The digital game storefronts Itch.io and Steam recently announced measures to remove or de-index games deemed “Not Safe For Work” (NSFW). This decision stems from pressure exerted by payment processors and conservative advocacy groups. While ostensibly aimed at adult-oriented content, these actions have had a broader impact, notably affecting the acclaimed horror game, Mouthwashing.
Martin Halldin, who contributes to audio and music for Mouthwashing developer Wrong Organ, confirmed that the game has been de-indexed from Itch.io`s search results. Although still accessible via a direct link, its absence from search significantly hinders discoverability, a critical factor for independent game developers.
Released in 2024, Mouthwashing quickly garnered widespread critical praise and received numerous year-end accolades. Its Steam reviews stand at “Overwhelmingly Positive” with over 28,000 user submissions – a remarkable achievement for a small, previously unknown development team. The game is a psychological horror title, and its creators explicitly warn of “extreme violence, gore, mutilation and worse on PSX-style characters” on its product page.
Despite its mature themes and intense content, Mouthwashing explicitly contains no pornography or sexually explicit material. This stands in contrast to the declared focus of the advocacy group Collective Shout, which reportedly organized the campaign with the stated goal of preventing the depiction of “sexual abuse” in games. However, the campaign`s effect has been a more generalized push to “de-risk” from all adult content, regardless of its subject matter, consequently impacting horror games and other titles unrelated to sexual themes.
In response, game developers and fans of affected titles are mobilizing to exert counter-pressure on payment processors, urging them to reverse their policies. Civil liberties organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have also joined the effort. The ACLU, for instance, is actively collecting signatures for a petition against Mastercard regarding this issue.