IMHO.

Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition vs Hobby Horse: First Ride

Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition and Hobby Horse: First Ride both land in Simulation, Racing on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Simulation, Racing on Steam. Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition (2020) is 6 years older than Hobby Horse: First Ride (2026). Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (93.3% positive) than Hobby Horse: First Ride (88.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition

Choose Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition if you want a Sports and Strategy game with Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 3,438 Steam reviews back the pick.

Choose Hobby Horse: First Ride

Choose Hobby Horse: First Ride if you want an Indie, Free To Play, and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Hobby Horse: First Ride launched in 2026.

Both Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition and Hobby Horse: First Ride sit in Simulation and Racing on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

Side-by-side comparison

Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition vs Hobby Horse: First Ride — Steam metadata comparison
Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition — Steam game coverRival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop EditionHobby Horse: First Ride — Steam game coverHobby Horse: First Ride
Released20202026
GenresSports, Strategy, Simulation, RacingIndie, Simulation, Free To Play, Casual, Racing
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedDeck Unsupported
Price29.99 USDFree to play
Steam reviews93.3% positive (3,438 reviews)88.5% positive (26 reviews)
MultiplayerMulti-playerSingle-player only
DevelopersPikPokGames Incubator

Side by side

Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition vs Hobby Horse: First Ride — FAQ

Should I play Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition or Hobby Horse: First Ride first?
If you want chronology, Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition (2020) came out before Hobby Horse: First Ride (2026). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
Are Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition and Hobby Horse: First Ride similar?
They overlap on Simulation, Racing on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
Does Hobby Horse: First Ride have multiplayer like Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition?
No. Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Hobby Horse: First Ride is listed as single-player only.
Is Hobby Horse: First Ride free?
Yes — Hobby Horse: First Ride is a free-to-play Steam title. Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition is paid (29.99 USD).
Rival Stars Horse Racing: Desktop Edition vs Hobby Horse: First Ride · imho.run