Games like Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Steam reviews

What players say

Most reviewers recommend this cute horse-girl racing game for its characters, racing stories and training loop, but warn that RNG and gacha pulls are harsh.

Many players enjoy the cute character designs, the short animated stories behind each horse girl and the training runs, where every career feels different. Several say the historical links to real racehorses drew them into horse racing itself. The main complaints concern the gacha: pity systems that do not carry over between banners, heavy reliance on random rolls in training and races, and a daily routine that can take an hour or more. Some free-to-play players say they can still compete, while others describe a plateau where only spending keeps progress going. Recent reviews are more critical of the banner and pull mechanics than the older helpful ones, which focus more on the story and characters.

Who it suits

Players who enjoy cute character stories, horse racing history and roguelike-style training runs, and who can accept random outcomes and gacha pulls.

Who should skip it

Players who dislike gacha systems and random outcomes, or who want a quick game with little daily commitment.

Short vs. long playtime: Players with hundreds of hours more often criticise the banner economy, the plateau for free players and the late-game grind, while newer players mainly praise the characters and the training loop.

Summarised by AI from 77 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.