Horses, a horror game developed by Santa Ragione, has faced significant distribution challenges after being banned or pulled from major PC storefronts as of December 3, 2025. The limitations imposed on its distribution are expected to impact its accessibility and commercial prospects.
Platform Decisions and Justifications
During its development, Horses was restricted by Valve. Valve reportedly provided feedback and declined to reassess the game after Santa Ragione made content changes. The game faced additional hurdles as Epic Games Store and Humble decided not to proceed with its listing shortly before its planned release.
Epic Games cited an AO (Adults Only) rating returned by the IARC questionnaire as a primary reason for withdrawal. The platform stated this rating is incompatible with their content policies, which include guidelines against inappropriate, hateful, or abusive content. Concerns were raised particularly about sexual behavior labels and depictions of animal abuse. In response, Santa Ragione disputed this rating and emphasized that they received an M (Mature) rating on their questionnaire submission. Their appeal to Epic was denied within 12 hours without further explanation. Humble has yet to provide specific reasons for its decision.
Availability and Reception
Despite these setbacks, Horses remains available for purchase on GOG and Itch.io, priced at $5. It has been relatively well-received by users on GOG, earning an average score of 4.4 out of 5. Santa Ragione describes the game as a challenging and disturbing artistic creation, not intended solely for shock value. They argue that similar content is permissible on film platforms.
