What to Know
- Horses, developed by Santa Ragione, was banned from Steam and the Epic Store.
- Despite the ban, it has still sold more than 18,000 copies through other sources.
- Santa Ragione has criticised Valve's unclear moderation policies and calls for transparency.
- The ban has led to discussions about content regulation and censorship.
Horses, the indie horror game, has sold over 18,000 copies as per Santa Ragione. The game was banned from both Epic Games Store and Steam two weeks ago, before its launch. However, the sales are not enough for a new game's funding. Though it was enough to pay back loans and royalties.
The numbers were announced through a press release by Santa Ragione, "Horses has generated approximately $65,000 in net revenue thanks to sales on GOG and Humble. That was enough to pay royalties owed to creator Andrea Lucco Borlera, as well as pay off the loans the publisher took out to finish development."
The collected amount is not enough to work on a new game, and it seems unlikely that it will be achieved due to the game's controversy. The team members are exploring other opportunities, hoping that the publisher may be able to fund a new project in future.
The publisher added, "While the launch of HORSES compares very favourably to our most recent launches on Steam, Steam’s economics rely heavily on multi-year long tail sales and, for our past projects, on Steam key distribution through bundles, which has also lately been restricted for low-selling titles. These structural differences are why a strong two week result on smaller storefronts does not tell us what a full Steam release could have looked like."
Horses is a horror game in which you work on a farm. You will discover that the horses are naked humans with horse masks. The game is themed around complexity and the horrors people are willing to explore. The game is filled with images of violence and sexual content.
Steam banned the game after an in-progress prototype was submitted. No suggestions were shared with the team, nor was an opportunity to appeal given. Sanat Ragione believes that a scene from an earlier version, where a child rode on one of the naked hores may be the reason. The final version does not have any underage individuals.
With Valve unbending, Ragione has admitted that it may be closing doors due to the Steam release necessities to recoup developmental costs. Epic also banned the game minutes before the launch as it violates its policies on "inappropriate content" and "hateful or abusive content."
The only hopes for the publisher are GOG and Humble. Many developers and audience members termed the ban as hypocritical, given the other similar content that is available on Steam. Ragione also called out Valve for having unclear policies and poor communication.
Ragione stated, "We also want to emphasize that this outcome should not distract from the broader issue at stake: the need for clearer rules, transparent processes, and meaningful accountability from near monopolistic distribution platforms and the systems they enforce. For every case like HORSES that becomes visible, there are many more games that are quietly banned, delisted, or trapped in indefinite review for unclear reasons, with developers too worried about retaliation or future approval to speak publicly. We are grateful to the journalists and outlets who have reported, and who will continue to report, on these cases."
Overall, the horses have received a critical response from many sources. Ragione has a history with popular games. Their recent game, Mediterranea Inferno won Excellence in Narrative at the Independent Games Festival, 2024. It also receives nominations for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and Nuovo Award. Saturnalia is another game that mostly received positive reviews.
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