In StableBound, players immerse themselves in the role of a horse exploring a vast and vibrant world filled with challenges and opportunities. They'll encounter various tasks and activities, including competing in competitions, tending to stable care, breeding, catching wild horses, and customizing their own equine companion. With 10 unique biomes to explore, each offering its own set of challenges and rewards, players will find themselves constantly engaged in their journey.
StableBound offers players the flexibility to control their horse using either a keyboard and mouse or an Xbox/Playstation controller, providing a comfortable and intuitive experience. The game features a free camera mode, allowing players to explore the world from any angle they desire. Additionally, players can improve their horse's abilities by increasing stats such as jumping height, running speed, boosts, and learning new dressage moves.
Players can discover hidden collectibles scattered throughout the world, including pages to books, animations, dye for saddle recoloring, gold, and even rare pinto patterns. These collectibles can be used to unlock new customization options in the horse customizer, allowing players to personalize their equine companion to their liking. Saddle sets also offer perks that provide advantages such as increased chances to find specific breeds, extra experience and gold, and slower depletion of needs.
Stable care is an essential aspect of the game, requiring players to tend to their horse's needs such as feeding, drinking, cleaning, and sleeping. These tasks can be performed in the stable by brushing the horse, providing food and water, and allowing it to rest. In the world, players can also graze on grass and drink water from creeks to maintain their horse's well-being. Furthermore, players can engage in breeding by purchasing a special pasture and pairing compatible horses together to produce offspring with realistic color and breed genetics.
StableBound features various competitions, including racing, jumping, dressage, and barrel racing, each with its own challenges and rewards. Players are encouraged to strategically select horses for competitions based on their strengths and abilities. Preliminary competitions lead to a championship event that combines all four disciplines, offering a tougher challenge and the opportunity to unlock new breeds. Progression is based on the bond players form with their horse, represented by hearts with colors of the rainbow. As the bond strengthens, players can unlock spendable additions to stat bars, further enhancing their horse's abilities.
