Getting banned by Steam and Epic has made HORSES a best-seller — but this censorship bodes ill for creativity

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A strange and interesting story is gaining attention in the gaming world: HORSES, a new indie horror game. Developed by Santa Ragione (the team behind the popular 2023 visual novel, Mediterranea Inferno), the game puts you in the role of a worker at a creepy horse farm hiding some disturbing secrets.

Just before its release this Tuesday, the game HORSES gained attention because of news that it had been banned from Steam in 2023. Steam is the largest PC gaming platform, and the game’s developers say they never received a clear explanation for the ban, nor has Steam offered to reconsider.

Just before the deadline, the Epic Games Store contacted Santa Ragione to confirm they were also removing the game HORSES from their store. They explained this was due to an Adult-Only rating, which Epic doesn’t allow. However, the game’s developers say the age rating process was actually finished five weeks before release, and it received an 18 rating from PEGI and an M rating from ESRB.

Honestly, it just kept getting worse for the developers. Even Humble, another place to buy the game, pulled it from their store too. The team at Santa Ragione told PC Gamer they didn’t get any explanation from Humble, which was especially frustrating because Humble had *previously* said they’d keep selling it after Epic removed it. It felt like a real kick when they changed their minds!

Despite the bans, there’s been one positive outcome as a researcher I’ve observed: a ‘Streisand effect’ is at play. The news of the bans actually seems to be *driving* players to purchase and support HORSES on platforms like GOG and itch.io, where it’s still available. In fact, it’s currently the top-selling game on both of those platforms.

The game’s success is now critical for the studio’s survival. Steam’s decision to ban the game caused external publishers to stop working with Santa Ragione, leaving them reliant on unstable private funding to complete it. The developer also states that Steam wouldn’t provide keys for their earlier game, Saturnalia, which they hoped to use in bundles to ease their financial difficulties.

Okay, so everyone’s wondering why the game HORSES got pulled from Steam, Epic, and Humble Bundle, right? I’ve been digging through everything I could find, and two things from the rejection notice Steam sent to the developers really jumped out at me. Basically, Steam made it clear they won’t allow anything that *looks* like it depicts sexual content involving a minor, even if that wasn’t the developer’s intention. And even more strongly, they said this app is completely banned – no resubmissions, even with changes, will be accepted. It’s pretty straightforward, but a bit shocking to see it laid out like that.

Santa Ragione maintains that HORSES doesn’t break the policy in question. The game originally included a scene with a child riding on the shoulders of one of its ‘horses’ – which are actually naked, enslaved humans wearing horse masks – but this was quickly altered to show an adult instead.

The studio insists the scene isn’t sexual, clarifying that while the show, *HORSES*, includes some sexual themes, its purpose isn’t to be arousing. They emphasize it focuses on building tension rather than explicit erotic content.

However, because Valve also stated it won’t reconsider its decision or accept any appeals, its ruling is definitive. Unless Valve changes its position, the game won’t be released on Steam.

Epic Games removed the game due to what it described as “explicit or frequent depictions of sexual behavior” and the promotion of “abuse and animal abuse.” However, the developer, Santa Ragione, argues that the game doesn’t contain these elements, explaining that nudity is fully pixelated and the story actually offers a critical look at violence and abuse. Humble Bundle hasn’t publicly explained why it also removed the game.

Steam and Epic’s decision bodes ill for creativity

I get why Steam initially banned the game HORSES due to its controversial scene with the young girl – that’s probably the main reason. However, their refusal to even look at changes the developers made or consider any appeals is really unreasonable. And Epic Games pulling the game from their store at the last minute was equally strange.

As a researcher observing the PC gaming landscape, I’m struck by how inflexible the policies of major platforms like Steam and Epic Games Store are becoming. This inflexibility sends a worrying message to developers – that taking creative risks with their game’s themes and ideas could be financially devastating. Given Steam’s dominance in the market, many indie developers simply can’t afford to challenge these restrictions, and we’re already seeing the consequences, as exemplified by the recent financial difficulties of Santa Ragione.

It’s disheartening that games are judged by different, and often stricter, rules than movies or TV shows. This is especially unhelpful right now, as concerns about censorship are growing – payment companies are already asking game developers to remove certain content, or risk losing access to platforms like Steam.

As a researcher following this situation, I’m hoping Steam, Epic, and Humble will reconsider their positions, but I’m not optimistic. Fortunately, players can still find HORSES for $4.99 on GOG, and it’s also available for purchase on itch.io.

FAQ

What is HORSES?

HORSES is a short, indie horror game lasting around 2-3 hours, developed by Santa Ragione. The game is set on a ranch where the workers are people forced to wear horse masks and perform labor normally done by actual horses. You play as a college student taking a summer job there, and over fourteen days, you’ll face situations that challenge how well you follow orders, whether you’ll go along with what’s happening, and your ability to control your reactions.

Why was HORSES banned from Steam?

The developers report that Steam didn’t fully explain why their game was banned, but Steam’s messages implied the issue was a scene featuring a child on a character’s shoulders. They changed the scene to show an adult instead, and insist the content was never inappropriate. Despite this, Steam has confirmed the ban is permanent.

Where can you buy HORSES?

Despite being removed from Steam, Epic, and Humble stores, the game HORSES is still available for purchase on GOG and itch.io for $4.99. GOG explained their decision to keep the game available, stating they believe players should have the freedom to choose the games they want to play.

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2025-12-04 01:13