The indie horror adventure Horses is finally out, though the path to release has been anything but smooth. Developed by Italian studio Santa Ragione, the game officially launched for PC on December 2, 2025, but notably without support from two of the largest digital storefronts: Steam and Epic Games Store.
What Is Horses And Why It’s So Disturbing
On the surface, Horses presents itself as a dark, psychological horror narrative. Players take on the role of a young man spending a summer working on a secluded farm. Over fourteen in-game days, what begins as mundane chores like feeding, watering, taking care of “horses” gradually morphs into a descent into horror.
The game’s structure blends first-person exploration with full-motion video intermissions, delivering a short but intense experience built on dread, discomfort, and themes of control, complicity, and exploitation.
Bans, Backlash and Release Outside the Mainstream
The release of Horses kicked up a storm. Steam rejected the game in 2023 and upheld the ban, claiming content policy violations, even after the developers revised a scene that reportedly triggered the initial refusal.
As the December 2025 launch approached, Epic also pulled the plug, sending a last-minute ban notice less than 24 hours before the game’s scheduled release. The reason cited: violations of Epic’s “inappropriate content” and “hateful or abusive content” guidelines. For many observers, this appeared like a sudden reversal after earlier approval.
With the two PC gaming giants out, Horses had to find an alternate route, and it did. The game launched via GOG.com, itch.io and Humble Store (with Humble re-listing it after temporary removal). On these platforms, it reportedly quickly climbed bestseller charts, partly fueled by the controversy itself.
What to Expect
Horses is unambiguously meant for a mature audience. The developers explicitly warn that it deals with heavy themes: psychological horror, human suffering, exploitation, disturbing imagery, and a pervasive sense of dread. It’s not a horror-jump-scare fest, but rather a slow-burn psychological descent that asks uncomfortable questions about power, dehumanization, and complicity.
The experience isn’t long — a full playthrough runs roughly three to four hours — but its impact, for many, comes from how it lingers.
And this game has become a flashpoint in an ongoing conversation around censorship, creative expression, and the power of distribution platforms. For a small indie studio like Santa Ragione, platform bans are more than a setback: without Steam or Epic, their potential audience and ability to recoup costs shrinks dramatically.
Yet despite the bans, the game’s apparent success on alternative platforms suggests players are willing to seek out challenging, controversial art even when it’s not easy to get. For horror lovers and fans of bold, provocative games, Horses may well become one of the most talked-about indie horror releases of 2025.
Pavle is the founder of PlayForge and its lead writer and reviewer, covering PC, PS5, and mobile games, a with a focus on RPGs, MMOs, FPS games, and more. He’s been gaming since the PS2 days and now writes in-depth reviews and guides to help players find their next obsession and get gaming insights from real players, not just critics. His reviews are honest and transparent, but he always tries to stay positive, because in his opinion, almost any game can be fun if you look at it the right way.
In his free time, he likes to (obviously) play more games, spend time with his family, theorycraft about various media with his wife, and watch anime. So yes, he’s a complete nerd, even if he’ll never admit it.