Umamusume: Pretty Derby

There are so many things going for Umamusume: Pretty Derby! Despite its off-the-wall premise, it has engaging story sequences with memorable characters, well-built roguelite mechanics, and above-average production values for a mobile game. It also helps that the races the game revolves around are always a thrill to watch! This quality is sadly marred by sluggish progression and an awful gacha system that is less consumer friendly than its contemporaries. But at the end of the day, it’s a free game meant to be played over a prolonged period and the foundation surrounding its monetary system is sturdily built. The fact I’ve already invested over 40 hours into it is proof of this! If you were like me and dismissed the game just off the premise alone, give it a try; you might just end up as a fan!

Uma Musume offers a surprisingly solid and exciting simulator of horse races, if instead of animals it featured anime girls with horse ears. Clever use of its systems lets you beat the career mode even without paying. However, if you want to pull the best horse girl, she may cost you more than an actual living horse.

[D]on't even think about condemning this star runner to the glue factory like most judgmental folks. This steed's a clear winner in the video game F2P pony show. Just make sure Lady Luck be kind to you; the RNG can get brutal at times.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby has finally launched in the West to strong fan acclaim. While it remains a gacha game at its core, the content speaks for itself, and you do not need to rely on the gacha systems to enjoy it. With its engaging gameplay, heartfelt storytelling, and charming cast of characters, it’s a game that can easily keep you hooked for hours on end.

The bottom line of it all is that Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is fun, despite the repetitiveness and some smudges. Yes, at face value, you’re managing horse girls with names lifted from real-life racing legends like Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and T.M. Opera O, but under that oddball concept is a fun sports management game. It’s the kind of experience that sounds ridiculous when you try to explain it to your friends—believe me, I tried—but quickly snowballs into something that’s hard to put down the moment you actually start playing, which, in my case, translated to me spending literal hours glued to my PC and phone, looking up guides, micromanaging stats, and watching gloriously over-the-top race cutscenes that had no business being as hype as they are.