Horses Producer Credits Public Support for Impact, Yet Studio’s Future Remains Uncertain
Horses developer Santa Ragione appears to be on the brink of wrapping up its game-making journey, despite a recent surge in sales attributed to increased visibility and community backing.
After facing bans on Steam and the Epic Games Store just days before its launch, Horses made its debut on Humble and GOG on December 2, receiving generally positive reviews and surprisingly climbing to the top of GOG’s best-seller charts. Pietro Righi Riva, the founder and producer of Horses, acknowledged that the game’s viral success did boost sales, but it hasn’t been enough to pull the studio out of financial trouble. He reiterated that Horses is likely to be the studio’s final title.
“The reaction, attention, and support from the community have made a significant difference compared to if the game had launched without any public discourse or support,” Riva shared.
He estimates that Horses will sell around 10,000 units in its first week, which he considers a solid figure, but still insufficient to repay the investors who backed the game following its Steam ban. While Riva is optimistic about being able to return that investment, he remains doubtful that profits will be sufficient to fund any future projects.
“The current sales trajectory suggests we might be able to settle our debts, but it’s unlikely we’ll have enough to create something new,” Riva explained. “We had to halt development midway due to the situation, and not receiving Steam keys for Saturnalia from Valve prevented us from bundling it in a way that could have generated the necessary cash flow for new projects.”
Santa Ragione isn’t completely out of options yet; Riva mentioned that there’s still a possibility of finding an investor to support the studio’s next endeavor. However, as things stand, closure seems to be the most probable outcome, which is unfortunate. The gaming landscape could certainly benefit from more unique horror titles that challenge conventions, rather than fewer.
