Horses: An Agnozingly Uneasy Farm Hand Summer Job That’s NOT For Everyone
Just like movies and illustrations, games are a type of art form that can allow people to immerse themselves in a new world. Horses, a game by Santa Ragione, gallops into the horror arena that reigns in surreal psychological ideas. This game was designed to make you squirm with its distressing story and immorality.
A Black Beauty Called Horses
Anselmo, a 20-year-old college kid, has been sent by his parents to work on a farm for two weeks. The moment he arrives, he understands this isn’t an average, everyday summer job. The established “horses” are actually naked people wearing horse masks fixed to their heads! Yeah, you read that right. From that point on, every task, from seemingly simple farm chores to “standard” vet work, is designed to mess with your head. You’re a pawn in the farmer’s sick power trip, and it will give you the ICK.
Each day starts with a simple to-do list: feed the dog, chop firewood, clean the stables. These tasks almost always lead to profoundly disturbing scenes that slowly reveal the farmer’s twisted motivations and the dark history of his “property.” Your inventory is limited, forcing you to run back and forth across the small, menacing farm. The environment is constantly shifting with a character named Fido—another human in a dog mask—landing a few good jump scares when you least expect it.
The sadistic farmer’s face will pop up and give vile monologues throughout the game. You’ll meet a cast of equally creepy locals, including a veterinarian, a businessman, and a priest, who are all complicit in the farmer’s cruelty. Their sinister dialogue makes it terrifyingly clear that your own freedom is far from guaranteed. You start to question your own actions, wondering what misstep might land you in the same predicament as the horses.
There Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked
For Anselmo (and us), the horror doesn’t stop when the sun goes down as he slips into eerie dream sequences. These “dreams” are the manifestations of the farmer’s sexual and religious trauma that contort into dark, symbolic allegories. These moments are raw and uncensored, leaving you to piece together the heavy story through sharp dialogue and powerful imagery rather than boring exposition dumps.
Lackluster But Masterful Game Design In Its Own Way
The game is a short, two-to-three-hour descent into madness, unfolding like a black-and-white silent horror film, complete with old-timey title cards for dialogue. Various scenes are spliced with live-action footage that starts innocently enough, but quickly veers into deeply troubling territory that I won’t spoil here. The minimalist sound design, punctuated by the constant whir of a film projector, amplifies the feeling of isolation and dread all the way to the end.
The graphics aren’t state-of-the-art. The slightly stiff and odd art design emits a dry, unkempt ranch that works in tandem with the intense themes associated with the story. The strength of the concept can be overshadowed by the jittery and cluncky gameplay; however, it can also be seen as another design aesthetic by Ragione. Whether or not it purposely wants to lead players to wander astray, especially when a specific object is needed to progress, it can be very frustrating and a bit of a mood killer.
Ragione’s Content Warning Must Be Taken Seriously!!!
It’s fair to say that Horses isn’t for everyone, including those who identify as horror gamers. Before starting the game, Ragione added a long content warning to explain the harsh and disturbing topics within the game. It’s due to those themes that Horses has been banned from Steam and Epic Games. While it’s available in other stores – GOG, Humble, itch.io – they warn customers about the game’s content as well. It’s important to take those warnings seriously because these graphics are triggering and raw.
Final Thoughts: Man? Horse? Man-Horse? Horse-Man?
Horses feels like a balanced conundrum of whether it really is a farm of human-horses or Anselmo’s psychological trauma of how he projects the horse farm. The story and themes deal with horrendous topics such as sexual violence, gore, abuse, and suicide in a harrowing atmosphere. Despite its difficult gameplay, Santa Ragione’s vision is admirable. The sharp writing, the dreary environment, and the unsettling use of a silent film approach make this game one you won’t forget any time soon.
