Indie narrative horror game Horses, developed by Santa Ragione, faced a significant challenge when it was banned from Steam two years ago, threatening the studio’s viability. Studio co-founder and producer Pietro Righi Riva described the anxiety he felt when notifying the game’s director, Andrea Lucco Borlera, about this setback, given the extensive effort and passion Borlera invested in this debut project.
Despite recent attention and financial opportunities arising from the ban, Riva remains cautious about the studio’s future, noting that while he may be able to repay about half of the $100,000 borrowed, the situation is still precarious. The game features retro-inspired graphics and simple gameplay mechanics, and though Santa Ragione previously saw some success with titles like Saturnalia and Milky Way Prince, it was a relatively unknown developer before the ban heightened visibility for Horses.
Riva acknowledged that such a level of interest might not have been achievable without the bans, and Borlera has expressed satisfaction with the game’s reception and engagement from players. Nevertheless, the lack of access to Steam remains a significant barrier to reaching a larger audience. Riva expressed gratitude for support from gamers and alternative storefronts like GOG, but emphasized that this does not compare to the widespread audience Steam could facilitate.
Steam’s considerable influence in the PC gaming market places indie studios at the mercy of its often unpredictable content moderation policies. While Horses has managed to achieve some success outside of Steam, Riva indicated that the experience has been traumatic for the studio and could lead to self-censorship among developers, potentially resulting in more conservative game designs in the future.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/839164/horses-interview-santa-ragione-steam-ban-censorship