Santa Ragione’s Horses faced a difficult battle to launch. Just hours ahead of its initially planned release, the game was banned from multiple online storefronts, including Steam and the Epic Games Store, for alleged violations of store policies.
Horses and the future of Santa Ragione – quick links
Why Horses was banned from Steam and the Epic Games Store
Per Santa Ragione, the exact reason the game was banned was not made clear. Rather, in the case of Steam, the team was pointed to onboarding documentation and a ‘what you shouldn’t publish on Steam’ page that included ‘content that is patently offensive or intended to shock or disgust viewers.’
Horses is an atmospheric horror game set on a mysterious horse farm. As you help out on this farm, you encounter all sorts of dark happenings that ‘test your obedience, complicity, and restraint.’
It’s not designed to be an approachable title, but rather one that pushes the boundaries of storytelling, in the same way that horror cinema does. While it’s unclear what themes inspired the game’s ban on Steam and the Epic Games Store, it’s worth noting the title includes depictions of sex and torture.
With Horses being banned from Steam and the Epic Games Store, opportunities for the game to reach a mainstream audience have been stifled – and while the subsequent attention has inspired sales the game might otherwise not have achieved, Santa Ragione has now confirmed these sales are not enough to ensure the studio’s long-term future.
Horses has sold 18,000 copies to date
As shared in a press release (via IGN), Horses has sold 18,000 copies to date, across smaller storefronts that have allowed the game on sale.
This is reportedly enough to help pay back Santa Ragione’s loans and royalties, but it’s not enough to ensure the studio’s longevity, or secure funding for its next major project. While there is a chance steady long-term sales will allow developers to continue working together, the outlook remains grim. For now, the studio is planning for dissolution, and for developers to go their own way.
‘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,’ the studio said.
After several years producing an array of compelling, layered stories, from Wheels of Aurelia to Mediterranea Inferno, it appears Santa Ragione will no longer be able to develop games as a unit, and that their unique voice will be lost.
It’s a dire situation, and one that highlights the current difficulties facing the modern games industry. Despite releasing many critically-acclaimed titles, even studios like Santa Ragione are facing the commercial reality of a depressed games industry.
While the experimental nature of Horses and its harsh themes sped this overall decline, it’s worth saying studios should be able to release strange, esoteric, and hard-hitting titles without risking their future. There should always be space for games that question social norms, and that push ideas of good taste, to make a more significant impact.
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