Epic Games Store followed suit a week later, while Humble Store briefly pulled the game before reinstating it.
The bans have only fueled curiosity. Horses now tops charts on alternative platforms like itch.io and GOG, proving that controversy can sometimes act as its own marketing engine. Yet, the question lingers, what exactly prompted these high profile removals?
Santa Ragione is no stranger to experimentation, having previously delivered acclaimed titles like MirrorMoon EP and Saturnalia. With Horses, the studio dives headfirst into dark and unsettling territory.
A content warning greets players upfront, noting that the game contains physical violence, psychological abuse, gory imagery, depiction of slavery, torture, domestic abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and misogyny.
The story centers on Anselmo, a 20 year old Italian sent to work on a remote farm for the summer a setup that quickly takes a sinister turn. The ‘horses’ of the title are not animals at all but nude humans with permanent horse heads, a grotesque twist that sets the stage for a narrative both unnerving and surreal.
Despite the shock factor, some argue that the game’s banning may be more a matter of discomfort than outright harm. Many of the controversial elements are presented in a surreal, allegorical way, making the game feel more like a dark thought experiment than a direct incitement to violence.
Whether one views it as audacious art or unsettling entertainment, Horses has clearly struck a chord. The bans from major platforms have only intensified the spotlight, proving that in the digital age, censorship often drives curiosity as much as condemnation.
For players willing to tread into uncomfortable territory, Horses offers a glimpse into a world that is as bizarre as it is unsettling a reminder that games can challenge, disturb, and provoke, all in the same breath.
