Open world survival games are everywhere right now, but The Legend of Khiimori is trying something very different. Instead of zombies, futuristic weapons, or massive base building systems, this upcoming survival RPG focuses on life as a courier rider travelling across 13th century Mongolia with only your horse standing between survival and disaster.
Developed by Aesir Interactive and NightinGames, the game recently launched into Early Access on PC and has already started attracting attention for its realistic horse systems, immersive world design, and slower, more methodical gameplay style.
Set during the era of the Mongol Empire, players take on the role of a Yam courier rider tasked with transporting goods and messages across huge stretches of wilderness. The world includes grasslands, snowy mountain regions, deserts, forests, and dangerous wildlife, with weather and terrain playing a major role in every journey.
Unlike most open world games where mounts are little more than fast travel tools, horses are the core of the experience here. Players must feed, clean, train, and bond with their horses while carefully managing stamina, injuries, cargo balance, and even mood systems. Different horses have their own strengths and traits, with breeding and training also playing a large role in progression.
A lot of players have compared the game to Death Stranding, mainly because traversal itself becomes the gameplay loop. Planning safe routes, balancing supplies, avoiding harsh weather, and making long journeys through isolated landscapes are all central to the experience.
The game also includes horseback archery, hunting, trading, crafting, exploration, and survival mechanics. Wolves, freezing temperatures, steep terrain, and exhaustion can all quickly turn a simple delivery into a dangerous expedition.
Early impressions from players and critics have been largely positive when it comes to the atmosphere and horse realism. Some have even described it as the best horse focused game since Red Dead Redemption 2.
That said, the Early Access version still has rough edges. Performance issues, bugs, missing story content, and optimization problems are among the biggest complaints from current players. The developers have already started releasing hotfixes and updates as they continue building toward the full release.
Even with those issues, The Legend of Khiimori stands out because of how different it feels compared to most modern survival games. It is less about constant action and more about preparation, survival, immersion, and the bond between rider and horse.
For players looking for a slower, more grounded open world experience with a strong focus on realism and exploration, this could end up becoming one of the most interesting survival games to watch over the next year.
