Previously Banned ‘VILE: Exhumed’ Now Released For Free [Trailer]

As the saying goes, if you want something done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself. And after VILE: Exhumed was banned from Steam, DreadXP and developer Final Girl Games have announced that the game has been released independently as a free shareware title under a CC BY-NC-ND license. DreadXP believes very strongly in the game’s message, so creating a way to make it available to everyone was their top priority in the face of censorship. Players can download the game today through its dedicated website, with optional payment links available for anyone who wishes to support.

Per the press release, VILE: Exhumed was not banned for its use of gore, or its intense themes, but instead it was wrongfully banned for “sexual content with depictions of real people,” according to Valve. The game covers topics of assault, abuse, and entitlement, and uses a combination of FMV and practical effects, predominantly featuring the developer, with the goal of creating images as horrifying as the themes. There are a lot of intense visuals in VILE: Exhumed, but there is no uncensored nudity, no depictions of sex acts, and no pornography present at all.

“This censorship of my work is a direct attack on creative expression and artistic freedom, and it will not stop with false accusations of sexual content. They will come for anything that speaks more loudly than they do”, said developer Cara Cadaver of Final Girl Games. “This is our response to being censored, and our rejection of the idea that horror can be defined as acceptable or not.”

Information is available on the website for all players who wish to support the game. DreadXP will be donating all of their profits, and Cara will be donating a portion of hers, totaling in 50% of all profits from the game being donated to Red Door Family Shelter, a Toronto-based charity that works to help families, refugees, and women escaping violence. In addition, a physical version of the game is currently being planned for the future with a partner.

Originally developed as a prototype on itch.io in 2024, VILE: Exhumed garnered attention for its unflinching depiction of digital obsession and the violence that festers in the shadows and in front of our eyes. In this new full release, you will explore the remnants of a stranger’s mind through the decaying interface of an old computer, piecing together the disturbing narrative hidden within corrupted files, old abandoned forums, and emails.

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