have an equid storybook contest and you'd win on this image alone.



The intro blurb has me on my tippy toes already, and I love the inspo draw from Skyrim. Love the world-building with the WMEWG in this universe, and reading that section made me remember a bunch of educational games we used to play in school- like a "survive a tsunami" game we played in geography class. Really, really cool aspect and a genre I had totally forgotten about- works so well for the equid theme. Great thought put into the different difficulty levels and game controls, love the story overview -succinct but descriptive! Love the full circle/ circle of life idea. It's giving me Rust - but equids.

The setting is very well researched and I am buzzed to see that you thought about the flora and geography of the area, really lovely aid for visualising the game environment, great use of primary sourced photo examples (beautiful pics! im jealous). Beautiful music choices, the chosen audio aesthetic is wonderfully coherent with the realistic visual style choice. It would have been great to have some visual references to existing games with a similar style, but the video link to the wild robot's style works well to illustrate the chosen direction. On funding: your dream world is my dream world, love the thought for ethics and pay. Great description of team roles and good development milestones, wicked idea for DLC content.

This whole read was relaxing, and I could see this game being a sanctuary for players after a stressful day. Would I play this game? Are you kidding? I already am, in my head. 10/10. If you like a realistic nature based game, with wonderful consideration of animal physiology, please go and read this entry!

[p-ond]

game: can be found here

This game is fun! I know because I've played it! Jensen made a playable demo and was the only entrant to do so, and it was really awesome to try. Extra kudos to Jensen for the demo (which you can play here (grab a friend! The rules are in the submission post!) and for taking the time to run through a playtest with me.

I really like this game concept, I love the game board, I like the softness of the art style used, and how gentle the board's aesthetic feels, especially in contrast to the tension you can achieve while playing. Honestly I think this game is the one closest to getting to market out of all the entires. It's basically ready! I love that Jensen added a reflection section in response to the alpha play testing they did, which is something that can only be done if you've made a demo like this. With a couple more development and review cycles, this game could launch and I reckon it would do really well as an indie board game! And not only that but it is so unbelievably cool to have something like this ready to go for the community to engage in.
Jensen also put in the effort to make all the game assets needed for a real playtest; the style is cohesive, and the designs work great during play.

It would be so cool to see this game get more development, and I would encourage everyone to check it out and try playing it at least once! PLEASE give Jensen buzz for this, the effort they put in to make this game actually work is phenomenal, and it still warms my heart that they made it and it exists, and that we only have this cool thing because of the effort put in. Check it out!!

[p-ond]

Submission: Spirit of the Range

Copper’s submission is an excellent example of a game design document. It covers everything in the brief, the quality of writing is fantastic, the effort of thought is clear and apparent while reading the document, and the concept she gave is excellent too. A very high scoring entry, that could only have benefitted from some visual aids- though it doesn’t actually need them to get its message across.


civilisation 5 ^

My immediate impression of this entry is "civ 5 for equids" and straight off the bat this game gets the "10/10 I would play" award because are you kidding? I love civ. let me drag tiny equids around a screen/ board. let me!! {gun emoji}.

Copper's descriptive writing is excellent, I'm posting an excerpt here for you to read:

The sun rises over the vast frontier, casting golden light across the open plains. A distant thunder echoes—not from the sky, but from the pounding of hooves as Wild Mountain Equid herds gallop across the landscape, searching for food, water, and a place to call home.

The land is a living, breathing entity— From the rolling high grasslands where herds graze under the open sky to the dense forests that provide shelter and safety, the land is both a haven and a challenge for survival. Mighty rivers carve through the terrain, offering a vital source of water but also posing a barrier to migration. In the alpine highlands, the air is crisp and thin, and only the strongest herds can endure the harsh conditions. The arid deserts, though barren, offer unexpected paths to new opportunities. Meanwhile, the fertile farmlands at the edge of human civilization hold the promise of food—but also the danger of capture.

This is a world where the rhythm of life is dictated by the changing seasons, the pursuit of sustenance, and the struggle for dominance. Predators lurk in the shadows, storms roll across the plains, and human encroachment threatens the balance of nature. Each herd must adapt, outmaneuver rivals, and find a way to secure its legacy.
In Spirit of the Range, players take on the role of herd leaders, guiding their Wild Mountain Equid and herd through an epic journey of exploration, survival, and competition. But survival alone is not enough. The herds must compete for dominance—securing the best grazing lands, outmaneuvering rivals, and avoiding the many dangers that lurk in the wild. The call of the wild beckons—will your herd rise above the rest and claim its place in history?

Who would read that and not want to play this game? Beautiful. Everything in this document is ready for a team of developers to get started. The production planning is fantastic, with DLC/ expansion and digital versions considered, and I especially love the energy that has been put into the look and feel of every aspect of the game- particularly impressed with the notes on touch and physical feel of the game pieces and box.

If you would like to set yourself down into a little daydream about something perfect that should exist, get yourself a cup of tea and a comfy spot to read through the Spirit of the Range design document. I promise you won't regret it.

[p-ond]

Submission:
A gentle mountain breeze lifts your mane, and whispers in your ear. Will you answer the call?

First things first: this title art is the most engaging---- immediate click through from me, click through rate of 1000%. Love the animation, really makes me feel like I'm about to enter a lil world, gets me set up for a gaming session. Wonderful indie style. Fab no notes.


The sheer volume of assets that koel made for this project is undeniably impressive. We need to immediately talk about that character creator, such an incredible idea and the execution of it is impeccable, clean, and professional looking.

Of all the entries, this one has the cleanest, most well developed and cohesive visual style. It's perfect? The mockups for the map and play window tell me exactly where this project is going design-wise and koel's entry is the strongest for visual direction.



In terms of layout and formatting- I loved the dedicated website and custom style and fonts used here, which only adds to the sense of the game and immersion in the project. Strong consideration has been given to the characters, I love the starting premise of human development destroying the equid's habitat. It would have been really great to get an idea of how the story might unfold, or if there may be several alternative endings before the infinite play begins.

Overall, a very exceptional and highly commendable effort, of a game that has doubtless wide appeal. The pixel work is beautiful, the concept is exciting. No question 10/10 would play and would play for hours and hours and hours and hours. Gives stardew valley/ webfishing energy. delicious.

If there's only one project I could back on kickstarter, my final $20 would be going into Call of the Mountain (also love the name!). Go and check out this submission if you haven't already! (that is an ORDER)

[p-ond]

Submission: Dream WME: An Equid Dating Simulator

I can't help but feel like song&storm read the unconscious minds of 90% of the wme community with this one. Dream WME is the dating sim/visual novel you didn't know you wanted, but you definitely do.



After a harsh storm and you've been separated from your herd, you're rescued by a team of stunning, beautiful bachelor equids. This game has simple mechanics, but a very fun premise, that hearkens back to the popular dating/story games of Episode and Hatoful Boyfriend.

Hatoful Boyfriend

Episode ^

I was really impressed with the effort to include a game loop diagram and the project development formatting of this entry, which scored highly for its straightforward and complete laying-out of the gameplay mechanics and premise. The user-made UI elements give a great sense of the game, and it's ready for development! This one is SO do-able, and I just know the community would eat it up. 10/10 would play and so would everyone else. Check out Dream WME in the link above!