One of the more bizarre stories in gaming news right now is that of HORSES, a new indie horror game from developer Santa Ragione about working at an unsettling horse farm with some dark secrets over the summer (you may know of the studio from 2023's well-received visual novel Mediterranea Inferno, among other titles).
In the days leading up to its release on Tuesday this week, HORSES began making headlines when the news that Steam — Valve's PC gaming platform, and the biggest PC gaming storefront in the world by a large margin — banned it in 2023 began to circulate across the web. The developers claim Steam never provided them with detailed reasoning for the ban, and has refused to elaborate or reconsider its decision.
So, what's actually going on here? Why was HORSES banned from Steam, Epic, and Humble? After combing through all the information available to the public, two snippets from Steam's review sent to the developers stand out: "Regardless of a developer’s intentions with their product, we will not distribute content that appears, in our judgment, to depict sexual conduct involving a minor," and "This app has been banned and cannot be reused. Re-submissions of this app, even with modifications, will not be accepted."
Santa Ragione argues that no part of HORSES violates this policy, though it used to have a scene with a clothed child riding on the shoulders of one of the "horses" — in-game, the "horses" on its farm locale are naked, enslaved humans wearing horse masks — that was quickly changed to feature an adult instead.
The studio maintains that "The scene is not sexual in any way," and explains that while HORSES "does contain some sexual elements, the intent is never to arouse," and that "It is about tension, not erotic content."
But due to the second part of Valve's statement in which it makes its intent to rebuff any revisions or appeals clear, its judgement is ultimately final, and the game will never come to Steam unless it changes its mind.
As for the reason behind Epic's takedown, its own statement to the devs notes "explicit or frequent depictions of sexual behavior," along with the promotion of "abuse and animal abuse." Santa Ragione says neither are present, with nudity "completely censored via pixelation" and a story that serves as "a strong critique of violence and abuse in general." Humble's reasoning for its ban is unknown.
Steam and Epic's decision bodes ill for creativity
While I can understand Steam's initial choice to ban HORSES for its original scene with the young girl (this is by far the most likely explanation), the fact that it refused to consider revisions or appeals from the developers is frankly ridiculous, and Epic's own last-minute delisting is just as absurd.
It's ham-fisted rigidity from two of the biggest PC gaming platforms in the world, and a signal to studios that getting experimental with the themes and concepts of their projects is a massive risk. And because of the near-monopoly that Steam has over the market, it's one many indie devs can't afford to contend with. Santa Ragione's financial troubles are a clear example of that.
It's a sad reminder that games, as an artform, are still held to confusing, unreasonable standards compared to film and TV — and it's exactly what we don't need right now, with fears of censorship already being stoked by payment processors requesting that games with certain types of content be taken down, lest they stop working with Steam and other vendors.
I sincerely hope Steam, Epic, and Humble all reconsider, though I'm not exactly holding my breath. Regardless, HORSES is available for $4.99 at GOG now, with the game also selling on itch.io.
FAQ
What is HORSES?
HORSES is a short 2-3 hour-long indie horror game from Santa Ragione about a ranch where the "horses" are slaves wearing horse masks and being made to perform work that horses would do. It puts you in the shoes of a college student that goes to the farm to work over the summer, and "Over the course of fourteen days, it welcomes you into encounters that test your obedience, complicity, and restraint."
Why was HORSES banned from Steam?
The devs say Steam never gave a detailed answer for this, though the platform's communication to them strongly suggested it was because of a scene in which a minor is riding on the shoulders of one of the "horses." The scene was changed to depict an adult instead, and Santa Ragione maintains that it was never sexual in nature. Steam, however, has made it clear the ban is permanent.
Where can you buy HORSES?
While Steam, Epic, and Humble have all banned HORSES, the game is still available to purchase for $4.99 on both GOG and itch.io. GOG put out a statement about the recent takedowns: "We’re proud to give HORSES a home on GOG, giving players another way to enjoy the game. We’ve always believed that players should be able to choose the experiences that speak to them."
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