VILE: Exhumed, an indie narrative horror game that was banned from Steam in July 2025, has successfully turned its resulting controversy into a significant act of activism, raising 12,500 CAD dollars for a women’s shelter. Developer Cara Cadaver, known for her work through Final Girl Games and DreadXP, announced the community donation to the Red Door Family Shelter on November 4, 2025.
The money donated, which is about 9,100 USD dollars, was raised over the four months since the game was taken off Valve’s platform and released for free. Half (50%) of any optional money people spent on it was set aside for charity.
The Steam Ban and Censorship Controversy
VILE: Exhumed is a first-person narrative horror game that explores dark themes, including misogyny, parasocial obsession, sexual assault, and abuse, primarily framed as a critique of toxic fan-creator dynamics in online spaces. Players navigate the story by interacting with an old computer interface, uncovering disturbing digital artifacts such as emails, videos, and files that reveal a narrative of exploitation.
Despite the game’s use of implication and psychological tension, with the developer explicitly stating there are no explicit depictions of nudity, sex acts, or pornography, Valve removed the game from Steam in July 2025, citing “sexual content with depictions of real people.”
Critics of the ban argued it represented a dangerous case of overreach and censorship, fueled by payment processors influencing moderation to avoid “risky” material, an issue that also affected other indie horror titles like Mouthwashing around the same time.
Instead of relenting to the platform ban, Cara Cadaver partnered with publisher DreadXP to release the full game as free shareware on August 5, 2025. The game was made available on the DreadXP website with an option for “pay what you want” donations.
This move effectively turned the act of censorship into an opportunity for activism. Supporters could access the title for free while channeling funds directly to the Red Door Family Shelter, a Toronto-based nonprofit providing emergency housing, counseling, and support for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
The free release went viral, generating thousands of downloads and positive reviews for its bold storytelling and effective use of horror to confront real societal issues. The Red Door Shelter, operational since 1983, assists over 10,000 women and children annually.
