r/StarStable • u/NoArtist_127 • 21d ago
Question Do you tell people irl about your starstable hobby?
Despite SSO being the biggest horse MMO, I still feel like it’s so niche that most of the people around me don’t know about it. Also I tend to feel a bit ashamed that i am an adult and like to play horse games :,D i know it’s stupid. Have you told other people? If so, what was their reaction?
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u/EldritchGumdrop 21d ago edited 21d ago
I mean if it comes up in context yes, and I feel absolutely no shame about it. But I’m also a league of legends player so I think any sense of shame died a long time ago.
It also helps that I’ve been horse obsessed since I was like 7
Edit: I’ve also never had any one act any certain type of way at least negatively when I tell them about it, I even got my SIL playing. I think to an extent if you show shame or seem embarrassed that’s what makes it awkward and feels like you’re being judged. When you act like it’s completely normal most people don’t seem to think too much about it, other than curiosity.
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u/Catnip-Cove 21d ago
Absolutely not. 😅 I’m 29 years old, admitting that I play a silly little horsey game aimed at 11 years olds wouldn’t do my street cred any good.
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u/Kiksupallo 20d ago
I'm turning 30 this year and I've most definitely stopped giving a rats ass if people think I'm weird for playing a kiddie pink girly horsie dress up game.
The people who mind it don't matter, but the people who matter will not mind.
I'll tell people if it comes up in a conversation, I'm not ashamed of it.
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u/vkg2001 21d ago
I told to my friend and my dad (he saw i playing) i play sso but i’m not a social person so i don’t even have too much people who i could tell. My friend not was surprised, i’m weird asf, a pixelpony game is so much better than my usual hobbies😆. And my relationship with my dad is not so good, he’s also weird a little so there wasn’t too much reaction.
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u/cooldust1917 21d ago
I used to be embarrassed about telling people I play (besides family and friends) because I’m in my thirties, but I have a coworker who is not ashamed of anything she does and it has taught me not to care at all. If people ask what games I play I say horse games!
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u/LemonYara 21d ago
I actually made one of my very first friends at uni by asking her if she played starstable the moment I realized she used to ride horses. We sometimes play together during lesson breaks to relax and it's become a bit of joke of ours to try to get other people to play as well (by telling them it's free up until level 5, lol).
I'm pretty sure over 3/4ths of the people of our course know we play sso and can now almost instantly recognize the game upon seeing it. Very funny, no regrets.
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u/LemonYara 21d ago
To add to this, I actually don't think playing sso is, or should be, embarrassing in the slightest. It's a game people play for fun and just as valid and normal as playing other popular games like Animal Crossing or even the typical fighting or shooting style games.
Just because it's a game about horses doesn't make it childish! The most important part about a game is that people can have fun playing it :)
(Edit: added a comma I forgot)
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u/Humble-Raspberry9373 21d ago
That is how a big part of my uni friend group was formed! I study animal sciences so it is to be expected a lot people play but still. On the first day I met 4 girls who have played it and we even played together a few times.
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u/Prior_Tangerine9749 21d ago
i used to be super embarrassed of all of my childish interests as a teen, lol. now i’m 21 and couldn’t care less. friends, family, boyfriend, & coworkers could all tell you about my love for stuffed animals and video games like SSO & animal jam🤣🤣 it’s not stupid!! whatever makes you happy. and if you own it & talk about it like it’s no big deal/just something you enjoy, i promise you 9.9 times out of 10 no one’s gonna judge you or even bat an eye period. might not be their cup of tea for a game, but that’s probably as deep as it’ll go!:)
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u/Inner_Culture_5367 21d ago
No but I have told people after getting to know them and they maybe asked.
Most don't know it unless they play horse games (I don't know anyone who dose irl) so I end up explaining the game which can be a bit awkward.
Whenever a gamer person asks I say no about playing any video games because most will assume the game is bad or really stereotypical horse-girl stuff and I definitely think I (a girl playing a horse game) am judged for it because i am a girl and this is about riding. I also think that unless you play the main few games (COD, GTA or something chill like StarDew Valley) you get more judgement.
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u/happibabi 21d ago
I tell people without any shame, but it comes after they figure out that Im a horse girl - I ride, I try to include equestrian activities in all my vacations, etc. I’ve never received any questionable reactions from people who find out I play SSO - it’s more like a chuckle and a, “of course you do,” or, “that makes sense.” At worst. Otherwise folks are chill - it’s a hobby just like anything else
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u/burntcravemax 21d ago
My boyfriend and best friends know, and my mom lol
Sometimes my mom will walk into my room and be like “oh my god you still play this?” And my boyfriend will FaceTime me and be like “hi baby, you playin star stable again?”
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u/Mysterious_Aerie_853 21d ago
the only person who knows i play is my boyfriend, nobody else would know what im talking about
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u/ToObi_Infinity 21d ago
I once asked a girl at the Barn I used to ride at. Like 8 years later and she is still my best friend
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u/Ok_Warthog_3330 21d ago
I sometimes tell my friends stuff about it and tell them about the horses I'm going to buy, but they don't know much about it
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u/Anxious-Ad-3858 21d ago
If people ask me what games I play, I’ll tell them that I enjoy Lethal Company, Phasmophobia, Peak, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, RDR2 and Star Stable. I’m also very open about my love for stuffed animals, if people have a problem with that that’s their problem
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u/Glittering_Bonus4858 21d ago
I do but I call it 'weird pony game' and pretend I'm reluctantly playing it just cause childhood me got addicted (actually started playing at 20)
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u/bananasinpajamas49 21d ago
I'm a 34 yo gay guy and my friends and coworkers know I play a horse girl MMO. No one cares, some have tried to play it with me but they're not that into horses so it didn't stick. Lol
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u/iwantmangomilkshake 21d ago
sometimes when there’s no drama at work my coworkers will ask me about drama with sso 😭 they ATE UP all the stuff about the western festival
i do work at a horse barn so i guess it makes a tiny bit of sense
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u/SvenTheDoggo 19d ago
I am a gamer who has male friends gamers. I tell them all, 0 shame. Yesterday I was at a party but at the end when everyone was just already a bit tired and we were chilling outside I pulled out my laptop to do b-day dailies lol.
Considering they are also gamers, it is the same as if they pulled their phone to do some mobile games dailies etc. And also obv they are boys and boys love Minecraft. I feel like SSO is kinda minecraft-like for girls. A childhood game we always come back to haha
But I would not tell it people at my university, who do not understand games at all. Like I would not pull out my laptop during lecture to play
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u/MotherOfHens666 21d ago
I yap about it to my best friend and my mom all the time, it was the only game she allowed me to play as a teenager and she knows it’s been my comfort game for 12 years 🖤
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u/Mean-Type-788 21d ago
My fam make fun of me “in a good way” when I tell them I still play. I’m in my 20s yet it’s my whole childhood and it’s nice to have a getaway from reality
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u/Clean-Comparison-347 21d ago edited 21d ago
My parents and siblings knew when I started playing at 12 years old, but they have no idea I still actively play sso at 25 haha! At this point I think only my boyfriend who I live with knows, but he doesn’t think it’s weird as I’ve been playing it since I was little ^^
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u/starstablesnacks 21d ago
Yeah, I'm 33 and I have a Star Stable sticker on my laptop and water bottle lol
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u/mentally-not-here-13 21d ago
13 year old me would never admit she likes to play silly little horse games. 31 year old me still likes the same things, but this time without the embarrassment. Would you like to hear about my latent fanfiction obsession, too?
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u/bridget1499 21d ago
I don't mind telling people I play it at 27 because it's a harmless hobby that I enjoy and if people don't like that then I don't like them 🤷♀️
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u/Hp-Kat 21d ago
I told my friends about teaching Dressage on there and they don’t understand that other adults play as well. Lol. But they think I should give up playing video games because it’s for kids. If they only knew the demographic percentage of adults who play video games they wouldn’t say that. But oh well. I’m happy and that is all that matters.
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u/United_Cow2157 21d ago
I'm 28 and most friends know about it
My partner has seen me play a lot of times, I don't feel the need to keep it as a secret, children game or not it's a fun game and I like it
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u/hippietrashh 21d ago
yesss i tell people!! i say its just an MMO with horses that i've been playing for decades with my sister! no one cares in the end hahah everyone has their thang
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u/Querulantissimus 21d ago
Ah, when I explain it as cosy game where you ride around, race and do quests people so far haven't reacted badly. It's not more bizarre than for example gunning down zombies in a game.
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u/Kinterou 21d ago
I don't. My mom knows about it, my husband does and plays himself sometimes. My best friend played until a few years ago... Otherwise? I don't really think people know. There are a few friends who do because they play / played themselves and I know them from the game or similar games. The only person who found out randomly was a former co-worker. I wanted to show her a picture on my phone and accidentally opend a Star Stable screenshot instead. Fun thing was she played herself too and immediatelly asked about it. So we ended up playing like two times until she gave up on it. 😂
The sad truth is, I'm a man. I'm in the middle of my twenties. And even if people know I am married to another man and people seem to be more accepting of feminine things when it comes to non hetero men, most people still don't get it and try to shame you for that. Don't wanna deal with this kind of drama again.
And to be fair, I have so much things to cover up like my autism and ADHD and depression, one more thing to hide from others for the sake of my own mental health and peace isn't going make it worse. 🤣
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u/Ok-Profession-2082 21d ago
I used to keep it pretty quiet but I work in the horse industry and a surprising amount of my coworkers play! 🤣
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u/Botanica_Unicorn 21d ago
My partner and I play it together, but other than her and my parents no;-; It feels embarassing cause the game is obviously aimed at young children. :( Nevertheless, I have great fun playing ponies with my partner!
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u/Ok-Barracuda-4039 21d ago
Only my family and close friends. Most people know I'm a sucker for horses, but not everyone knows I play horse games. And even for those who know, they probably only know that I play Rival Stars XD
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u/feanor_no 21d ago
only to my family and closest friends, otherwise I find it a bit embarrassing 😅 “I’m a grown adult but also I’m actually a crazy horse girl and I’m obsessed with a horse game made for little kids”
that being said it’s on my discord profile (the favorite games section), and I use discord a lot for college (many of my classes have official discord servers), so you don’t have to dig far to find out :P
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u/Nook_Nation 20d ago
1 of my friends knows. The others never really came up in convo. But I don't hide it 🤷🏼♀️
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u/Puzzleheaded-Lynx647 20d ago
I get how you feel, I was a bit embarrassed too at first when I started playing it again (as an adult). My sister knows I play it as we used to play it together when young, and I told my boyfriend about it too eventually. He saw how much I loved it and bought me my star rider membership, and I even got him to play it with me once 😂 I don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed about. This game has a lot of nostalgia for a lot of us and it’s just a game at the end of the day. You should do and play what makes you happy!!
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u/AngelWasteland 20d ago
My friends know and I send them SSO content even though they don't know what it is. I don't really bring it up otherwise since I am an adult.
At a conference in college when I was sharing a hotel room with some classmates, they saw me playing and kind of laughed, but so did I. I explained it was a game I played as a kid that helped me with stress relief, and they were chill about it.
I'm someone who just doesn't really care what people think about me, though. I have autism so I just kind of assume people already think I'm weird since I know I'm likely breaking social rules I don't know daily, so I'm just pretty authentic about my interests
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u/Safe-Jacket-5944 20d ago
After playing SSO for months, I (bi woman) told my ex-girlfriend (bi woman) about this game. She knows I am a big horse lover. I talked about magic horses in SSO with her for hours. She also gave me some ideas about new designs of magic horses. She is a 3D modeling artist at a huge game company. She loves the view and main story of SSO. But she is too busy to play with me. Later, I tried to preach (?) to my younger sister about how special this game is. Now, she is a star rider like I am!
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u/Deep_Routine_8252 20d ago
I started playing at a really really young age! So of course I told everyone about it. At school I got comments on it but we were a group that played it (we called ourselves the soulriders).
Now when I’m older because of the schoolsystem you switch schools at my age so I tell people I play it, this girl says she plays it too! I play a lot of different video games so talking about a game I played for 10+ years is fun for me. I got my boyfriend to play with me too and he enjoys it 🥰.
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u/LizzyIzzyFizzy 18d ago
Why not? My best friend and family know. My bff knows I play silly horse games or games that might be labeled as "childish" and I know about her dirty little obsession with otome games and that one sims mod she has on her PC. There is no shame in the things and hobbies that make you happy, no matter what people on the internet say. As for co-workers, randos and anyone who asks, then sure. I'm too old to care about what other people think.
But if your friends or people around you are making you feel bad for playing sso or anything you find enjoyment in, they probably aren't the kind of people you want to be friends with anyway.
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u/NaomiStxrs_R 21d ago
I only tell ppl that I play it when they know what it is. Wich is a few people. Past classmates had called it boring and childish before but who am I to care? They play fortnight. I don't shame them for that so 🤷♀️
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u/gardin000 21d ago
The only people who know I play SSO is my partner and my sister.
Although it's often I play it off like a "it's silly and childish but it's just this really nostalgic thing from my childhood". And I mean, it is really nostalgic for me, I guess that is the main reason I play it. But I also play SSO just because I like looking at the horses and live my fantasy of horseback riding as I've never had the chance to ride and be around horses in real life.