The horror game Horses sold over 18,000 copies in the two weeks following its release, bringing the developers approximately $65,000 in revenue.
The result is surprising, considering that the game was blocked in Steam and in the Epic Games Store shortly before its release in December. Publisher Santa Ragione confirmed that the revenue was enough to pay off the developers' debts and pay the author, Andrea Luco Borleri, but will not cover future projects.
Horses is available on GOG, Humble, and Itch.io. Steam rejected the game in 2023 due to "sexual scenes involving minors." The developers denied the allegations, noting that the controversial scene was removed from the final version, but Valve did not change its decision.
Epic Games Store revoked permission a day before release, citing a policy against "indecent" content. The developers accused the platforms of having opaque rules and a lack of communication.
The studio admitted that the team will have to take on additional orders to balance the company's finances, the closure of which currently seems likely.
