- Platform Purge: Both Epic Games and Steam have refused to list the Italian indie title Horses, citing policy violations.
- The Content Gap: Developers claim they were never given specific reasons for the ban, while platforms point to “inappropriate content.”
- Viral Defiance: Despite being barred from the biggest stores, the game has sold 18,000 copies on GOG and itch.io.
- Artistic Merit: Critics argue the game is “A24-style horror” and that the censorship is an overreach by a duopoly.
The ongoing saga surrounding Santa Ragione’s surreal horror game Horses has reached a fever pitch. As of early 2026, the game remains a ghost on the industry’s two largest storefronts, sparking a heated debate about where “artistic expression” ends and “unmarketable taboo” begins.
The Corporate Wall: “Does Not Fit Our Policy”
In a recent interview with Game File, Epic Games Vice President Steve Allison defended the decision to pull the game just 24 hours before its scheduled launch in December 2025.
“After reviewing the game internally, we determined it violated several points of our core content policy,” Allison stated.
While Epic generally permits AO (Adults Only) ratings for blockchain titles, its traditional gaming standards remain opaque. Steam followed suit with a similar ban, though neither platform provided a public “AO” certification or a itemized list of required changes.
The Developer’s Counter: “A Silent Death Sentence”
Pietro Righi Riva, Studio Director at Santa Ragione, has been vocal about the “black box” of platform moderation. He claims the studio offered to censor specific scenes—including adding heavy pixelation to all nudity—but was met with silence.
“Epic made claims about the game’s content that were factually incorrect,” Riva posted on social media. “We appealed within 28 minutes, proving there was no animal cruelty or non-consensual sexual content, but the door remained shut.”
Inside the Nightmare: What is Horses?
Horses is a two-hour, first-person psychological horror journey. Set in a haunting black-and-white world reminiscent of 1920s silent cinema, it follows a student named Anselmo working on a remote farm.
| Element | Description |
| Visual Style | 1.33:1 aspect ratio, monochrome, silent-film title cards. |
| The Core Hook | A surreal farm where naked people wearing horse masks are treated as livestock. |
| Themes | Family trauma, authoritarianism, and the loss of individual identity. |
| Controversy | A scene where a child asks to “ride a horse” and is seen atop a naked adult woman. |
Critics at Kotaku and other outlets have noted that while the imagery is deeply unsettling, it is “no more graphic than a high-end arthouse horror film.”
Success in the Shadows
Despite—or perhaps because of—the controversy, Horses has found its audience. By bypassing the gatekeepers, Santa Ragione has proven there is a market for “uncomfortable” art.
- Total Sales (as of Dec 2025): 18,000+ Units
- Net Revenue: $65,000 USD
- Primary Platforms: GOG, itch.io, and direct sales.
While $65,000 was enough to pay off development debts, Riva admits that being off Steam is a “massive blow to potential growth.” For most indie devs, a Steam ban is a financial death sentence.
The Final Word: Who Decides What We Play?
The Horses incident highlights a dangerous precedent: the “Self-Censorship Loop.” When Steam and Epic (who control over 80% of the PC market) refuse a game without clear, actionable feedback, they effectively tell creators to stop taking risks.
As gaming matures into a respected artistic medium alongside literature and film, it must be allowed to explore the grotesque and the challenging. If we only allow “safe” content on our largest stages, the medium may never truly grow up.
