“Horses,” the most controversial game of the year, doesn’t live up to the hype

The discussion is over horsesThe deletion is emblematic of a larger battle that occurred this year, when platforms like Steam and Itch.io snatched up “NSFW” and “pornographic” games in July. Developers, players, and trade organizations have continued to be vocal about developers’ creative rights to create games that engage with adult content.

“Developers should not compromise on their creative vision, but we also have to acknowledge that games exist within capitalist structures where access to platforms determines livelihoods,” says Jaquin Vella, executive director of the International Game Developers Association, a non-profit organization that supports game developers. “The key is to make informed decisions and understand what each platform allows, what risks exist, and whether your technical goals outweigh those risks.”

However, Vella says, these takedowns have exposed the fragility of developers’ economic security. “We should be concerned when the system allows a creator’s livelihood to be cut off without transparency or redress,” he says. The video game industry has been highly consolidated, with a few platforms controlling access to the vast majority of players. “This imbalance creates a structural problem, not necessarily because the platforms impose the rules, but because there are so few viable alternatives.”

Santa Ragione’s future shouldn’t hinge on its ability to exist on Steam or any other platform. A bad project shouldn’t mean the end of a developer who, despite all the criticism he’s had at his game, is trying to say… Something. Maybe this part of this story still has a happy ending, or at least is survivable. The Streisand effect is paying off horses. On the GOG digital distribution platform, where it is still available, the game is a bestseller.

horses It must be defended against censorship. It’s also a bad game to examine as such. But while the conversation is about horses Still procrastinating around Why The game is allowed to exist, or how not Which The better question is why we really care about it at all – and why, as gamers, we feel as reluctant to talk about its failings as any other media.