Hi!

Today, in this Behind the Scenes blog, we’re taking you along to show how we prepare for the Winter Celebration event. For most of you, the festive excitement probably starts in November, but we actually begin, believe it or not, in the summer!

What is the Winter Celebration Event?

The Winter Celebration Event is the biggest event on My Horsez! It runs from 1 to 24 December. During this event, there is often an advent calendar: every day you can open a box on the event page. These boxes can contain anything: an item, a task, a hint, or something else entirely!

During the event, you are divided into teams. Every weekend there is a group challenge: in this challenge, you and your team try to score as many points as possible! You won’t know your team’s final score until the end of the event, although you can often get a little insight from the indicator image on the event page. These challenges can be anything! You might have to create Christmas decorations, knit blankets, etc.

There is usually a theme running through the entire event: last year, the teams rescued mysterious horses from the forests of Solovo. Those group challenges involved gathering clues, discovering the horses’ locations, and creating aid packages for them.

We often combine the season with a cool update too, such as a new breed or other additions to the game.

All in all: during the Winter Celebration Event, you can expect something fun every day! And the best part is the cosy atmosphere in the game. Because you work in teams, you have to communicate a lot, and all the team chat clubs are pleasantly busy! Everyone is super motivated to get the highest scores in the team events. This really makes the Winter Celebration Event the most special and most fun event on My Horsez.

The preparations

At the start of the year, we already begin planning all events broadly: which events do we want to run this year, when will they take place, and how long will they last? All these general plans are added to our annual schedule. In the summer, we usually begin developing the detailed plan for the Winter Celebration Event. We look back at the previous year: what did players enjoy, what did they enjoy less? What do we think is important, and what is feasible? This is how we try to improve each year.

We also come up with a fun theme: what will everyone be doing this time? And which cool update will we combine it with? What will the teams be called? Which items shall we give away? And so on..!

'The making of'

First, we brainstorm thoroughly, and once the plan is finalised, all tasks are assigned! Many team members are involved. UI/UX designer Vulpes drafts the plan and sends it to CEO Marlinda for review. Based on this, some revisions are made, and then the plan is completed.

We then organise a kickoff meeting to ensure everyone clearly understands their tasks:
- The artists know who will create which artwork
- The developers know what they need to build
- The tester knows what needs to be tested
- The operations team member ensures newsletters, banners, items, timers, etc. are all set up
- The community manager makes sure the moderators are informed, the team captains are selected, etc.

We go through this process together; everyone complements each other well, and we work closely to bring the Winter Celebration Event to life.
Once the tester finally gives the green light, validation takes place, where the UI/UX designer checks whether everything matches the plan. When everything is finished, Marlinda prepares the update (secretly) for release. And then… it’s time to wait until 1 December! And of course, it’s always a bit exciting to see whether everything goes as expected, or whether we need to make some last-minute adjustments.

The final sprint

Secretly, we’re often still very busy at the last moment with the final preparations: creating the last items you can win, the final test rounds, and so on. December always arrives faster than you expect! And every year we try to deliver an amazing event, while all other work continues as normal. And of course, we also want to launch new content and updates. The months leading up to (and during) the Winter Celebration are incredibly busy for our team. There are so many events in a row! Animal Day, MH Anniversary, Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s…

By January, we usually need a moment to recover, and we’re glad we still have some time before Valentine’s & Easter. :-)


A small teaser of what’s coming in this year’s Winter Celebration Event.

We’re already looking forward to it!

Are you excited too? We wish you lots of fun and of course plenty of cosy moments in the Winter Celebration chat clubs!

Is this your first Winter Celebration Event? Do you have any questions? Or perhaps experienced players have some tips for new members! What has been your favourite Winter Celebration Event so far?

PS. We love giving mini teasers about the event, so make sure to keep an eye on the socials and notifications!