My favorite Steam Next Fest demo puts Red Dead Redemption 2's horses to shame

I played a lot of Steam Next Fest demos last week. It's got to the point where I think I like playing demos more than I do full games. It's something about the tantalizing potential, the fact I can dip into five different games in a single evening and receive a meaningful conclusion (of sorts) in each. While I was balancing my Next Fest coverage with a burgeoning Ball x Pit obsession, one game stood out to me more than any other: Legend of Khiimori.

I've been following Legend of Khiimori since its first gameplay snippet went viral on social media. Less than a trailer, the tiny slice of gameplay captured my heart. I yearned for the Mongolian steppe, to become one with my horse and, well, I didn't really care what else the game had in store.

Thankfully, it has plenty. No title on our list of the best RPGs would be complete without quests or upgrades, and Khiimori delivers (pun very much intended) in that regard. While I spent my first hour with the demo simply riding around, taking in my surroundings, the game quickly made me aware that I needed to know more about my trusty steed.

I know nothing about horses. Correction: I knew nothing about horses. Legend of Khiimori goes into such detail about your mount's breed, genes, stats, and perks that I feel like a professional jockey after studying the menus so intently. If you didn't play the demo, let me just say this: the stats go into three decimal places when it comes to speed. This is a horseriding sim that takes its horses seriously.

There are plenty of parallels to Death Stranding - balance is key, for one - but I felt a bit of The Last Guardian in here, too. While the Mongolian landscape is more Shadow of the Colossus, your relationship with your horse mimics that of the boy and Trico. I guess I'm a Horse Guy now.

It wasn't just me, feedback was generally very positive for the demo. Which makes it slightly surprising that developers Aesir Interactive and NightinGames have decided to delay the release until next year. Originally intended to release in early access on Tuesday, November 4, the game will now arrive in 2026.

The team says it will focus on player guidance and world experience; camera, controls, and UI; lowering minimum system requirements; performance and optimization; and a more feature and content-rich experience. I can't say that any of these jumped out at me as major issues during the demo, but the developers clearly want the game in tip-top shape before releasing it to the world.

However, there's a silver lining. As recompense, the Next Fest demo will be available until the end of November. So if you missed the Umamusume: Pretty Derby boat and want in on some horse action, now's the time to check out a brilliant demo.

The Legend of Khiimori will release on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. You can play the Steam demo until Sunday, November 30. Wishlist the game and find the demo here.

If you've finished the demo, or are waiting for Khiimori's early access release, our picks of the best open-world games should satisfy those cravings until March. If not, the best simulation games could cover those cravings for equine optimization.

Have you played the Khiimori demo yet? Let us know in our community Discord server, where staff and readers discuss the specifics of horse genetics in order to breed the perfect specimen for delivering to medieval Mongolians.