Steam has become an essential platform for indie game developers, enabling many solo developers and small studios to launch their projects to a massive audience they'd otherwise not have access to. So when a decision is made to "ban" a game from the platform, it can have substantial consequences on the affected studio.
In one recent example, the indie horror game HORSES from Santa Ragione Game Studio was banned from launching on Steam, who apparently provided no reason or explanation for the ban other than directing developers to Steam’s general guidelines. "Requests for review and appeal were denied over and over," and devs claim to have exhausted all options in overturning the ban, to no avail, deciding to launch the game without Steam approval on December 2, 2025.
The HORSES Steam ban should be a concern for indie developers interested in launching their products on Steam, especially given Steam's lack of a response to appeals made by Santa Ragione studios. Devs offer their explanation for why they think they were not approved by Steam, pointing to the "grotesque, subversive imagery" used in the game that is intended "to confront power, faith, and violence."
Santa Ragione devs accuse Steam of enacting...
