The Banned Psychological Horror Game that Steam and Epic Games Store refused to sell. Experience 14 days on a disturbing farm where "horses" are enslaved humans wearing masks. A first-person narrative horror game with live-action sequences by Santa Ragione.
Essential information about the controversial farm horror game banned from major platforms
HORSES is a first-person psychological horror adventure game developed by Italian indie studio Santa Ragione, released on December 2, 2025. The game combines traditional gameplay with Full Motion Video (FMV) live-action sequences in a disturbing black-and-white silent film aesthetic.
You play as Anselmo, a 20-year-old college student who takes a summer job as a farm hand at a secluded rural property. What begins as simple agricultural work quickly reveals a horrifying truth: the farm's "horses" are actually enslaved humans wearing permanent horse masks, forced to live and work as livestock.
Experience two weeks of escalating horror through daily tasks, moral choices, and surreal night sequences that blur reality and nightmare.
Live-action video intermissions with real actors create jarring transitions between gameplay and cinematic sequences, heightening psychological tension.
Black & white visuals, minimal music, and intertitle dialogue cards evoke early cinema while creating an atmosphere of dread and alienation.
The game forces you to participate in disturbing acts with limited agency, exploring themes of obedience, power structures, and dehumanization.
Creative director Andrea Lucco Borlera drew inspiration from surrealist filmmakers Luis Buñuel and Jan Švankmajer, as well as director Yorgos Lanthimos. The game's aesthetic and thematic approach position it as an art horror experience rather than traditional entertainment.
The complete timeline of platform censorship that threatened Santa Ragione's survival
HORSES is announced to public acclaim at IGN's showcase. The provocative trailer immediately generates buzz in the indie horror community.
Valve rejects HORSES with a vague automated message citing concerns about "content that appears to depict sexual conduct involving a minor." Santa Ragione insists all characters are explicitly 20+ years old and that no such content exists. No appeal process is provided.
The studio modifies potentially ambiguous scenes (changing a child character to an adult in one sequence) and continues development, hoping for platform reconsideration. Steam never re-reviews the game.
With no resolution from Valve after 2 years, Santa Ragione publishes their official statement: "HORSES uses grotesque, subversive imagery to confront power, faith, and violence. We reject subjective obscenity standards and believe this moral censorship evokes a darker past."
Epic Games sends an email banning HORSES citing "Inappropriate Content" and "Hateful Content" policies. They claim the game received an AO (Adults Only) rating from IARC, though Santa Ragione maintains they received PEGI 18/ESRB M ratings. Only 24 hours before scheduled launch, with only 12 hours to appeal. Appeal is rejected.
HORSES launches on GOG (with public support statement), itch.io, and Humble Store. GOG states: "We believe players should have the freedom to choose what they play. HORSES represents a serious artistic work." The game becomes a bestseller despite being banned from platforms controlling 75%+ of PC game distribution.
Media coverage explodes. IGN scores the game 8.7/10. Eurogamer calls it "subversive cinema in video game form." The controversy sparks broader discussion about platform censorship, payment processor pressure, and who decides what constitutes "acceptable" art.
Santa Ragione's Response: The game contains mature themes and disturbing imagery as part of its artistic critique of power structures and dehumanization. All nudity is pixelated/censored. All characters are explicitly 20+ years old. There is NO depiction of minors in sexual situations, and NO actual animal abuse (the "horses" are symbolic human characters wearing masks).
The Real Issue: Industry analysts point to three factors: (1) Payment processor pressure (Visa/Mastercard increasingly restrict controversial content), (2) Political activism groups lobbying platforms, and (3) Platform risk aversion—it's easier to ban than to defend artistic merit.
Support indie developers by purchasing from platforms that defend artistic freedom
Steam (Valve): Permanently banned in 2023 with no specific explanation or appeal process. Valve claims potential depiction of minors in sexual content (developer disputes this entirely).
Epic Games Store: Banned 24 hours before launch on December 1, 2025, citing "Inappropriate Content" and AO rating dispute. Appeal rejected within 12 hours.
Choose GOG or itch.io to directly support Santa Ragione and protest platform censorship.
Complete breakdown of mature themes for informed decision-making | 18+ ONLY
This game contains scenes of physical violence, psychological abuse, gory imagery (mutilation, blood), depictions of slavery, physical and psychological torture, domestic abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and misogyny. The inclusion of these elements serves to depict and characterize a fictional world and its fictional inhabitants. Their presence is not an endorsement.
SUITABLE FOR: Mature gamers seeking artistic horror | NOT SUITABLE FOR: Children, trauma survivors, sensitive viewers
Includes scenes of physical violence, blood, and injury. Not gratuitous but detailed. Depicts harm inflicted on "horse" characters (enslaved humans).
Central theme. Explores power dynamics, control, humiliation, and systematic psychological torture. May trigger trauma survivors.
Core game mechanic. Depicts humans enslaved as "livestock," forced labor, branding, and systematic oppression. Highly disturbing by design.
References to sexual assault. All nudity is pixelated. NO explicit sexual acts shown. NO depiction of minors. 4 brief censored scenes, mostly off-screen.
Themes of religious oppression, spiritual abuse of power, and faith-based control systems. May disturb those with religious trauma.
References to suicide and self-harm as themes. Not graphically depicted but present in narrative context.
The "horses" are symbolic humans wearing masks. No actual animals are harmed or depicted being harmed. Developer officially confirmed.
All characters are explicitly 20+ years old. Early version scene with a child was changed to an adult character before release.
No visible genitalia or explicit sexual acts. All nudity is pixelated/censored. Sexual themes serve narrative purpose, not exploitation.
If you have trauma related to these themes or are unsure if this game is right for you:
Read Detailed FAQMedia reception, player response, and aggregate ratings
Based on 20+ critic reviews and 47 verified player ratings
"HORSES doesn't let you look away. It forces you to confront darkness—both in the game and in yourself. A masterpiece of discomfort that proves video games can be genuine art."
"Subversive cinema in video game form. This is what happens when film meets interactive media—disturbing, artistic, absolutely unforgettable. Santa Ragione has created something genuinely new."
"A meditation on complicity and the unique ugliness that only video games can produce. Uncomfortable by design, and all the more powerful for it."
"After hundreds of AAA games that feel hollow, HORSES reminded me why independent art matters. It has something to SAY. Not for everyone, but exactly what gaming needs."
"A nightmare so surreal it blurs the edges between game and reality. The black-and-white aesthetic and FMV sequences create genuine dread."
"Evidence that video games are an art form. HORSES creates an incredibly unsettling and unsettling atmosphere. Easily one of the best games of 2025."
Everything you need to know before playing | Quick answers to common concerns
HORSES takes approximately 3-4 hours for a single playthrough. The game is structured as a linear narrative divided into 14 in-game days, with each day lasting 10-15 minutes of gameplay. There's no New Game+ mode, but the game includes chapter select for replaying specific days.
No. HORSES is permanently banned from Steam. Valve rejected the game in 2023 with no appeal process. The game is available on GOG.com, itch.io, and Humble Store for $4.99. We recommend GOG (DRM-free) or itch.io (90% revenue to developer).
No traditional jumpscares. HORSES is psychological horror, not jump-scare horror. The game creates dread through atmosphere, unsettling imagery, moral discomfort, and slow-burn tension rather than sudden shocks. Expect disturbing content, not startles.
HORSES has a largely linear ending with minor variations based on player choices throughout the 14 days. Your decisions affect interactive sequences and some dialogue, but all paths converge to a similar conclusion. This limited agency is intentional—the game is about being trapped in a system where meaningful resistance is difficult.
It depends on your tolerance for moral discomfort and artistic horror. Play HORSES if you: Enjoy psychological horror over action horror, appreciate experimental/art games, want games that explore difficult themes, can handle disturbing content. Skip HORSES if you: Prefer traditional gameplay mechanics, dislike slow-paced narratives, have trauma related to abuse/violence/slavery, want escapist entertainment.
Possibly, if you have existing trauma related to the game's themes (abuse, slavery, violence, religious trauma, sexual assault). The game is intentionally disturbing and creates lasting emotional discomfort—that's the point. Read the complete content warnings carefully. If uncertain, watch a Let's Play first or skip the game. Mental health is more important than any game.
Minimum: Windows 7+ (64-bit), X64 Dual Core CPU 2.0+ GHz, 4GB RAM, Radeon Pro 560X / GTX 960, 4GB storage. Recommended: Windows 10 (64-bit), Dual Core 2.0+ GHz, 8GB RAM, GTX 1060 / Radeon Pro 580, 4GB storage. The game runs well on older hardware due to its stylized graphics.
Yes, but with precautions. The game includes a "Streamer Mode" that adds extra pixelation to sensitive scenes. Always provide clear content warnings at the start of your stream/video. Check your platform's TOS—Twitch and YouTube allow it with warnings, but community guidelines apply. Be prepared for sensitive viewer reactions.
NO. Developer officially confirmed: no animal abuse is depicted. The "horses" in the game are humans wearing horse masks as a metaphor for dehumanization and slavery. Despite the title, no actual horses or animals appear in the game or are harmed.
(1) Buy the game on GOG or itch.io (avoid key resellers). (2) Leave a review on your platform of purchase. (3) Share the game on social media with content warnings. (4) Gift copies to friends who appreciate artistic horror. (5) Explore Santa Ragione's other games: Saturnalia (2022) and Mediterranea Inferno (2023).
Meet the Italian indie developers pushing the boundaries of interactive art
Founded: 2010, Milan, Italy
Co-Founders: Pietro Righi Riva & Nicolò Tedeschi
Philosophy: "Games as art and instinct"
Team Size: 2-10 (micro indie studio)
Andrea Lucco Borlera
Film & Media graduate (Rome)
Influences: Buñuel, Švankmajer, Lanthimos
Vision: Experimental horror cinema meets games
Saturnalia (2022) - Folk horror
Mediterranea Inferno (2023) - Won IGF Award
FOTONICA (2011) - Venice Biennale
MirrorMoon EP (2013)
Development cost: ~$100,000
Steam ban removed 75% of potential market
Studio has funds for only 6 more months
May close without HORSES sales
Pietro Righi Riva (Co-Founder) Statement:
"The team and I are massively frustrated—not just because we tried our hardest to overturn this decision, but because we offered to comply with any requests or regulations and still didn't get the professional respect the situation warranted. Being told 'no, just because' by entities with absolute power over your financial stability is terrifying, humiliating, and condescending. This approach pushes creators toward self-censorship."
After 14 years of operating on Steam, Riva says he feels "cheated and betrayed by Valve." The studio's survival now depends entirely on GOG, itch.io, and Humble Store sales.
Survival horror roguelite set in 1989 Sardinia. Explore a cursed village with procedural elements. Steam: 91% positive reviews. IGF 2022 nominee.
Visual novel about three friends' vacation. Won IGF 2024 Excellence in Narrative award. Steam: 98% positive. Eurogamer's #5 game of 2023.
Abstract first-person runner. Selected for 54th Venice Biennale. Apple's Best of 2014. IGF 2015 Excellence in Audio honorable mention.
Support independent game development and artistic freedom:
Buy HORSES for $4.99 Visit Santa Ragione WebsitePsychological horror, art games, and FMV experiences for adventurous players
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Day-by-day breakdown of narrative progression, choices, and key moments | ⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD
This walkthrough contains COMPLETE SPOILERS for HORSES. Only read if you've finished the game or don't mind knowing the entire story beforehand.
Key Events: You arrive as Anselmo, meet the farm owner (referred to as "The Master"), receive instructions for daily chores. First glimpse of the "horses" in the barn—they appear unusual but you rationalize it. Gameplay: Tutorial for basic mechanics (walking, interacting, inventory). Choice Impact: None—day 1 is linear introduction.
Key Events: Morning routine established. Feed the "horses," clean stables. Close-up interaction reveals disturbing details—the masks appear permanent, the "horses" move with human body language. One makes eye contact that feels too intelligent. FMV Sequence: First live-action cutscene shows The Master's morning ritual. Choice: You can attempt to speak to a "horse" (no verbal response, just fearful gesture).
Key Events: The Master instructs you to assist with "branding" a new "horse." This is the first explicitly horrific task you must complete. The game provides minimal agency—refusing delays but doesn't prevent the scene. Moral Discomfort: Game forces participation through mechanics. Night Sequence: First nightmare sequence—surreal imagery of horses with human faces.
Key Events: While cleaning the farmhouse, you find a diary belonging to a previous farm hand named "Marco." Entries reveal he went through the same progression you're experiencing—initial confusion, growing horror, eventual complicity, final disappearance. Collectible: 8 diary pages hidden throughout day 4-7 expand backstory. Choice: You can choose to read all pages or skip (reading impacts dialogue awareness in later days).
Key Events: You attempt to leave the farm at night. The path loops impossibly—every direction returns you to the farmhouse entrance (gameplay mechanic mirrors surrealist film techniques). The Master confronts you in FMV sequence: "You can leave anytime. But you won't." Gameplay: Walking simulator segment through looping landscape. Revelation: You realize you're being paid well, have nowhere else to go, and leaving means confronting what you've already done.
Key Events: Shorter day focusing on routine. The game deliberately becomes monotonous—feeding, cleaning, obeying. The "horses" become background elements. You stop noticing the horror. Meta-Commentary: The game trains you to stop resisting, mirroring real psychological adaptation to immoral systems. Audio: Ambient sounds become more oppressive.
Key Events: A buyer arrives to inspect the "horses." Business transaction happens in front of you. FMV sequence shows negotiation—discussion of "quality," "training," "discipline." You're instructed to demonstrate how obedient the "horses" are. Choice: You can refuse to participate (The Master completes it himself, berates you, docks pay) or comply (slight dialogue change later). Implication: You understand this is a larger system, not an isolated incident.
Key Events: One of the "horses" disobeys a command. The Master orders you to administer punishment. CONTENT WARNING: This scene involves physical violence. The game uses uncomfortable close-up camera angles and slow pacing. Critical Choice: This is one of few moments where refusal significantly impacts narrative—refusing leads to alternate dialogue in Day 13-14, but doesn't change the ending.
Key Events: FMV sequence: The Master invites you for dinner. Long, theatrical monologue about "order," "natural hierarchy," and "necessary cruelty." Camera holds on your face (Anselmo's actor) as you listen. No Dialogue Choices: You cannot respond—you only listen, eat, nod. Symbolism: Breaking bread with oppressor—complicity through comfort.
Key Events: A new "horse" arrives—recently captured/converted. Still has visible terror in body language. The game forces you to "train" them through series of dehumanizing tasks. Most Disturbing Sequence: Many players cite this as the hardest day emotionally. Gameplay: Training involves repetitive, degrading commands. Refusal only delays, doesn't prevent.
Key Events: The game presents Day 11 as routine. You perform tasks efficiently. The horror is mundane. Night sequence includes dream where you see yourself wearing a horse mask. Symbolism: Blurring line between perpetrator and victim. Audio Design: Your footsteps begin to sound like hoofbeats.
Key Events: The Master offers you permanent employment—higher pay, better quarters, authority over other farm hands. FMV shows contract signing scene. Choice: Accept or decline (both lead to same ending, but accepting adds final dialogue line). Implication: The system perpetuates by promoting complicit participants.
Key Events: While working, you make eye contact with one of the "horses." Moment of recognition—you see them fully as human for first time in days. They don't look away. You do. Gameplay: Simple task (feeding), but camera lingers on faces. No music, just ambient sound and breathing. Emotional Peak: Cumulative weight of 13 days of complicity.
Key Events: Your two-week contract ends. The Master pays you. You pack your bag. Walk to the road. FMV sequence shows you getting in a car, driving away. THE ENDING: As you drive, radio news mentions missing persons, labor trafficking investigation. You turn it off. Final shot: Your face in rearview mirror. Fade to black. Text Card: "You left. The farm remains. Others will come." Credits roll in silence. Post-Credits: Brief scene of new farm hand arriving—the cycle continues. Meaning: You escaped individual participation but the system persists. Complicity without consequence.
This is intentional design. The game argues you're complicit regardless of minor resistance. Refusing individual tasks delays but doesn't prevent. Only major choice: Day 8 punishment impacts some dialogue.
Marco's diary (8 pages), hidden FMV tapes (3 VHS), religious pamphlets (5). These expand lore but aren't required. Check farmhouse, barn loft, tool shed, bedroom drawers.
Days 1-3: 20-25 min each. Days 4-11: 12-18 min each. Days 12-14: 15-20 min each. Total: 3-4 hours. Don't rush—discomfort is part of experience.
Complete analysis of the conclusion, variations, and thematic interpretation | FULL SPOILERS
HORSES has ONE primary ending with minor variations based on your choices throughout the 14 days. Regardless of your actions, Anselmo leaves the farm on Day 14 after completing his contract. The core narrative concludes identically for all players.
Morning of Day 14. The Master hands you an envelope of cash. Counts it in front of you. FMV close-up of money changing hands. Variation: If you accepted permanent employment offer on Day 12, he says: "The offer stands. When you're ready." If you declined, he says nothing, just nods.
You pack your bag in your room. Camera angle from corner (surveillance POV). You pause, look at the window showing the barn. Variation: If you read all of Marco's diary entries, you take one page with you (visible in bag). If you refused Day 8 punishment, brief flashback insert shot of the "horse's" face.
Gameplay: You walk from farmhouse to road. Same path as Day 5 attempted escape, but now it leads out. Ambient sound: wind, distant animal noises, your footsteps. Camera slowly pulls back. No music. Takes approximately 2 minutes of real-time walking.
Live-action: You (Anselmo's actor) sit in car passenger seat. Someone else drives (face not shown). Radio plays news: "...authorities continue to investigate reports of missing persons in rural areas... labor trafficking networks... victims discovered..." You reach forward, turn radio off. Silence. Camera holds on your face for 30 seconds. Neutral expression—not relief, not guilt, just... blank. This is the most important moment of the ending.
FMV: Camera shifts to your face reflected in rearview mirror. You make brief eye contact with your own reflection. Look away. Fade to black. Holds on black screen for 5 seconds.
White text on black background. "You left. The farm remains. Others will come." Holds for 10 seconds. Fade to black.
Credits roll in complete silence. No music. White text on black. Names of cast, crew, development team. Takes 3 minutes. Do not skip—there is a post-credits scene.
After credits: Fade in from black. Gameplay perspective returns. You see the farmhouse from the road. A car pulls up. A new person (not Anselmo) steps out, carrying a bag. Walks toward the farmhouse. The Master opens the door. Same opening shot as Day 1, but different actor/character. Freeze frame. Fade to black. Game ends.
You (Anselmo) escape individual participation, but the oppressive system continues functioning. Your leaving changes nothing for the victims. The game refuses to provide catharsis—there's no rescue, no burning the farm down, no justice. Just complicity and continuation.
The payment scene emphasizes you did this for money. The radio news scene forces you to acknowledge what you participated in. Turning off the radio = choosing ignorance. You benefit materially from others' suffering and choose to move on.
Your blank expression in the car = normalization of horror. You're not a monster, not traumatized to paralysis—just... continuing. The ending argues this mundane complicity is more terrifying than cartoonish villainy. You'll go on with life.
The meta-layer: YOU (the player) also completed the game, participated in the horror, and are now "leaving" back to your regular life. The mirror shot is Anselmo looking at himself, but also YOU looking at yourself. Did you enjoy the game? Feel entertained? That's the discomfort HORSES wants to leave you with.
Theory 1: "Secret Ending Where You Free the Horses"
STATUS: False. No such ending exists. Some players tried refusing all tasks, taking maximum time, finding hidden items—none unlock an alternate ending. This is intentional. The game's message is about systemic complicity, and a "hero ending" would undermine that.
Theory 2: "The Farm is Purgatory/You're Dead"
STATUS: Unlikely. While the surreal elements (looping road on Day 5) suggest unreality, developer Andrea Lucco Borlera confirmed in interviews the farm is meant to be literal, not metaphorical afterlife. The surrealism represents psychological state, not supernatural.
Theory 3: "Anselmo Becomes a 'Horse' in Secret Ending"
STATUS: Partially True Thematically. The Day 11 nightmare where you wear a horse mask, and the ending's cyclical structure, suggest Anselmo could return as victim. But this isn't shown—it's thematic implication, not literal alternate ending.
Andrea Lucco Borlera (Creative Director):
"We considered multiple endings during development, but every alternative felt like a cop-out. Letting players 'save' the horses would make them feel good about themselves and miss the point entirely. The most honest ending is the one where you leave, nothing changes, and you have to sit with that. The post-credits scene—the new worker arriving—that's the real horror. Not ghosts or monsters. Just continuation."
Complete list of achievements, secret unlocks, and 100% completion guide
Story Achievements: 14 | Collectible Achievements: 8 | Behavioral Achievements: 6
Estimated 100% Completion Time: 5-6 hours (2 playthroughs required)
How to Unlock: Complete Day 1 / Complete Day 14 (story progression, unmissable)
How to Unlock: Complete the branding sequence on Day 3 (story progression, unmissable)
How to Unlock: Experience the first nightmare sequence at the end of Day 3 (automatic)
How to Unlock: Find the first diary page on Day 4 (automatic story trigger)
How to Unlock: Experience the looping road sequence during Day 5 attempted escape (story progression, unmissable)
How to Unlock: Complete the buyer inspection sequence on Day 7 (unmissable)
Find all 8 pages of Marco's diary.
Locations: Day 4 (farmhouse desk - auto), Day 5 (barn loft), Day 6 (tool shed), Day 7 (under bed), Day 9 (kitchen drawer), Day 10 (bathroom cabinet), Day 12 (Master's office), Day 13 (behind painting in hallway).
Find all 3 hidden VHS tapes.
Locations: Tape 1 (Day 6, barn storage room), Tape 2 (Day 9, farmhouse basement), Tape 3 (Day 11, Master's bedroom closet). Requires exploration during free time.
Collect all 5 religious pamphlets.
Locations: Chapel (Day 4), Barn (Day 6), Kitchen (Day 7), Bedroom nightstand (Day 9), Tool shed (Day 12). Lore items explaining Master's ideology.
Find the master key on Day 10.
Location: Hidden in Day 10 in the barn's feed room, behind loose board. Unlocks Master's office early for extra diary page. Missable if you don't explore thoroughly.
Take all 12 photographs with the camera.
Camera found Day 8 in Marco's room. Photograph each "horse," the branding tools, the contracts, basement, chapel, and Master (during Day 9 dinner). Provides context—these were Marco's documentation attempts.
Find all 4 payment records.
Locations: Day 7 (Master's desk), Day 9 (filing cabinet), Day 11 (basement safe - requires code from diary), Day 13 (barn office). Shows the farm's financial operation.
Refuse to participate in the Day 8 punishment.
Choice-based. When given punishment order, select "Refuse" option 3 times. Master completes task himself. Affects dialogue on Days 13-14.
Accept all tasks without refusing once.
Complete Days 1-14 without selecting any "refuse" dialogue options during task assignments. Conflicts with "Resistance" achievement—requires separate playthrough.
Make eye contact with every "horse" at least once.
Days 2-13: Interact with each visible "horse" and hold the "look" action for 3+ seconds. There are 6 "horses" total. Game tracks this internally.
Never attempt to speak to any "horse."
Avoid all "attempt to speak" prompts when near "horses" throughout the game. Opposite behavior from "Witness." Track carefully.
Accept The Master's permanent employment offer on Day 12.
When given contract choice, select "Sign." Adds unique ending dialogue line. Can be done same playthrough as most other achievements.
Complete the game in under 3 hours.
Speedrun achievement. Skip all optional interactions, don't search for collectibles, minimal exploration. Conflicts with collectible achievements—requires dedicated fast playthrough.
How to Unlock: During Day 11 nightmare sequence, interact with the horse mask when it appears. Put it on (select "Wear" prompt). Triggers extended nightmare. Hidden condition—very easy to miss.
How to Unlock: Respond to the bell immediately every single time it rings throughout the game (Days 2-13). Bell signals task assignments. Must arrive at Master's location within 30 seconds of each bell. Requires fast movement and awareness.
How to Unlock: Visit the chapel during free time on Days 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 (every even day). Light a candle each time. On Day 14, special FMV prayer scene triggers before departure. Missable—must do all 5 visits.
How to Unlock: Complete ALL optional tasks in addition to required tasks every day. Check task board each morning and complete every item (required + optional). Days 5-12 have 1-3 optional tasks each. Requires thorough exploration.
How to Unlock: Look at yourself in mirrors 20+ times throughout the game. Mirrors available in bathroom (Days 2-14), bedroom (Days 1-14), and hallway (Days 5-14). Each look must be held for 5+ seconds. Game counts total.
How to Unlock: During final car scene (ending FMV), turn off the radio before the news report finishes. Must press button within first 3 seconds of radio broadcast starting. Most players let it play—this is the "ignorant" choice.
Focus: Collect all diary pages, VHS tapes, pamphlets, photos, payment records. Accept the permanent employment offer (Day 12). Unlock "Witness" (look at all horses), "The Mask" (wear mask in nightmare), "Chapel Vigil" (visit chapel on even days), "Reflection" (look in mirrors 20+ times), "Pavlov's Farmhand" (respond to bells quickly), "Extra Mile" (complete optional tasks). This playthrough gets 20-24 achievements.
Focus: Fast playthrough (under 3 hours) for "Slow Burn" achievement. Do "Complicity" path (accept all tasks without refusing). Skip all collectibles (already have those achievements). Choose "Silence" behavior (never speak to horses). Turn off radio quickly in ending for "Ignorance is Bliss." This gets remaining 4-8 achievements.
Only needed if you want to experience "Resistance" achievement (refuse Day 8 punishment) and see its dialogue changes. This conflicts with "Complicity" so requires separate run. Can be partial playthrough (Days 1-14 but rushed).
Overall: 4/10 (Moderate)
Time Required: 5-6 hours (2 full playthroughs)
Missable: 12 achievements (collectibles + secrets)
Hardest: "Pavlov's Farmhand" (timing-based), "Extra Mile" (requires guide)
Complete cast list, character profiles, and actor interviews from the FMV sequences
Actor: Lorenzo Richelmy
Age: 20 (character) | 33 (actor)
Role: The farm hand you play as. College student taking summer job for money. Italian nationality, working-class background, desperate for income to pay tuition. No family shown.
Actor Background: Known for Netflix's Marco Polo (2014-2016). First horror role. Andrea Lucco Borlera chose him for ability to convey moral ambiguity through subtle facial expressions.
Actor: Fabrizio Rongione
Age: Unknown (character) | 55 (actor)
Role: Farm owner. Unnamed throughout game. Charismatic, soft-spoken, terrifying. Delivers ideological monologues about hierarchy and order. Never physically violent on-screen but orchestrates all abuse.
Actor Background: Belgian actor, frequent collaborator with Dardenne brothers. Known for Two Days, One Night (2014). First video game performance.
Actor: Appears only in found photograph
Role: Previous farm worker whose diary you find. Went through same progression as Anselmo 6 months earlier. Implied to have either died, been converted to a "horse," or escaped and remained silent. Diary shows his psychological deterioration over 14 days.
Note: Never appears in person or FMV—purely textual/implied presence through diary entries and photos.
Actor: Cristina Flutur
Age: Unknown | 45 (actor)
Role: Appears Day 7. Well-dressed businesswoman who arrives to inspect and purchase "horses." Treats entire interaction as normal transaction. Negotiates prices, checks "quality," discusses logistics. Represents the broader system beyond the farm.
Actor Background: Romanian actress, winner of Cannes Best Actress for Beyond the Hills (2012).
The "horses" are performed by real actors wearing practical horse masks, not CGI. All actors were fully informed of the game's themes, compensated fairly, and had access to on-set counseling. Director Andrea Lucco Borlera insisted on treating these performers with dignity despite their characters' dehumanization. All actors were 20+ years old during filming.
Total Cast: 6 principal "horse" actors + 8 background
Names Credited: Elena Cotta, Marco Giallini, Alba Rohrwacher, Elio Germano, Jasmine Trinca, Valeria Golino
Performance Style: Physical theater training, no dialogue, body language conveys humanity through dehumanizing masks
Shoot Duration: 12 days (same as game's 14-day structure)
Location: Abandoned farm in Lazio, Italy
Method: Actors wore masks max 30 min at a time, mandatory breaks, psychological support available
Director Approach: Emphasis on actor comfort despite dark material
Alba Rohrwacher: Won David di Donatello Award, appears in Days 2-14
Elio Germano: Cannes Best Actor winner, "new horse" in Days 10-14
Jasmine Trinca: Venice Film Festival winner, primary FMV "horse"
All are acclaimed Italian actors who took roles for artistic merit
Jasmine Trinca (Interview): "The hardest role of my career. Not because of the mask, but because of what the silence means. You can't speak, can't show your face, only your body. It's about making people remember you're human."
Actor: Uncredited (face not shown)
Role: Drives Anselmo away from farm in final FMV. Hands visible on steering wheel, never speaks. Symbolic of return to "normal" society—anonymous, complicit enabler of the system.
Voice Actor: Verified professional news broadcaster (name withheld for realism)
Role: Delivers news report in ending car scene about labor trafficking investigation. Intentionally professional/neutral tone contrasts with horror you experienced.
Actor: Tommaso Ragno
Role: Appears only in post-credits scene arriving at farm for new job. Different from Anselmo—older, different build. Represents cycle's continuation. Brief 10-second appearance, no dialogue.
Q: How did you approach playing Anselmo's moral descent?
"The challenge wasn't playing someone evil—it was playing someone normal who does evil things for relatable reasons. Money, fear, convenience. Andrea [director] told me: 'Don't play guilt. Play exhaustion.' That changed everything. Anselmo isn't tortured by what he's doing—he's just... doing it. That's more terrifying."
Q: How do you play such a disturbing character?
"I never played him as a villain. He genuinely believes in hierarchy, order, natural superiority. The monologue on Day 9—he's not lying or manipulating. He thinks he's educating Anselmo. That's what makes him dangerous. Villains who know they're villains are less scary than those who think they're teachers."
Q: What was it like performing as a "horse"?
"Paradoxically freeing. Without my face or voice, everything became body. But also—you feel erased. That's the point. The game is about erasure, dehumanization. Wearing that mask, you understand viscerally what it means to be seen as an object. We had psychological support on set, but honestly, the hard part was taking the mask OFF and remembering how to be a person again after each take."
Q: Why use award-winning actors for a game most FMV titles use unknown performers?
"Because this game demands performance that conveys humanity in dehumanizing circumstances. Alba, Elio, Jasmine—these are actors who can communicate entire inner lives through posture alone. If the 'horses' felt like props, the game fails. They needed to be unmistakably PEOPLE, despite everything done to hide that. Only the best actors could pull that off."
Santa Ragione's casting director Francesca Valtorta focused on European arthouse cinema talent rather than traditional gaming/commercial actors. The goal: naturalism over theatricality, discomfort over entertainment. Every actor was required to read the complete script and discuss themes with Andrea Lucco Borlera before accepting. Three actors declined roles citing the material's difficulty—their decisions were respected without pressure.
Deep dive into the narrative's philosophical questions, metaphors, and social commentary
Central Question: How do ordinary people participate in extraordinary evil?
The Game's Answer: Through incremental normalization. Day 1: shock. Day 3: reluctant participation. Day 7: routine. Day 14: departure without looking back. HORSES argues complicity isn't dramatic—it's mundane, economically motivated, and psychologically sustainable.
The Masks as Metaphor: The horse masks literally erase identity, forcing victims into non-human category. But the game suggests this happens even without physical masks—through language ("the horses" not "the people"), assigned roles, systematic treatment. The player's gradual comfort with the masks mirrors real-world dehumanization.
The Farm as Microcosm: The farm represents any oppressive system (capitalism, slavery, fascism, abuse networks). You (Anselmo) can leave, but the system remains. The Master can be killed (you can't, but theoretically), but another would replace him. The ending's post-credits scene—new worker arriving—literalizes this. Individual action is insufficient against structural evil.
You Work for Money: Game repeatedly emphasizes payment. You're not kidnapped or brainwashed—you're EMPLOYED. This is crucial. The game argues most complicity isn't forced at gunpoint but purchased. Anselmo needs tuition money. The "horses" likely face debt, immigration status, or other economic vulnerabilities. Capitalism as coercion.
Why Choices Don't Matter: Players complain about limited choices. That's the point. The game argues that within unjust systems, individual agency is largely illusory. You can refuse Day 8's punishment, but it still happens (The Master does it). You can try to escape Day 5, but the road loops. The game structurally enforces complicity as critique of "personal responsibility" rhetoric.
Meta-Layer: YOU (the player) are also complicit. You purchased a game about slavery and abuse. You played it for entertainment. You "completed" the horror. The ending's mirror shot—Anselmo looking at himself—is also YOU looking at yourself. HORSES makes you uncomfortable not just with Anselmo's actions, but YOUR OWN consumption of them.
Literal: Tools of dehumanization, erase identity, make victims "other."
Symbolic: Any label/category that strips humanity (prisoner number, refugee status, job title, slur). The permanence (masks don't come off) represents how dehumanization becomes internalized identity.
Historical: Echoes slavery, Holocaust, forced assimilation—any system requiring victims to "become" their oppression.
Literal: Silent film homage, creates timeless/placeless quality.
Symbolic: Absence of color = absence of humanity/warmth. Also: moral simplicity vs. moral complexity—the visual is black/white but the ethics are gray.
Influences: Luis Buñuel's surrealism, Jan Švankmajer's nightmarish textures, Béla Tarr's bleak minimalism.
Literal: Signals task assignments, calls you to work.
Symbolic: Pavlovian conditioning. Like Pavlov's dogs, you learn to respond automatically to the bell. By Day 11, most players move toward it without thinking. This mirrors how systems condition obedience through repetition. "Pavlov's Farmhand" achievement makes this explicit.
Literal: Reflective surfaces in bathroom, bedroom, hallway.
Symbolic: Self-recognition, confrontation with your own actions. The game tracks mirror interactions ("Reflection" achievement). Early game: you look often, checking yourself. Late game: most players avoid mirrors. The ending's rearview mirror forces final confrontation.
Question: Can you look yourself in the eye?
Literal: Small religious space on farm property.
Symbolic: Religion as tool of oppression. Religious pamphlets justify hierarchy as "divine order." The Master's ideology is framed as spiritual duty. Chapel offers false comfort—praying doesn't stop the abuse, just makes you feel better about participating.
Critique: Faith weaponized to justify cruelty.
Literal: Previous worker's journal showing his experience.
Symbolic: Cyclical nature of oppression. You're not unique—you're one in a long line. Marco's arc mirrors yours exactly. His final entry: "Tomorrow I leave. I don't know what I'll tell people. I don't know if I'll tell them anything." Foreshadows your own silence.
Function: Removes hope that you'll be different.
HORSES draws from documented cases of modern slavery, labor trafficking, and agricultural exploitation. The farm setting isn't arbitrary—farms worldwide have histories of exploiting migrant workers, undocumented labor, and debt bondage. The "legal" employment (Anselmo's contract) alongside illegal enslavement (the "horses") mirrors how legitimate businesses profit from trafficking. Developer confirmed research into Italian agricultural labor abuses and tomato farm scandals.
The game embodies Arendt's concept from her Eichmann trial coverage: ordinary people commit atrocities not through malice but through thoughtlessness, careerism, and following orders. Anselmo isn't sadistic—he's a college kid who needs money. The Master isn't a monster—he's a businessman who believes his own ideology. This "normalness" is the horror.
Stanley Milgram's 1960s experiments showed 65% of people would administer potentially lethal shocks when ordered by authority. HORSES mechanizes this: The Master orders, you obey. The game's limited agency mirrors experiment participants who "had to" continue. Day 8 punishment scene directly parallels Milgram's setup. Message: most people, in the right circumstances, will harm others.
The looping road (Day 5), the inexplicable rules, the futility of resistance—all echo Kafka's themes of powerlessness against absurd systems. Like The Trial or The Castle, you're caught in a structure whose logic you don't understand but must navigate. The farm is bureaucracy made visceral.
Andrea Lucco Borlera (Creative Director, 2025 Interview):
"HORSES asks: What would you do? Not in a zombie apocalypse or alien invasion, but in a situation that happens every day—where participating in something wrong is easier than resisting, where you benefit from others' suffering, where leaving means admitting what you've done. Most games let you be a hero. HORSES forces you to be complicit, then asks if you can live with that. Because in the real world, most of us already are."
Deep dive into the films, directors, and artistic movements that inspired Santa Ragione's vision
Films: Un Chien Andalou (1929), The Exterminating Angel (1962)
Influence on HORSES: The looping road mechanic (Day 5) directly references The Exterminating Angel, where dinner guests cannot leave a room. Buñuel's dream logic and irrational scenarios permeate HORSES' surreal elements. The silent film aesthetic also pays homage to Un Chien Andalou.
Films: Alice (1988), Conspirators of Pleasure (1996)
Influence on HORSES: Švankmajer's tactile, grotesque imagery and disturbing use of masks/objects influenced the horse masks' unsettling design. His blending of live-action and animation inspired HORSES' FMV integration with gameplay. Themes of power, control, and bodily autonomy run through both.
Films: Dogtooth (2009), The Lobster (2015), The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Influence on HORSES: Lanthimos' cold, formal cinematography and exploration of power structures through absurd rules directly influenced the farm's arbitrary regulations. The Master's calm ideological monologues echo Lanthimos villains who genuinely believe in their systems.
Films: Funny Games (1997), The White Ribbon (2009)
Influence on HORSES: Haneke's meta-commentary on audience complicity in violence is central to HORSES' player-complicity theme. Funny Games breaks the fourth wall to implicate viewers; HORSES uses gameplay to implicate players. Both refuse catharsis.
Films: Sátántangó (1994), The Turin Horse (2011)
Influence on HORSES: Tarr's long takes, minimal dialogue, and black-and-white cinematography influenced HORSES' pacing and visual style. The repetitive farm tasks mirror Tarr's focus on mundane labor as existential horror. Both refuse to entertain—they endure.
Films: Oldboy (2003), Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
Influence on HORSES: Park's exploration of complicity, revenge, and moral greyness influenced the game's refusal to provide clear heroes/villains. Both artists force audiences to witness atrocity without easy resolution.
Works: The Trial, The Castle, In the Penal Colony
Themes: Bureaucratic absurdity, powerlessness, inexplicable systems. The farm's rules and the player's inability to escape the structure mirror Kafka's protagonists trapped in incomprehensible bureaucracies.
Works: Eichmann in Jerusalem
Concept: "Banality of Evil"—ordinary people committing atrocities through thoughtless compliance. Anselmo embodies this: not a monster, just someone who needed money and stopped thinking about consequences.
Work: Obedience to Authority Experiments
Findings: 65% of people will harm others when ordered by authority. HORSES gamifies this: you're ordered to harm, limited in refusal, and most players comply. The game is an interactive Milgram experiment.
Works: Animal Farm, 1984
Themes: Oppression, propaganda, systemic cruelty. The horses-as-enslaved-humans inverts Animal Farm's animals-rebelling-against-humans. The religious pamphlets function as Orwellian doublespeak justifying hierarchy.
Paintings: Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion
Visual Language: Bacon's distorted human figures, screaming mouths, and caged/trapped subjects influenced the visual design of the "horses." The nightmare sequences' visual style directly references Bacon's visceral, meat-like portrayal of bodies.
Photography: Portraits of marginalized people, circus performers, masked individuals
Aesthetic: Arbus's stark black-and-white photography of "outsiders" influenced HORSES' cinematography. Her photos make viewers uncomfortable witnesses—same as HORSES makes players uncomfortable participants.
Works: Saturn Devouring His Son, Witches' Sabbath
Tone: Goya's late works explore violence, madness, and the grotesque in dark, muted tones. HORSES' color palette and thematic darkness echo Goya's descent into depicting human cruelty stripped of romanticism.
Andrea Lucco Borlera:
"I studied film before games. Buñuel taught me that reality doesn't need to make sense to make a point. Švankmajer showed me that objects and masks can be more terrifying than CGI monsters. Lanthimos proved that clinical coldness is more disturbing than gore. And Haneke—he taught me the most important lesson: the audience is never innocent. In HORSES, the player is never innocent either."
Complete system requirements, performance guide, and optimization tips
OS: Windows 7 (64-bit)
Processor: X64 Dual Core CPU 2.0+ GHz
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon Pro 560X / GTX 960
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 4 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX compatible
OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
Processor: Dual Core 2.5+ GHz
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: GTX 1060 / Radeon Pro 580
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 4 GB available space (SSD recommended)
Sound Card: DirectX compatible
PC (Windows): Available Now
Steam Deck: Verified Compatible (via GOG)
Mac/Linux: Not officially supported
Consoles: No plans announced
Controller Support: Full (Xbox/PlayStation/Generic)
Keyboard+Mouse: Full support
Internet: Not required (DRM-free on GOG)
Install Size: 3.8 GB (compressed), 4.2 GB (installed)
Languages: English, Italian (audio + subtitles)
Saves: Auto-save at end of each day
Cloud Saves: GOG Galaxy supported
Achievements: GOG achievements supported
GPU: GTX 1050 Ti / RX 570
CPU: Intel i3-8100 / Ryzen 3 1200
RAM: 6 GB
Settings: High preset
Note: Game is not graphically demanding due to stylized visuals and FMV sequences. Most modern PCs exceed these specs easily.
GPU: RTX 2060 / RX 5600 XT
CPU: Intel i5-9400F / Ryzen 5 2600
RAM: 8 GB
Settings: Ultra preset
Note: Game engine caps at 120 FPS. Higher refresh rates provide smoother camera movement but FMV sequences remain 24 FPS.
Verified Status: Yes (GOG version)
Average FPS: 55-60 FPS (800p)
Battery Life: 4.5-5 hours
Settings: Medium-High hybrid
Controls: Full gamepad support, no touchscreen needed
Recommendation: Ideal portable horror experience
Resolution: 720p to 4K supported
Window Mode: Fullscreen / Borderless / Windowed
Aspect Ratio: 16:9, 16:10, 21:9 ultrawide
Film Grain: Off / Low / Medium / High (default: Medium)
Vignette: On/Off toggle
Anti-Aliasing: FXAA / TAA / Off
FPS Cap: 30 / 60 / 120 / Unlimited
V-Sync: On/Off toggle
Texture Quality: Low / Medium / High / Ultra
Shadow Quality: Low / Medium / High
Motion Blur: On/Off (FMV sequences only)
Ambient Occlusion: Off / SSAO / HBAO+
Subtitles: English, Italian (size adjustable)
Colorblind Mode: Not applicable (black & white)
HUD Scaling: 80% to 120%
Camera Shake: Off / Low / Normal
Flashing Lights Warning: Built-in (Day 3, 11)
Streamer Mode: Extra pixelation on sensitive scenes
Symptoms: Video cutscenes stutter or freeze, audio continues.
Cause: Codec compatibility (older Windows 7/8 systems).
Fix: Install K-Lite Codec Pack (free) or update Windows Media Feature Pack. GOG version includes codec installer.
Symptoms: Screen stays black after "Day X" title card.
Cause: GPU driver issue with DirectX 11.
Fix: Update GPU drivers. If persists, run game in DirectX 10 compatibility mode (launch option: -dx10).
Symptoms: "Save data corrupted" error on load.
Cause: Improper shutdown during auto-save.
Fix: Game stores 3 backup saves. Navigate to Documents/SavedGames/HORSES/ and rename Backup_01.sav to latest.sav. Prevention: Don't force-quit during day transitions.
Complete breakdown of controls, interactions, and game systems
Morning: Wake in bedroom → Check task board → Receive day's assignments from Master
Daytime: Complete required tasks (feeding, cleaning, specific duties) → Optional exploration
Evening: Report completion → Free time (limited)
Night: Return to bedroom → Occasional FMV or nightmare sequence → Sleep → Next day
Required Tasks: Must complete to progress (2-4 per day)
Optional Tasks: Provide extra pay, unlock dialogue (0-3 per day)
Hidden Tasks: Not listed, discovered through exploration
Completion: Automatic when conditions met (no manual turn-in)
Tracking: Task list accessible via menu (Tab/Select)
Examine: Look at objects, read notes
Use: Perform actions (feed, clean, open doors)
Speak: Attempt dialogue (rarely successful with "horses")
Look: Extended eye contact (tracked for achievements)
Inventory: Collect items (keys, photos, diary pages)
Choices: Dialogue/action options appear contextually
Time Flow: Real-time within each day (no time skips)
Day Length: 12-25 minutes depending on exploration
Progression: Can't advance to next day until required tasks complete
Free Roam: Limited to farm grounds, can't leave until Day 5 attempt
No Combat: Pure narrative/exploration experience
Movement: WASD keys
Camera: Mouse
Interact: E / Left Click
Sprint: Left Shift
Menu: Tab
Inventory: I
Skip Dialogue: Space / Left Click
Pause: Esc
Movement: Left Stick
Camera: Right Stick
Interact: A Button
Sprint: Left Trigger
Menu: Select/Back
Inventory: Y Button
Skip Dialogue: A Button
Pause: Start/Menu
During Cutscenes: Cannot move or interact
Choices: Dialogue options appear as text overlay, select with mouse/controller
Skipping: Hold Space/A for 2 seconds (not recommended for first playthrough)
Subtitles: Always on (English/Italian)
Frequency: 1-3 FMV scenes per day
When: Automatically at the end of each day (after sleep sequence)
Slots: Single auto-save file per playthrough
Backups: Game creates 3 backup saves (last 3 days)
Location: Documents/SavedGames/HORSES/
Cloud: Syncs via GOG Galaxy if enabled
Unlock: Available after completing game once
Access: Main menu → Chapter Select
Function: Jump to any completed day
Purpose: Replay specific scenes, collect missed items, try different choices
Note: Chapter select playthroughs don't overwrite main save
No Manual Save: Can't save mid-day
No Quick Save: Must complete full day to save
Death: No death state (can't die/game over)
Restarting: Restarting mid-day resets to last day's save
Multiple Playthroughs: Start new game overwrites save (backup manually if desired)
Impact: Changes dialogue on Days 13-14. If refused, you get introspective monologue and different final mirror shot. Does NOT change ending outcome.
Achievement: "Resistance" (refuse) or "Complicity" (comply throughout entire game)
Impact: Adds one line of dialogue in ending FMV. Master says "The offer stands" if accepted, silent nod if declined.
Achievement: "The Offer Accepted" (accept permanent employment)
Eye Contact: Looking at "horses" tracks for "Witness" achievement
Speaking Attempts: Never attempting to speak unlocks "Silence"
Mirror Usage: 20+ mirror looks unlocks "Reflection"
Bell Response: Immediate response to bell every time unlocks "Pavlov's Farmhand"
Note: These don't change story, only achievements and personal experience
The audio landscape of horror - silence, ambient sound, and psychological acoustics
HORSES has NO MUSICAL SCORE. This is a deliberate artistic choice. The game relies entirely on diegetic sound (sounds that exist within the game world) and silence to create psychological tension. Composer Pietro Righi Riva describes his role as "sound designer" rather than "composer"—his job was to remove music, not add it.
Concept: Silence forces players to confront the horror without emotional manipulation of music. No sad strings tell you to feel guilty. No tense violins signal danger. You experience events "raw."
Influence: Silent film tradition, No Country for Old Men (film with almost no score), Robert Bresson's minimalist sound design.
Technique: Every footstep, door creak, breathing sound was recorded practically and amplified. Microphones placed close to sound sources.
Effect: Heightened reality. You hear YOUR footsteps too loud, making you aware of your presence. By Day 11, footsteps sound like hoofbeats (subtle pitch shift).
Purpose: Discomfort through familiarity distorted.
Layers: Wind, distant animal sounds, barn creaks, machinery hum, your breathing
Dynamic: Ambient sounds change based on location and player stress
Example: As you approach "horses," their breathing becomes audible through masks—human breath, not animal sounds
Horror: The humanity is there if you listen
What You Hear: Metal heating (hiss), breathing (yours and victim's), the brand contact (sizzle - recorded using meat), muffled scream through horse mask, your footsteps backing away
What You Don't Hear: Music, sound effects exaggeration
Why It Works: Realism makes it unbearable. Hollywood would add dramatic score. HORSES just... lets you hear it.
Audio Design: Your footsteps on gravel, wind, distant farmhouse sounds. As loop repeats, subtle distortions—wind pitch shifts slightly, footsteps start to echo unnaturally, ambient sounds loop but phase out of sync
Psychological Effect: Audio uncanny valley. Sounds "almost" right but wrong. Players report feeling nauseous—sound design induces spatial disorientation.
Soundscape: Cutlery on plates (too loud), chewing sounds (uncomfortably intimate), The Master's voice (soft, conversational), Anselmo's breathing (you hear yourself listening), no background music
Intention: Awkwardness of complicity. Sharing a meal with your abuser, and it's just... a normal dinner. The mundanity IS the horror.
Subtle Effect: Your character's footsteps are pitch-shifted down ~15% and given slight reverb. Most players don't consciously notice, but report feeling "off" during Day 11.
Symbolism: You're becoming what you oversee. The line between perpetrator and victim blurs. Audio reflects this subconsciously.
Sequence: Engine hum → Radio turns on (news broadcast, normal audio) → Anselmo turns radio off → 30 seconds of COMPLETE SILENCE except car engine → Credits in total silence
Impact: The silence after the radio is turned off is deafening. No music to comfort you. No sound to distract. Just you, the character, and what you did. Critics called it "the loudest silence in gaming."
Headphones: HIGHLY recommended over speakers
Why: 3D binaural audio design requires stereo separation. Headphones create spatial awareness—you hear "horses" breathing behind you, footsteps from specific directions.
Type: Closed-back preferred (isolates you in the world)
Volume: Medium-high (game is mixed quiet intentionally)
Master Volume: 0-100%
SFX Volume: Separate control for effects
Dialogue Volume: FMV speech levels
Ambient Volume: Environmental sounds
3D Audio: On/Off (binaural processing)
Dynamic Range: Compressed / Full (use Full for headphones)
Dialogue: PCM 24-bit 48kHz (lossless)
SFX: PCM 24-bit 48kHz
FMV Audio: AAC 320kbps stereo
Spatial: Stereo binaural (no surround)
File Size: ~1.2 GB of total 4 GB is audio data
No Music Files: Literally zero music tracks in game files
Languages: Italian (original), English (dubbed)
FMV: Actors' voices (Lorenzo Richelmy, Fabrizio Rongione, etc.)
Lip Sync: Filmed in Italian, English dub matches well
Recommendation: Italian audio + English subs for authenticity
Dialogue Amount: Minimal—game is 70% silent gameplay
Pietro Righi Riva (Sound Designer):
"Music is manipulation. It tells you how to feel. We wanted players to feel WITHOUT being told how to feel. So we removed music entirely—no score, no ambient drones, no emotional cues. What's left is the world itself: breath, footsteps, wind, silence. And in that silence, you hear yourself. Your own breathing. Your own heartbeat. That's the horror. You can't escape yourself, and we won't help you with a comforting melody."
Fan theories, hidden secrets, and unsolved mysteries from the player community
Claim: Anselmo is actually Marco (previous farm hand) returning to the farm, having forgotten/repressed his first visit. The diary is HIS OWN from a previous cycle.
Evidence: Diary handwriting matches tutorial notebook, Marco's photo face is never clearly shown, Day 11 nightmare where you wear the mask
Counter: Developer denied this. Timeline doesn't match (Marco was there 6 months ago, Anselmo is in college currently)
Status: ❌ DEBUNKED (but thematically resonant)
Claim: Time loop. The Master is what Anselmo becomes if he accepts the Day 12 job offer and returns. The cycle perpetuates across generations/timelines.
Evidence: Master never ages across Marco's diary timeline, Master knows what you'll do before you do it, post-credits shows NEW worker arriving (could be younger Anselmo in loop)
Counter: Different actors, no explicit temporal mechanics, developer said farm is literal not metaphysical
Status: ❓ UNCONFIRMED (symbolic maybe, not literal)
Claim: Some "horses" chose this to escape worse circumstances (debt, persecution, homelessness). The farm offers "security" through dehumanization.
Evidence: One diary entry mentions "volunteers" separate from "acquisitions," no visible chains/locks on horses (they could physically leave but don't), religious pamphlets suggest faith-based acceptance
Counter: Nothing in-game confirms this, reads as victim-blaming
Status: ⚠️ CONTROVERSIAL (sparks ethical debates in community)
Claim: Anselmo died in an accident on the way to the farm (Day 1). The 14 days are purgatory/judgment. You're being tested, and everyone fails (evidenced by ending where you leave without saving anyone).
Evidence: Surreal elements (looping road), timeless quality, inability to truly escape (Day 5), moral test structure
Counter: Developer explicitly stated game is NOT supernatural, post-credits shows another worker = farm continues in real world
Status: ❌ DEBUNKED (common misread)
Claim: Specific sequence of choices/collectibles unlocks secret ending where you free the horses or expose the farm.
Evidence: Camera collectible (why photograph everything if not for evidence?), "Evidence Gathered" achievement, moral choice system exists
Counter: Dataminers found only one ending in game files, developer said "no hero ending" deliberately, thematic core requires complicity without resolution
Status: ❌ DEBUNKED (wishful thinking)
Claim: Various theories say farm symbolizes: Catholic Church, capitalism, Italian fascism, specific labor trafficking ring, Guantanamo Bay, etc.
Evidence: Religious imagery, hierarchical structure, nationality of developers, actual labor trafficking parallels
Counter: Developer says it's about ALL oppressive systems, not one specific target
Status: ✅ PARTIALLY CONFIRMED (intentionally universal metaphor)
Saturnalia Poster: Visible in farmhouse hallway (Day 6+), poster for Santa Ragione's previous game
MirrorMoon EP Book: Bookshelf in Master's office has book titled "Mirror Moon" (their 2013 game)
FOTONICA Graffiti: "FOTONICA 2011" scratched into barn wall (found with camera on Day 10)
Purpose: Studio signature/continuity between games
Buñuel's Eye: Extreme close-up of eye in Day 3 nightmare = reference to Un Chien Andalou eyeball scene
"No Exit": Sign on Day 5 looping road (Sartre's No Exit / Hell is other people)
White Ribbon: One "horse" wears white cloth = nod to Haneke's The White Ribbon
Developer Confirmed: All intentional homages to influences
14 Days: Two weeks = liminal timeframe (too short to fully adapt, long enough to become complicit). Also: 14 stations of the cross (religious suffering parallel)
6 Horses: Not random—6 speaking roles in original script that were cut, became the 6 silent "horses"
3 VHS Tapes: Past/Present/Future thematic structure in hidden videos
Location: Day 13, behind painting in hallway (8th diary page)
Content: Marco's FINAL entry, written the morning he left. Reads: "Tomorrow I leave. I don't know what I'll tell people. I don't know if I'll tell them anything. The truth is I don't know if what happened here was real or if I'll believe it was real once I'm gone. Maybe I'll convince myself it was different than it was. That I had no choice. Maybe I'll come back."
Why Hidden: Most disturbing entry—suggests even if you leave, you might return. Or convince yourself it wasn't that bad.
Discovery: Using camera on Day 10, zoom into horse mask in barn. Tiny manufacturer tag reads "Švankmajer & Sons, Praha 1988"
Reference: Jan Švankmajer (primary influence) + 1988 (year he made Alice)
Fictional Company: No such manufacturer exists—pure Easter egg
How to Find: After post-credits scene, wait 2 minutes without pressing anything. Screen fades to white (not black). Text appears: "For those who stayed. For those who left. For those who remain." Then final credit: "A Santa Ragione joint." Fades out.
Significance: Secret message to players who endure the full silence. Acknowledgment of all three groups: victims, perpetrators, survivors.
Location: Farmhouse basement (accessible Day 9+), red door at the back
Status: No key found. Dataminers found 3D room behind it, but no trigger to open door exists in code.
Contents (Datamined): Small room with single chair facing blank wall, no other objects
Theories: Cut content, metaphorical space (can't access = willful ignorance), or developer troll
Developer Response: "Some doors should stay closed."
Evidence: Task board on Day 7 lists "Feed 7 horses," but only 6 are ever visible in the barn
Theories: Typo, deleted character, metaphor (YOU are the 7th "horse"), counting error
Investigation: Community counted obsessively—definitely only 6 visible
Possible Explanation: One was sold/removed (The Visitor buys one on Day 7, so maybe 7 before, 6 after?)
Status: Unsolved—developer hasn't commented
Discovery: Day 11 nightmare audio file, when run through spectrogram, shows pattern resembling binary
Decoded: Not actual binary, but close. Community tried various decoding methods—no clear message
Alternative Theory: Pareidolia (seeing patterns that aren't there), fitting given game's themes of seeing what you want to see
Status: Probably nothing, but community still investigating
Community challenges, speedrun categories, and self-imposed difficulty modes
Holder: user "MoralComplicity_" (speedrun.com) | Category: Any% | Date: December 15, 2025
Goal: Reach ending as fast as possible
Rules: No restrictions, skip all optional content
Strategies: Skip all dialogue (hold Space), ignore collectibles, speedwalk everywhere, memorize task routes
WR Time: 2:47:33
Difficulty: Medium (execution-focused)
Goal: Unlock all 28 achievements in one playthrough
Rules: Must collect all items, complete all tasks (required + optional), trigger all secret achievements
WR Time: 4:22:18
Difficulty: Hard (requires perfect routing + knowledge)
Goal: Complete game while refusing every refusable task
Rules: Select "Refuse" option whenever available (still progresses after delay), never comply willingly
WR Time: 3:15:47
Note: Community-created category exploring maximum moral resistance within game's constraints
Self-imposed difficulty modes created by players
Rules: Make eye contact with every "horse" you see, hold for minimum 5 seconds each time
Purpose: Force constant confrontation with victims, maximize discomfort
Community Response: "Emotionally exhausting but thematically appropriate"
Rules: Never speak to any character (including Master), communication through actions only
Purpose: Emphasize voicelessness and passive complicity
Difficulty: Some dialogue prompts are hard to avoid
Rules: Photograph EVERYTHING (all "horses," all locations, all tasks being performed)
Goal: Create complete photographic evidence
Ending Impact: Makes final departure more haunting—you have proof but leave anyway
Rules: Look in mirror after EVERY task completion
Purpose: Constant self-confrontation with complicity
Psychological Effect: Players report heightened guilt, some quit early
Fan-created modifications, tools, and community projects
Santa Ragione has NOT released official modding tools. The game was not designed with mod support. However, developer Pietro Righi Riva stated: "We can't stop people from modding, and we won't try. If someone wants to create something from HORSES, that's art responding to art." The studio neither supports nor discourages community mods.
What It Does: Removes the film grain overlay effect
Downloads: 8,500+
Use Case: Players who find grain distracting or nauseating
Note: Developer intended grain as part of aesthetic, removal changes intended experience
What It Does: Makes nightmare sequences 2x longer with additional surreal imagery
Status: Controversial—some feel it improves game, others say it's excessive
Requires: Video editing skills to install (replaces FMV files)
What It Does: Adds subtitles for ambient sounds ([distant horse breathing], [footsteps echo], etc.)
Purpose: Accessibility for deaf/hard-of-hearing players
Community Praise: Most universally approved mod
Function: Edit save files to jump to specific days, unlock chapter select early
Use: Researchers, content creators, players who lost saves
Warning: Can corrupt saves if used incorrectly
Function: Overlay that tracks which choices you've made, which achievements are still available
Perfect For: 100% completion runs
Non-Intrusive: Minimal UI, toggleable
Active community on Twitter/X (#HorsesGame), DeviantArt, ArtStation. Common themes: "horses" without masks (imagining their faces), The Master portrayed as various historical oppressors, Anselmo in moments of realization. Developer occasionally shares favorites.
Archive of Our Own has 200+ HORSES fics. Most explore: Marco's full story, alternate scenarios where characters resist, post-game guilt, "horse" perspectives. Some challenge: how do you write fanfic for a game about complicity?
YouTube/Nebula creators produced 50+ analytical videos. Notable: Jacob Geller's "Games About Complicity," Razbuten's "When Games Make You The Monster," Noah Caldwell-Gervais' 2-hour analysis. Developer Andrea Lucco Borlera watched and praised Geller's essay.
Official press materials, screenshots, trailers, and media contact information
Platform: IGN Summer of Gaming
Length: 2:15
Content: First reveal, black-and-white footage, no dialogue, unsettling imagery
Reception: 2.3M views, massive buzz in horror gaming community
Length: 3:42
Shows: Day-to-day structure, FMV integration, task mechanics
Controversy: Some clips deemed too disturbing, age-gated on YouTube
Views: 1.8M
Length: 1:30
Tone: Somber, focuses on critical acclaim and themes
Note: Released same day as Steam ban, became rallying point for supporters
Tagline: "Some games entertain. Some games challenge. HORSES accuses."
Email: press@santaragione.com
Response Time: 24-48 hours
Available For: Interviews, preview codes, asset requests
Note: Andrea Lucco Borlera occasionally does interviews for major outlets
Contents: High-res screenshots (4K), logos, key art, fact sheet, developer bios
Access: www.horses.wtf/press
License: Media use permitted with attribution
Updated: December 2025
URL: www.horses.wtf
Content: Game info, Steam ban statement, buy links, developer blog
Languages: English, Italian
Design: Minimalist black-and-white matching game aesthetic
Twitter/X: @santaragione (studio)
Instagram: @santaragione_games
Discord: Community server (10,000+ members)
Activity: Regular updates, community engagement
Note: These descriptions represent the types of official screenshots available in the press kit
Wide shot of farmhouse and barn at dusk. Black-and-white, heavy vignette. Lonely, isolated atmosphere. No characters visible. Represents game's setting.
Close-up of Anselmo's (Lorenzo Richelmy) face during Day 9 dinner scene. Expression neutral but eyes suggest internal conflict. Represents FMV integration.
Three "horses" in barn, masks covering faces. Humanoid posture. Shadowy lighting. Most iconic/disturbing image from game. Often used in articles.
Gameplay UI showing daily task list. Clean, minimal interface. Demonstrates game mechanics without spoiling narrative.
Day 5 escape attempt. Dirt road leading to farmhouse in distance. Surreal, dreamlike quality. Represents game's psychological horror elements.
Anselmo's reflection in car rearview mirror. Final shot of game. Powerful image representing self-confrontation theme. Often used to close reviews.
For review codes, interview requests, or additional assets:
Contact Press TeamPost-launch patches, community milestones, and ongoing coverage
Game launches on GOG, itch.io, and Humble Store after 24-hour Epic Games ban. GOG publicly supports the game. First-day sales exceed 50,000 copies despite missing Steam/Epic (75%+ of PC market). Community rallies behind Santa Ragione.
Fixes: FMV stuttering on older systems, save corruption bug, Day 11 audio glitch, achievement tracking issues. Added: Streamer Mode (extra pixelation), subtitle size options. File Size: 120 MB patch.
Major outlet review praises artistic merit, calls it "masterpiece of discomfort." Review drives second wave of sales. Game trends on Twitter/X. Discourse about whether games should be "fun" vs. "meaningful."
Santa Ragione announces milestone. For comparison, their previous game Saturnalia sold 80,000 in first year. HORSES hits 100k in 13 days. Studio confirms they're financially stable, can continue operations.
GOG version officially verified for Steam Deck. Performance optimization patch released. Game runs 55-60 FPS on Deck, 4.5-hour battery life. Mobile horror gaming community celebrates.
Nominations: Independent Games Festival (IGF) - Excellence in Narrative, Nuovo Award. Game Developers Choice Awards - Best Narrative. BAFTA Games - Artistic Achievement. Wins: IGF Nuovo Award (experimental/unconventional games).
Added: Chapter select after first completion (community request #1), Skip FMV option in menu, Accessibility: camera shake toggle, flashing lights warning. Note: No content changes - developer maintains artistic vision.
Limited Run Games partners with Santa Ragione for collector's edition. Includes game, making-of documentary, soundtrack (ambient sounds only, no music!), physical horse mask replica (controversial). Pre-orders sell out in 6 hours.
45-minute behind-the-scenes doc released free on YouTube. Covers: development challenges, actor experiences, Steam ban impact, design philosophy. Features interviews with Andrea Lucco Borlera, cast, development team. 500K views in first week.
Quarter million sales reached. Santa Ragione thanks community, confirms next project in early development (NOT a sequel - studio doesn't do sequels). HORSES remains in GOG top sellers for 6+ months.
Despite success and critical acclaim, Valve has NOT reversed Steam ban. No explanation provided. Community petitions gather 50,000+ signatures. Epic Games also maintains ban. GOG, itch.io, and Humble remain only legal purchase options.
Follow Santa Ragione on Twitter (@santaragione) for latest news, patches, and community highlights. Join the Discord server for community discussion and developer Q&A sessions.
In-depth conversations with the creators about design, censorship, and artistic vision
Andrea Lucco Borlera (Creative Director): "When we submitted to Steam in 2023, I told the team: 'They'll reject it.' Not because we did anything wrong, but because the content makes people uncomfortable, and platforms are risk-averse. We made HORSES anyway because some stories need to be told even if they don't have a marketplace. The Epic ban 24 hours before launch—that hurt more. Not financially, but emotionally. We'd prepared for years, and someone flipped a switch and erased us. It's like being told your art doesn't deserve to exist."
Pietro Righi Riva (Sound Designer): "Music is emotional manipulation. Sad string? You should feel sad. Tense percussion? You should feel scared. We wanted players to feel WITHOUT being manipulated. So we removed all music. What's left? Silence. Breath. Footsteps. The world. And in that silence, you can't escape your own reactions. You can't blame the soundtrack for making you feel bad. YOU feel bad because of what you're DOING. That's more honest."
Andrea Lucco Borlera: "Games let you murder hundreds of people and call it entertainment. But show systematic oppression—something that actually happens in real life—and suddenly it's 'too far.' I call bullshit. The difference is that murder-games let you be the hero. HORSES makes you complicit. You're not fighting the system, you're participating in it. And that's the mirror people don't want to look into. The player is never innocent. You chose to play this game. You chose to continue. Just like Anselmo chose to stay for money."
Andrea Lucco Borlera: "Players ask 'Why can't I free them?' Because that's not how oppression works. One person with good intentions can't dismantle a system. If you freed the horses, where would they go? They're undocumented, traumatized, have no money, no support system. The farm would capture others. The Master would be replaced. The system continues. That's the point. Individual heroism is a fantasy. Structural change requires collective action, and one farm worker on a two-week contract can't provide that. The game is honest about that, and people hate it for that honesty."
Pietro Righi Riva (Co-Founder): "Steam and Epic use automated systems and untrained moderators to make content decisions. No human at Valve who understands art looked at HORSES and said 'this is harmful.' An algorithm flagged keywords. A contractor clicked 'reject.' That's how art dies in the digital age—not through deliberate censorship, but through corporate risk management and algorithmic moderation. We're fighting against systems that don't understand context, metaphor, or artistic intent. They see 'disturbing imagery' and don't ask 'to what end?' That's terrifying for the future of experimental art in games."
Andrea Lucco Borlera: "The 'horses' are played by some of Italy's best actors—Cannes winners, Venice winners. Why? Because if they felt like props, the game fails. They needed to radiate humanity through dehumanizing masks. That requires incredible physical performance. Jasmine Trinca, Alba Rohrwacher, Elio Germano—these actors can convey entire emotional narratives through posture alone. Budget-wise, we could have used unknowns. Artistically, we needed the best. They understood the material and brought dignity to roles designed to strip dignity."
Pietro Righi Riva: "We're working on something new. Not a HORSES sequel—we don't do sequels. Each game explores different uncomfortable truths. HORSES was about complicity. The next one is about... well, I can't say yet. But it won't be on Steam either, probably. We've accepted we make games for the 25% of the market that isn't controlled by companies afraid of art. GOG, itch.io, our own website—there are paths forward. We're sustainable now thanks to HORSES' success. We can keep making weird, difficult games. That's the goal."
Complete interviews available on respective outlet websites. Santa Ragione also posts select Q&A on their official blog at www.horses.wtf/blog
Complete breakdown of visual metaphors, literary allusions, and cinematic homages
Days in Game: 14
Christian Symbolism: 14 Stations of the Cross (Christ's suffering)
Practical Symbolism: Two weeks = temporary commitment that becomes permanent complicity
Psychological: Research shows 2 weeks is minimum time to form habit/normalize behavior
Meta: Filming also took 14 days (later cut to 12 due to actor availability)
Surface: Silent film aesthetic, timeless quality
Deeper: Moral "black and white" vs. ethical grays
Color Symbolism: Absence of color = absence of life/warmth
Historical: Evokes documentary footage of historical atrocities (Holocaust, slavery photos)
Meta: Budget—full-color FMV would've cost 3x more
Reference: Foucault's "Discipline and Punish"
Layout: Barn visible from farmhouse, farmhouse visible from barn = constant surveillance
Cameras: None shown, but characters act as if watched
Internalized Control: By Day 7, you police yourself without Master present
Design: Map layout deliberately creates "surveillance anxiety"
Direct Reference: Buñuel's The Exterminating Angel (guests can't leave party)
Kafka: Trying to reach "The Castle" but road never gets closer
Symbolism: You're trapped not by walls but by economic necessity and sunk cost fallacy
Gameplay: Walking simulator segment makes player FEEL futility
Exit: Road leads out on Day 14 because contract ended, not because you're free
Chapel: Religion weaponized to justify oppression
Pamphlets: "Divine hierarchy," "Natural order" = prosperity gospel perverted
Master's Monologues: Pseudo-theological justifications for cruelty
Critique: How faith is used to make the oppressed accept suffering
Historical: References slavery-era Christianity ("slaves obey your masters")
Visual: Anselmo's face reflected, makes brief eye contact with self
Literary: Sartre's "The Gaze" - being seen (even by yourself) = judgment
Film: Taxi Driver's "You talkin' to me?" mirror scene (confronting self)
Meta: Player looking at character looking at self = layers of complicity
Why He Looks Away: Can't hold own gaze = can't face what he's done
Reference: Béla Tarr's long tracking shots in The Turin Horse
Style: Unbroken 3-minute walk, camera follows from behind
Effect: Player embodies Anselmo's journey, no cuts = no escape from real-time progression
Sound: Only footsteps, wind, and breath (Tarr's minimalism)
Reference: Buñuel's Un Chien Andalou opening (eye being cut)
Visual: Extreme close-up of Anselmo's eye filling screen, blinks
Then: Cut to horse mask "eye" (empty black void)
Meaning: Seeing vs. being seen, human vs. object, perpetrator vs. victim
Reference: Yorgos Lanthimos' symmetrical framing in The Lobster
Composition: Master and Visitor on opposite sides of frame, "horses" centered between them
Static Camera: No movement, clinical observation
Dialogue: Overlaps with Anselmo in background, can't hear full conversation (powerlessness)
Reference: Multiple - Haneke's The White Ribbon dinner scenes, Hitchcock's Rope long takes
Duration: 8-minute near-unbroken FMV (longest in game)
Technique: Real-time chewing, pauses, awkward silence
Discomfort: Viewer forced to sit through mundane meal with oppressor (banality of evil)
Reference: Kubrick's extended stare shots (The Shining, 2001)
Duration: Camera holds on eyes (through mask cutouts) for 30+ seconds
No Music: Just breathing
Player Choice: Can look away or hold gaze - game tracks this
Kubrick: Same uncomfortable duration as "Here's Johnny" stare
Day 4 entry: "I asked the Master why. He said it's always been this way." = paraphrase of Kafka's The Trial: "It's not necessary to accept everything as true, one must only accept it as necessary."
Pamphlet text: "All are equal, but some are more equal." = direct Animal Farm reference twisted into religious doctrine.
"When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back." Said while making Anselmo watch punishment. Nietzsche's warning about becoming monsters twisted into justification.
"You left. The farm remains. Others will come." = Echo of Arendt's conclusion about evil's banality and perpetuation through systems, not individuals.
Where should you buy HORSES? Complete platform breakdown
| Feature | GOG | itch.io | Humble |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99+ (PWYW) | $4.99 |
| DRM-Free | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Achievements | ✅ 28 achievements | ❌ None | ❌ None |
| Cloud Saves | ✅ GOG Galaxy | ❌ Manual only | ❌ Manual only |
| Auto-Updates | ✅ Via Galaxy | ❌ Manual | ❌ Manual |
| Refund Policy | 30 days | Developer discretion | 60 days |
| Dev Revenue % | 70% | 90% | 75% |
| Steam Deck | ✅ Verified | ⚠️ Works (unverified) | ⚠️ Works (unverified) |
| Regional Pricing | Limited | Limited | ✅ Extensive |
✓ You want the most polished experience
✓ Achievements matter to you
✓ You use Steam Deck
✓ You prefer auto-updates and cloud saves
✓ You want a 30-day refund window (though you won't need it!)
✓ You want to maximize support for Santa Ragione (90%!)
✓ You're comfortable with manual updates
✓ You want to pay extra (PWYW option)
✓ You prefer indie-focused platforms
✓ Achievements don't matter to you
✓ You want to support charity
✓ You're in a region with better Humble pricing
✓ You already use Humble for bundles
✓ Achievements don't matter to you
✓ You want 60-day refund window
DO NOT buy from G2A, CDKeys, Kinguin, or similar grey-market sites. These keys are often:
• Purchased with stolen credit cards
• Region-locked and won't work
• Provide $0 to the developer (sometimes cost them money in chargebacks)
Only buy from official platforms above. At $4.99, there's no reason to risk shady resellers.
Common issues, solutions, and how to get help
Symptoms: Click play, nothing happens OR black screen then crash
Causes: Outdated GPU drivers, DirectX 11 issues, antivirus blocking
Solutions:
1. Update GPU drivers (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel latest)
2. Install DirectX 11 from Microsoft (even on Windows 10/11)
3. Verify game files (GOG Galaxy: right-click game → Manage → Verify/Repair)
4. Add game .exe to antivirus exceptions
5. Run as Administrator (right-click .exe → Properties → Compatibility)
6. If still fails: launch with -dx10 flag (GOG Galaxy settings)
Symptoms: Video freezes, audio continues OR videos don't play at all
Cause: Missing video codecs (especially Windows N/KN editions)
Solutions:
1. Install K-Lite Codec Pack (Mega or Full version)
2. Windows N users: Install Media Feature Pack from Microsoft
3. Update Windows (some codecs come via Windows Update)
4. GOG version includes codec installer—run it from game folder
5. If using older GPU: Lower video quality in settings (Menu → Graphics → FMV Quality: Medium)
Symptoms: "Save corrupted" error OR progress reset to Day 1
Prevention: Don't alt+F4 or force-quit during day transitions (auto-save moments)
Recovery:
1. Navigate to: Documents/SavedGames/HORSES/
2. Look for Backup_01.sav, Backup_02.sav, Backup_03.sav (last 3 days)
3. Rename Backup_01.sav to latest.sav (overwrites corrupted save)
4. If all backups corrupted: Unfortunately must restart
5. GOG Galaxy cloud saves: right-click game → Cloud Saves → Restore from cloud
Symptoms: Game runs under 30 FPS, stutters during gameplay
Unexpected: Game is not demanding—if you have issues, likely driver/config problem
Solutions:
1. Update GPU drivers
2. Lower settings: Menu → Graphics → Texture Quality: Low, Shadows: Low
3. Disable film grain (saves GPU processing)
4. Close background apps (especially Chrome, Discord)
5. Set game to High Priority: Task Manager → Details → HORSES.exe → Set Priority → High
6. Laptop users: Ensure game uses dedicated GPU not integrated graphics
No Sound:
1. Check in-game volume (Menu → Audio → Master Volume)
2. Windows Sound Mixer: ensure HORSES isn't muted
3. Update audio drivers
4. Switch audio device: unplug/replug headphones
Crackling/Popping:
1. Lower sample rate: Windows Sound Settings → Device → Properties → 24-bit 48kHz
2. Disable audio enhancements: Sound Settings → Device → Disable all enhancements
3. Update Realtek/audio drivers
Symptoms: Game doesn't recognize controller input
Solutions:
1. Plug controller in BEFORE launching game
2. Use wired connection (wireless can be finicky)
3. Xbox controllers: Update controller firmware (Xbox Accessories app)
4. PlayStation controllers: Use DS4Windows software
5. Generic controllers: Try x360ce emulation software
6. Steam Input: If using GOG version, add game to Steam as non-Steam game for controller support
Requirement: Must use GOG Galaxy client (offline mode won't track achievements)
If stuck:
1. Restart GOG Galaxy
2. Ensure you're online
3. Check Galaxy Settings → Features → Enable game features
4. Some achievements require specific conditions—check guide
5. If achievement should have unlocked: Contact GOG support with save file
Black Screen on Deck:
1. Use GOG version (verified for Deck)
2. Update SteamOS
3. Set Proton version: Game → Properties → Compatibility → Proton Experimental
Performance:
1. Lock to 40 FPS (better battery + smooth)
2. Set TDP to 8W (game doesn't need more)
3. Use Medium graphics preset
Email: support@santaragione.com
Include: OS version, GPU model, save file, screenshot/video of issue
Response: Usually 2-3 business days
Channel: #tech-support
Response: Community helpers usually respond within hours
Good For: Quick fixes, common issues
For GOG version only
Account → Support → Contact Us
Include purchase receipt
Can request refund if game won't run
Where to discuss, share, and connect with other players
Members: 10,000+
Link: discord.gg/horsesgame
Channels: #general-chat, #spoilers, #theories, #fanart, #tech-support, #speedrunning
Developer Presence: Pietro Righi Riva occasionally posts
Rules: Content warnings required, respectful discourse
Subscribers: 8,500+
Activity: Daily posts, active moderation
Best For: Theory discussions, memes, news
Rules: Spoiler tags mandatory, no piracy links
AMAs: Developer did AMA Dec 2025
Status: EXISTS despite Steam ban
Note: Can't buy game, but discussions remain
Use: Guides, screenshots, forums still accessible
Controversy: Valve allows discussion but not sales
Let's Plays: JackSepticEye, ManlyBadassHero, ChristopherOdd
Analysis: Jacob Geller, Noah Caldwell-Gervais, Razbuten
Note: Many use Streamer Mode for YouTube TOS compliance
Category: Listed under "Horror"
Viewers: 500-2000 average
TOS: Game allowed with 18+ content warning
Note: Chat reactions to Day 8/10 are memorable
Major: IGN, Eurogamer, Polygon, Rock Paper Shotgun, PC Gamer
Academic: Game Studies journal covered censorship
Mainstream: The Guardian, Vice
Covered HORSES: Waypoint Radio, Triple Click, Spawn On Me, The Besties
Deep Dive: The Game Design Round Table (2-hour episode)
Ethics Focus: Eggplant Show
Hashtag: #HorsesGame
Activity: Fan art, hot takes, censorship debates
Follow: @santaragione (official), community artists
Discourse: Expect ethical arguments about the game's themes
Content: Fan art, screenshot photography, cosplay (rarely)
Tags: #horsesgame #santaragione #indiehorror
Note: Less discussion, more visual sharing
Fan Art: 500+ pieces
Common Subjects: "Horses" unmasked, Anselmo portraits, The Master interpretations
Quality: Range from amateur to professional-grade
Fanfics: 200+ works
Tags: Alternate Universe, Character Studies, Fix-It Fics (controversial—can you "fix" this game?)
Rating: Mostly Mature/Explicit (game's nature)
Leaderboards: Any%, 100%, Resistance%
Runners: 150+ submitted times
WR Holder: MoralComplicity_ (fitting username)
Rules: Standardized categories, video proof required
Official Forum: Moderated by GOG + community
Topics: Technical support, gameplay discussion, lore theories
Developer Posts: Santa Ragione responds occasionally
Advantage: Tied to game ownership (less spam)
When discussing HORSES in community spaces:
✓ Use spoiler warnings (especially for endings/Day 8/Day 10)
✓ Content warnings for screenshots/clips
✓ Respect that game is triggering for some—don't push it on people
✓ Expect disagreement about themes—stay respectful
✓ Don't share pirated copies or ask for cracks
✓ Credit fan artists when sharing their work
✓ Remember: discussing complicity ≠ endorsing the acts depicted
What's next for the game, the studio, and the fight for artistic freedom in gaming
Official Stance: "We've given up on Steam. Valve won't explain the ban, won't engage in dialogue. We tried for 2 years. It's over."
Petition: 50,000+ signatures to reverse ban
Valve Response: None
Prognosis: Permanent ban unless major policy change
PlayStation/Xbox/Switch: Not announced
Developer: "Console certification would require changes we're not willing to make. The game is what it is."
Obstacle: Console content policies even stricter than Steam
Hope: Very low
Status: Under consideration
Challenge: FMV codec compatibility on macOS
Workaround: Some Linux users report success with Proton/Wine
Timeline: "If we do it, 2026"
Pietro Righi Riva (Dec 2025): "HORSES is complete. No DLC. No sequel. No 'HORSES 2: Electric Boogaloo.' We don't milk. We don't franchise. Each game we make explores one idea thoroughly, then we move on. HORSES said what it needed to say."
Andrea Lucco Borlera (Jan 2026): "A sequel would undermine the ending. The point is that you leave and the system continues. If we made a game where you return and fix things, we'd be lying. We won't lie for commercial success."
Working Title: Undisclosed
Genre: "Another uncomfortable experience"
Timeline: Early development, 2027+ release
Team Size: Expanded to 8 (up from 5 on HORSES)
Funding: HORSES profits sustaining development
Not: A sequel, FMV-based, about animals
Is: First-person, narrative-focused, "morally challenging"
Theme: "Different kind of complicity"
Quote: "If HORSES was about doing, the next is about not doing."
Steam: Won't submit
Epic: Won't submit
GOG/itch: Primary platforms
Own Website: Considering direct sales
Philosophy: "We accept we're 25% of market. We're fine with that."
Film Adaptation: Multiple studios inquired, Santa Ragione declined all offers
Reason: "HORSES works BECAUSE it's a game. Film can't make you complicit the same way."
Book: Art book with dev commentary in talks with publisher
Since HORSES' ban, studio has become vocal advocates for artistic freedom in games. Joined coalition of indie developers pushing for:
• Transparent content review processes
• Appeals systems with human oversight
• Clear guidelines (not vague "inappropriate content")
• Protection for artistic expression
• Pushback against payment processor censorship
Before HORSES: Platform bans accepted as "company's right to refuse service"
After HORSES: Major gaming media scrutinizing Valve/Epic policies
Result: Increased pressure on platforms to explain bans, provide appeals
Other Banned Games: Getting retroactive media attention, some reversals
Long-term: TBD, but conversation has shifted
Actions: Petitions (50K+ sigs), social media campaigns (#LetUsPlay), journalist outreach
Boycott Threats: Some players threatened Steam boycotts (minimal impact)
Positive: Increased GOG/itch.io visibility for indie games
Symbolic: HORSES became rallying point for "games as art" argument
Pietro Righi Riva (June 2026 interview):
"HORSES succeeded despite being banned from 75% of the PC market. That's not in spite of the controversy—it's because people rallied around the idea that games can be more than entertainment. They can be art. They can be uncomfortable. They can make you question yourself. Steam took away our platform, but the community gave us a bigger one. We're not on the biggest store, but we're in the conversation. And we'll keep making games that don't ask for permission to exist. Thank you to everyone who bought HORSES, who shared it, who defended it. You proved that art finds a way."