SlaugherHorse

Slaughterhorse is, let’s say, my first completed game. I have a huge sentimental attachment to it, and considering my experience and skills at the time, I think it has aged remarkably well.

The idea for this game has a pretty funny origin. It was early in my studies, and we were tasked with creating any game we wanted. During a brainstorming session, it came up that I have a horse (shoutout to Płotka), and that’s where it all started. Someone joked, “Let’s make a game about horses,” another added, “Make it a horror,” everyone laughed, and I was like, “Wait… we’re totally doing this.”

I’ve worked on projects that were better, more interesting, and more challenging, but SlaughterHorse? SlaughterHorse had a vibe—a massive, unforgettable atmosphere. It wasn’t a complicated game, just a simple questline, no combat system, and mostly exploration. But the graphic style and the bizarre combination of horror and horses made everyone fall in love with it.

This strange combination inspired me immensely and led me to draw from a variety of different sources for inspiration. The entire game was practically built around one scene from "Bojack Horseman—The View from Halfway Down". I combined that with a "Fallout" experience of an almost desolate world mixed with "Return of the Obra Dinn" vibe, horse-related quotes, old atmospheric music, and an ever-dark forest we had to traverse. Throughout the game, our main character (horse) constantly experiences flashbacks. Despite being a horse, he’s deeply humanized, even though he doesn’t say a word.

The game ends in a strange way. There were plans to make it even weirder, with the gameplay looping over and over after the ending. It’s not a typical horror game with jumpscares, it’s more unsettling.