INDIE GAME DELETED From Steam & Epic?! The SHOCKING HORSES Story!

How can a game vanish from major digital storefronts after preliminary approval, leaving its creators stunned and without clear answers? That’s the shocking reality Santa Ragione, a trailblazing Italian indie studio, faced with their latest title, HORSES. For over fifteen years, founders Pietro Righi Riva and Nicolò Tedeschi have fearlessly pushed the boundaries of game design, creating unique experiences like the rhythmic FOTONICA, the narrative-rich Wheels of Aurelia, and the critically acclaimed horror game Saturnalia. They’ve even championed other powerful authorial visions, including Lorenzo Redaelli’s award-winning Mediterranea Inferno. However, HORSES, a project aiming to bring challenging arthouse cinema themes to gaming, encountered unprecedented drama when it was suddenly removed by platforms like Steam and Epic. This wasn't just about "problematic content"; it exposed a terrifying lack of transparency and dialogue from digital gatekeepers, sparking an industry-wide debate. The studio spent months trying to understand and resolve the issue, but faced an opaque system, leading to significant financial and human costs for their small team. Despite this devastating setback and the risk of self-censorship, Santa Ragione remains committed to their artistic integrity. They hope HORSES will be remembered for asserting its right to exist and for inspiring future authors, highlighting the vital need for experimentation in gaming. Don't miss out on more stories like this – make sure to hit that subscribe button to support indie voices!

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