According to The Verge, the indie horror game Horses was banned from the Epic Games Store on December 2nd, just hours before its planned launch. This followed a preemptive ban from Steam two years prior in 2023 and a subsequent removal from the Humble store a day after it finally launched. The developer, Santa Ragione, known for the acclaimed Saturnalia, claims these storefronts have cited violations of sexual content policies but have refused to give specific, actionable feedback on what needs to be changed. The studio says the Steam ban two years ago “completely erased” its ability to find a publisher, and now, the combination of debt and lost storefronts has created a “completely unsustainable financial situation” that will likely force the studio to shut down unless Horses is a hit.
The Opaque Ban Hammer
Here’s the thing that’s so frustrating about this story. It’s not really about whether Horses is too edgy or not. The game’s own website has a massive, detailed content warning listing everything from sexual assault to torture. The issue is the complete lack of clarity from the platforms. Steam apparently banned an early demo build that featured a controversial scene with a father, a daughter, and a naked woman in a horse mask. The developers changed that character to a “twenty-something woman” for the final game. But according to their detailed FAQ, Steam never explained the ban, denied all appeals, and only issued a generic statement to gamedeveloper.com two years later.
And Epic’s move is even weirder. They had the final, “achievements-ready” build for two months and approved it 18 days before launch. Then, hours before release, they pull the plug, vaguely citing content policies. The game is rated Mature by the ESRB, not Adults Only, and that rating is still on its Epic store page. So what changed? It feels like corporate risk-aversion spiking at the last second because the game was getting attention. As Santa Ragione put it, they believe Steam (and by extension, others) keeps policies “opaque so it does not have to stand by clear rules.” That’s a powerful accusation.
A Survival Story With Few Options
This isn’t just about one weird game. It’s about the immense power these digital storefronts wield over independent studios. A ban from Steam isn’t just a rejection; it’s a death sentence in the eyes of publishers. Santa Ragione managed to scramble and find other homes like GOG and Itch.io, but let’s be real. None have the market reach of Steam or even Epic. Epic’s last-minute ban was a massive blow because it was their last shot at a semi-major platform.
So where does that leave a studio? Basically, begging for transparency. They’ve been publicly documenting this saga, trying to apply pressure. But when a platform like Epic can point to its content guidelines and a ban is final, what recourse is there? The financial reality is brutal. They funded the rest of the game through friends’ investments, and now they need it to sell well on niche storefronts to survive. That’s a terrifying position.
What This Means For Indie Horror
Look, indie horror often pushes boundaries. That’s its thing. The genre explores uncomfortable themes through interactivity. But this case sets a chilling precedent. If a studio with a track record like Santa Ragione can get blacklisted across multiple stores based on unclear, seemingly shifting standards, what chance does anyone have? It creates a climate of fear and self-censorship.
Will other developers now avoid certain themes altogether, just in case? Probably. And that’s a loss for creative expression in games. The platforms hold all the cards. They can, as this shows, change their minds at the eleventh hour with zero explanation. For an industry that relies on these storefronts, that’s an unsustainable and frankly scary way to operate. The game is still out there, and the reviews are positive. But the damage to the studio might already be done. This fight is about more than just Horses; it’s about whether indie developers can ever have a clear, consistent set of rules to play by.
