IGN published their review of Horses on December 2, 2025, the same day the game launched on GOG, Itch.io, and Humble Store after being banned from both Steam and Epic Games Store. Reviewer Sarah Thwaites gave the psychological horror game a 7 out of 10, describing it as a chilling, nerve-shredding short story that propels you through increasingly heinous farm tasks over approximately three hours. The review praises Santa Ragione’s admirably bracing vision and sharp writing of morally repugnant characters, while criticizing repetitive activities and unclear signposting that pull you out of the silent film-like atmosphere. Despite the controversy surrounding its platform bans, IGN’s assessment confirms Horses delivers exactly what arthouse horror promises – an uncomfortable, affecting experience that sticks with you long after the credits roll, whether you want it to or not.
What IGN Says About the Gameplay
According to the review, Horses casts you as Anselmo, a naive farmhand working for an affable but deeply disturbed farmer. The game starts innocuously with simple farming tasks like harvesting vegetables and chopping wood, but quickly reveals disturbing elements. The farmer’s prized “horses” are actually naked humans wearing rubber horse masks, dehumanized and kept in cramped stalls. The review emphasizes that this imagery is sympathetic rather than exploitative – the pixelated nudity highlights their dehumanized existence instead of serving as titillation.
From that point forward, almost every action you complete – from farming chores to tormenting veterinarian work – is intentionally designed to make you feel conflicted. IGN’s reviewer found herself struggling to push through the haunting world Santa Ragione created, with its grey moral code and disturbing paraphernalia. One example given involves searching for escaped horses and witnessing a confronting interaction between a horse outside the gates and one still trapped inside. These unusual moments ramp up in intensity throughout the three-hour runtime.
The horror extends beyond daytime tasks. When the sun sets, Anselmo slips into dreamlike states where the farmer’s sexual and religious trauma manifests through dark allegories that you experience in raw, challenging, and uncensored format. Instead of text dumps, Horses uses sharp dialogue and symbolic iconography to give players room to unpack its heavy story. IGN notes the game avoids explicit text explanations, preferring visual storytelling that requires interpretation.
The Presentation and Atmosphere
Multiple reviews emphasize Horses’ distinctive black-and-white aesthetic inspired by silent film and experimental cinema. The game uses rapid cuts, live-action segments, split screens, and picture-in-picture effects to create a restless, experimental blend of unconventional stylistic choices. Realistic textures clash with awkwardly animated character models, creating unsettling uncanny valley effects.
Audio design plays a crucial role. There’s a near-total absence of diegetic sound, replaced by the relentless whir of an unseen film projector. When sounds do appear – eating, drinking, horses neighing – they’re phobic-inducing and disturbingly effective. Finger Guns’ review mentions two moments of hearing horses neigh that are “the stuff of nightmares.” The retro-style dialogue cutaways combined with these audio cues create an oppressive ambiance that deeply unsettles players.
IGN’s review notes that this silent film-like world occasionally suffers from unclear signposting that pulls you out of the experience. When you’re not sure what to do next or where to go, the atmospheric immersion breaks, revealing the game’s mechanical limitations underneath the artistic presentation.
The Problems – Repetition and Pacing
Despite praising the vision and writing, IGN criticizes Horses for repetitive activities and low-stakes gameplay. The review states that if you’re not gripped by the unfolding story and characters, there’s not much to engage with mechanically. Farm tasks repeat with minor variations, and the short three-hour runtime magnifies these limitations, messing with the cadence of an otherwise well-orchestrated experience.
IGN compares Horses unfavorably to other recent horror games like Mouthwashing and No, I’m Not A Human, suggesting those games maintain their grip more cohesively. The reviewer describes being compelled and constantly curious but simultaneously struggling to push through certain sections. This tension between intellectual interest and moment-to-moment engagement seems to be Horses’ central weakness.
Finger Guns’ review echoes this sentiment, stating they wouldn’t say they “enjoyed” Horses the same way they wouldn’t say they enjoyed The Pianist. These experiences aren’t designed for fun – they’re meant to move, evoke, disturb, and unsettle. The reviewer wishes the game had the opportunity to flesh out some gameplay mechanics and commit further to certain narrative threads, suggesting the platform bans may have rushed or limited development.
Content Warnings Might Be Misleading
Eurogamer’s review makes an interesting observation – despite extensive content warnings covering suicide, sexual assault, and other disturbing topics, the game may be somewhat misleading about the relentless horror experience players might expect. For all its bizarre and jarring imagery, Horses maintains a darkly whimsical tone throughout, often tempering horror with humor. Even its most indelible moments stop short of crossing into gratuitous territory.
The game certainly enjoys provoking reactions – players might gasp, wince, or find themselves at a loss for words – but reviewers agree it never feels trivial or exploitative. This nuanced approach might explain why official rating boards gave it PEGI 18 and ESRB M ratings rather than Adults Only. The content is disturbing conceptually and atmospherically, but not explicitly graphic in the way that typically triggers AO ratings.
The Verdict – 7 Out of 10
IGN’s final assessment awards Horses a 7 out of 10, placing it in the “Good” category. The verdict emphasizes that Santa Ragione’s admirably bracing vision does well to harness what can make the interactivity of video games so affecting. You’ll have plenty to think about as the credits roll, and the experience will stick with you whether you want it to or not.
This score suggests Horses succeeds at its primary goal – creating an uncomfortable, thought-provoking horror experience – while acknowledging mechanical and pacing issues prevent it from being exceptional. For comparison, IGN gave recent horror games like Still Wakes the Deep an 8 and Alan Wake 2 a 9, positioning Horses as a good but flawed entry in the genre.
Community Reaction to the Review
Reddit discussions about IGN’s review show players debating whether a 7 is fair given the circumstances. Some argue the score is generous considering the repetitive gameplay criticism. Others suggest IGN might have scored it lower if not for the controversy – the platform bans potentially created sympathy that inflated the rating.
Many commenters express curiosity about what content actually triggered the Steam and Epic bans given IGN’s description doesn’t seem to match “sexual content involving minors.” The review describes dehumanized adults wearing horse masks and dreamlike allegorical sequences about trauma, neither of which obviously justifies platform rejection based on child safety concerns.
Some players remain skeptical that Santa Ragione is being entirely honest about the game’s content. But multiple professional reviews now exist from outlets that played final retail builds, and none describe anything that would clearly violate content standards. The disconnect between platform rejections and critical assessments suggests either the platforms overreacted to early builds, or there’s miscommunication about what triggered the bans.
Where Reviews Agree and Disagree
Critical consensus positions Horses as an affecting, uncomfortable arthouse horror experience with significant but not fatal flaws. The Guardian called the demo promising despite being unpredictable and jagged. Rock Paper Shotgun described it as repellent and compelling, commending the uncanny valley visuals. Finger Guns emphasized that seeking fun from this experience misses the point entirely – it’s designed to disturb and unsettle, which it accomplishes effectively.
The main disagreement centers on whether the mechanical limitations undermine the artistic vision. IGN suggests the repetitive gameplay and unclear signposting significantly detract from immersion. Eurogamer seems more forgiving, emphasizing the darkly whimsical tone and experimental presentation. The score range appears to fall between 6 and 8 out of 10 depending on how much weight reviewers give to artistic ambition versus playability.
FAQs
What score did IGN give Horses?
7 out of 10, placing it in the Good category. The review praises its chilling atmosphere and sharp writing while criticizing repetitive activities and unclear signposting.
How long is Horses?
Approximately three hours according to IGN’s review. It’s a short horror experience designed to be completed in one sitting like a disturbing film.
What do you actually do in the game?
You play as farmhand Anselmo completing increasingly disturbing tasks for a farmer whose prized horses are actually dehumanized people wearing rubber masks. Tasks range from farming chores to tormenting veterinary work designed to make you uncomfortable.
Is it actually inappropriate for Steam?
Based on reviews from outlets that played the final build, the content doesn’t obviously violate Steam’s policies. It’s disturbing and deals with mature themes about trauma, but reviewers note it avoids gratuitous exploitation.
What’s the art style?
Black-and-white silent film aesthetic with experimental cinematography including rapid cuts, split screens, live-action segments, and uncanny valley character models. Audio is minimal except for disturbing sound effects and film projector ambiance.
Does it have content warnings?
Yes, extensive warnings covering suicide, sexual assault, and other disturbing topics. However, reviews suggest these might be somewhat misleading – the game is darkly whimsical rather than relentlessly brutal.
Where can I buy Horses?
Available on GOG, Itch.io, and Humble Store as of December 2, 2025. Permanently banned from Steam and Epic Games Store.
Is it worth playing?
According to IGN, yes if you’re interested in arthouse horror that prioritizes artistic vision over fun gameplay. Not recommended if you need mechanically engaging experiences or dislike experimental narratives.
Why was it banned?
Valve claimed early builds appeared to depict sexual content involving minors. Epic cited an Adults Only rating from IARC. Reviews of the final game don’t describe content that clearly justifies these bans.
Conclusion
IGN’s 7 out of 10 review confirms that Horses delivers on its promise as an uncomfortable, affecting horror experience that uses video game interactivity to explore disturbing themes about power, dehumanization, and trauma. The platform bans generated massive controversy and threatened Santa Ragione’s survival, but professional reviews suggest the final game doesn’t contain the objectionable content that supposedly triggered those rejections. The real story might be that Valve and Epic overreacted to incomplete early builds without giving the developer opportunity to address concerns, resulting in a competent arthouse horror game being blacklisted from major distribution platforms. Whether the 7 out of 10 score is fair depends on your tolerance for experimental narratives with repetitive gameplay – if you value artistic ambition and psychological horror over mechanical depth, Horses might score higher for you personally. Either way, it’s available now on alternative platforms for anyone curious enough to judge for themselves whether this three-hour disturbing farm simulator deserved its fate.