The first time I saw Equinox Homecoming, I, like most people, would, assumed it was a cozy horse RPG where you can hang with friends and ride horses across serene outdoor locales. It is that kind of game, but that’s not what made me actually play it.
The hook isn’t just riding off into the sunset with your pals; it’s that there’s a murder mystery and a disappearance to contend with as a full-on conspiracy unravels around you. You are coming home to Alderwood Island, a beautiful rural haven for horses; that should be the start of a nice time, but you show up at possibly the worst time. A teenager’s body has been discovered in the woods, and your own mother has vanished. Still, it gives you something to do, I suppose.
So, with a group of real and NPC friends, you embark on an investigation of Alderwood Island and uncover its deepest secrets. All while riding your lovely horse.
So, there’s a dark heart at play that I didn’t initially expect, which made me a tad more curious about checking out Equinox Homecoming. I’m all for riding horses on a rural island, but murder and mystery, too?
Equinox Homecoming: A Dark Horse
It’s probably a good thing it has that going for it, too, because it would feel a little too light otherwise just to be going off vibes. This isn’t a massive game in scope or development team size, but the island is lovely and manageable to traverse, with a clear focus on making horseriding central to the action. I get not everybody is happy to just take in the scenery, so having activities such as racing and gymkhana-style trials do break up the treks from point to point.
The occult mystery of Equinox Homecoming isn’t quite as dark as your horror-led titles, but its place in this game makes it a surprising addition. Typically, these kinds of games are designed for a younger audience. Still, Equinox Homecoming developer Blue Scarab Entertainment should be commended for giving this a more adult twist without making it jarring. I do quite like the turns it takes and the implications of this greater conspiracy.
But even if the darkness is not for you, and you just came to take care of a horse and ride it about with friends, that’s well-serviced, too. You can customize your equine pal, prepare and pamper them when challenges arise, and even feed them treats you find out in the world. The relationship with your horse folds neatly into the wider story being told, and it’s quite sweet to see how sincere that aspect of the story is, given how awkward and silly it could have felt. Things get downbeat, and while there’s also an emphasis on relationships with friends, the quieter times when it’s just you and your horse feel more impactful.
The game is currently in early access, and that does mean what Equinox Homecoming offers is relatively thin, but there’s enough to suggest this has room to grow. Even as a bony nag, it still has the chance to turn into a thoroughbred.
Equinox Homecoming is out now on PC via Steam in Early Access.
