Whether it be games, films, paintings, or any other form of creative endeavor, art has long been a vehicle for transgression and subversion, providing curious observers an avenue to ruminate on uncomfortable, often taboo aspects of society. Take David Lynch’s surreal horror epic Lost Highway, or Half Mermaid’s mesmerising puzzle mystery Immortality – their uncompromising and dark ambience leaves you changed, and often with more questions than answers. Horses, the latest game from developer Santa Ragione, uses the medium to tell its own morally challenging story, asking you to complete increasingly distressing tasks as a naive farmhand. Guaranteed to make you uncomfortable, Horses is an affecting first-person horror game that, despite a few pacing and signposting issues, tells a story that is sure to stick with you, whether you want it to or not.
Before we get too deep, it’s worth mentioning that Santa Ragione does provide a lengthy content warning before you begin playing due to its heavy subject matter. It details the themes you’ll encounter, which include gory imagery, psychological abuse, and suicide. That warning goes on to explain that you will also likely take part in activities that are oppositional to your own moral beliefs. How you feel about what Horses asks of you is ultimately very personal. Still, I was pleased to see the developers clearly outline what’s ahead for those who may struggle with certain moments, as I did — you should take this warning seriously.
You step into the boots of Anselmo, a troubled 20-year-old who’s been shipped away from college to work on a rural farm for two weeks at the behest of his parents. It becomes immediately apparent that something is wrong here, though, as you meet the titular horses, who are in fact naked humans with horse masks permanently affixed on their heads. From this point forward, almost every action you complete, from simple farming tasks to tormenting veterinarian work, is intentionally intended to make you feel conflicted as Horses forces you to participate in the farmer’s sick power fantasy. Over approximately three hours, I was compelled and constantly curious, but still found myself struggling to push through the haunting world Santa Ragione has conjured, with its grey moral code and disturbing paraphernalia.
Horses is, in effect, an interactive silent film, with unsettling lines of dialogue delivered through old-timey title cards amongst a smattering of live-action and 3D animated sequences with limited first-person interactions between them. Every scene plays out in black and white, and you’ll be held captive staring at the farmer’s mouth as it enunciates monologues through vile grins, spliced with real-world footage of vegetables being watered (as well as other, far more troubling visuals I wouldn’t want to spoil here). A minimal soundscape adds to the off-putting atmosphere, buffeted by the constant whirring of film that taunts you at all times, ensuring you feel isolated as you endure the weeks of work. This blend of audiovisual torment is unnerving from the start, and only escalates as you catapult closer to the striking finale.
At the dawn of each day, you’re provided a list of tasks to complete, like feeding the dog, chopping firewood, and cleaning the stables of the horses. The jobs are seldom as simple as they seem on paper, and often lead to confronting scenes that gradually illuminate the farmer’s goals, and how the horses came to be his “property.” Your inventory is limited, and you can only handle two items at a time. As such, you’ll often find yourself running back and forth across the small map, between pens, the tool shed, and the house. As much as it is an open space, the threatening elements within it are constantly shifting and smartly toying with your expectations. NPCs like the farmer’s dog, Fido – another subjugated human in a mask – can and will move around the space, complicating your jobs, and often giving you a fright.
Avoiding too many specifics, at one point I was responsible for finding horses that had gotten loose and returning them to their cramped stall unharmed. The search eventually led me out the front gates, where I witnessed a confronting interaction between a horse outside the gates and one still trapped inside. Such unusual moments ramp up in intensity over the course of Horses’ runtime, effectively reinforcing the starkness of the world around their nightmarish, hay-filled isolation.
Across the summer, you’ll meet a handful of curiously animated locals who are complicit with the farmer’s actions, including a veterinarian, a wealthy businessman, his daughter, and a knowing priest. While there isn’t a ton of dialogue to cycle through in these short interactions, the unnerving writing and sinister characterisation of each citizen increased my sense of dread as it became clear that your freedom, in life or on the farm, isn’t a guarantee. As the inevitability of my new reality came into focus and the trepidation set in, I found myself questioning the farmers’ treatment not just of the ‘animals’ or the outsiders, but of me. What misstep could I make that would land me in his prison? This is the central qualm you’ll ponder during and after your time with Horses.
The horror doesn’t end with the working day, of course, and occasionally, when the sun sets, Anselmo slips into a dreamlike state where reality bleeds into their imagination. In these moments, the spectre of the farmer and his sexual and religious trauma manifests through dark allegories that you experience in a raw, challenging, and uncensored format. Instead of relying on text dumps, Horses’ penchant for sharp dialogue and symbolic iconography gives the player room to unpack its singular, heavy story.
It’s a shame, then, that with such a strong concept, there are a handful of comparatively mundane signposting issues throughout that can muddle the pacing, leaving you to pixel hunt for the right piece of equipment or overthink simple puzzles when you could have been contemplating one of Horses’ many jarring visual metaphors. For example, one day I simply needed to feed the horses – but despite meeting the basic requirements, nothing changed, and I was unable to prompt the farmer to provide further information. With no clear next step, I searched the area until I happened to find a specific item I didn’t know I needed to progress. In a game that feels so intentional and curated, such moments kill the ambience, and it feels awkward to wander around aimlessly in this psychologically punishing environment, especially when you’ve been imbued with the impetus to solve its mysteries.
Like a pile of sugar cubes, Horses often has you in the palm of its hand, but unlike other, more cohesively arresting horror games like Mouthwashing or No, I’m Not A Human, Santa Ragione’s attempt struggles to keep you there. The low-stakes gameplay feels like the culprit here, as there’s not much to chew on if you’re not gripped by the unfolding story and its characters. A short runtime only magnifies these limitations, messing with the cadence of an otherwise well-orchestrated experience.
