Devlog #14 for 0.3.0.0 - Genetics, Abilities & the Future of Horse Breeding

Here's a breakdown of what we've been working on since the last Devlog:

DNA System Based on Breed Standards Our genetic and coat system is not random. It is built around real-world breed standards and genetic logic. This means that each breed in the game has:

• A defined set of allowed coat colors

• Specific genetic restrictions

• Different probabilities for certain traits

• Visual expressions that reflect the breed’s real-world characteristics

As a result, a Friesian will never behave like a Mustang genetically, and a Fjord will always maintain its distinct visual identity.

Extensive Visual Variation Within Each Color To achieve depth and realism, each base coat color is not treated as a single fixed appearance, but rather as a family of variations.

For example:

1. A standard bay can appear differently depending on hue variation and brightness

2. Genetic overlays further influence the final result

3. Subtle changes in tone and saturation create natural diversity

This ensures that two horses sharing the same base color can still look noticeably different in-game.

A Multi-Layered Genetic Combination System On top of base colors, we have built a layered system of genetic modifiers and patterns that can interact with each other.

This includes:

• Color modifiers such as cream, dun, silver, champagne, pearl, and others

• Progressive genes such as grey and roan

• Body markings including tobiano, sabino, splash white, and overo

• The leopard complex system, which includes multiple outcomes such as snowcap, blanket, few spot, varnish expressions, and more

Overall, this results in hundreds of possible texture and mask combinations, with some systems (such as tobiano and leopard) containing a wide range of internal variations to ensure natural-looking outcomes.

Breed-Based Physical Scaling In addition to coat genetics, a horse’s breed also determines its physical size within the game.

Each breed has a defined height range, meaning:

• Individual horses within the same breed can vary in size

• All variations remain within realistic biological limits

This system ensures that:

• A Quarter Horse always feels compact and athletic

• A Shire maintains its large and heavy presence

• While still allowing individuality between horses of the same breed

Together, these systems create:

• High visual diversity without sacrificing realism

• Genetically coherent horses

• Strong breed identity

• A scalable system that can be expanded without redesigning core logic

Our goal is not only to create a large number of visually distinct horses, but to simulate logically unique individuals that could realistically exist. Every horse in the game is the result of a structured DNA system where:

1. The breed defines the framework

2. Genetics define variation

3. And combinations create individuality

Horse Genetics Overview The Horse Genetics Overview provides a detailed breakdown of your horse’s genetic background and visual traits.

On the left side, a pie chart displays the horse’s breed composition, showing exactly how the different breeds are distributed in percentages. Beneath the chart, each breed contribution is listed individually, allowing players to clearly understand the horse’s lineage and genetic makeup.

With all this being done we have also made the groundwork for the future breeding system witch we know everyone is really excited about!

The New Horse Ability System

1. Mount Card

We reworked the Mount Card visually while keeping all important information easily accessible. Clicking the card now opens a dropdown menu that displays all horses you currently own, allowing you to quickly select and manage them directly inside the Horse Manager.

2. Star Chart

The Star Sign now serves as the new Ability System and fully replaces the previous one. One of the core ideas behind Unbridled was that horses should theoretically be able to become “all-rounders” depending on how much they are trained. Because of this, every horse can now learn abilities from every category instead of being locked into a specific specialization. This creates much more freedom when developing your horse and allows you to shape its strengths through training and activities. More details about abilities can be found further below in this post.

3. Prestige

Prestige defines your horse’s level, status, and overall value. It can be increased by spending a larger amount of Activity Points. Each new Prestige Level grants additional benefits, including an increase in the total number of Ability Slots, allowing your horse to learn more abilities over time.

4. Prestige Frame

The Prestige Frame shows whether your horse is a Hybrid (Bronze), Mix (Silver), or Pure (Gold) horse. Depending on the type, horses start with a different amount of Ability Slots:

• Bronze → fewer slots

• Silver → a moderate amount of slots

• Gold → the highest amount of slots

This gives higher-tier horses the advantage of learning multiple abilities much earlier and becoming more versatile overall.

5. Ability Slots

Every time you unlock or upgrade an ability, one Ability Slot is consumed. If you want your horse to learn additional abilities, you will need to increase its Prestige Level, which unlocks more available Ability Slots.

6. Activities

Activities are the core way of progressing your horse and earning Activity Points. There are 5 different Activity Point categories:

• Bonding

• Agility

• Jumping

• Stamina

• Handling

Activities include almost everything that contributes to your horse’s training and development. By completing these activities regularly, you earn points in their respective categories.

Some example activities include:

• Daily horse grooming

• Lead changes

• Performing jumps

• Logged riding distance

Once a specific activity requirement is completed, the progress resets and can be repeated again to continuously earn more Activity Points.

7. Activity Points

Activity Points are the main resource used to unlock and improve abilities. Each category of points corresponds to a different aspect of horse training:

• Bonding

• Agility

• Jumping

• Stamina

• Handling

Different abilities require different types of Activity Points, encouraging players to actively train their horses in multiple ways instead of focusing on only one activity type.

8. Exchange Points

If you are missing a certain type of Activity Point, you can exchange points from one category into another. However, the exchange is intentionally inefficient, multiple points from one category must be sacrificed in order to receive a single point of a different category. This system is designed to help players stay flexible without completely replacing the need for specific training activities.

Ability Button The Ability Button contains multiple visual indicators that quickly show the current status and progression of an ability.

Ability Icon Each ability has its own unique icon, making it easier to instantly recognize and distinguish abilities from one another.

Ability Category The frame color automatically adapts to the corresponding Ability Category. This allows players to immediately identify which category an ability belongs to. Ability Categories:

• Bonding (Pink)

• Agility (Green)

• Jumping (Orange)

• Stamina (Blue)

• Handling (Red)

This visual system makes navigation faster and helps players quickly understand the focus of each ability at a glance.

Ability Level The star symbols indicate how many times an unlocked ability can be upgraded. Unlocking an ability itself does not count as an upgrade level.

Not all abilities share the same progression system:

• Some abilities can be upgraded multiple times.

• Some abilities have no upgrade levels and can only be unlocked once.

Each level uses its own unique star-dot pattern, allowing players to easily track an ability’s progression visually.

Participate in the Unbridled Community Survey Have your voice heard! Join the Unbridled Community Survey and help us shape the future of the game. Your feedback, ideas, and experiences are incredibly valuable to us as we continue building and improving Unbridled together with the community.

>> Take part now and help influence what comes next! <<

Closing remarks

Everything shown is still a work in progress. Not all features and visuals are 100% finalized, and some elements may change or look different by the time the update is released. If you'd like to stay up to date and be the first to hear all the latest news, we highly recommend joining our Discord server, that's where we share updates first!

As always, you can follow our progress live on our public roadmap:

>> View the public roadmap here <<