Viral horror game Mouthwashing no longer appears in Itch.io search results, but that's not because of the new crackdown on NSFW games, marketplace confirms

Indie game marketplace Itch.io has debunked claims that horror game Mouthwashing has been deindexed as a result of a crackdown of NSFW content, stating that the title hasn't been appearing in searches on the site for around nine months.

Earlier this month, Steam added a new rule to its list of guidelines outlining what devs are allowed to publish, meaning that "content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam's payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers" is no longer allowed on the platform. This affects, "in particular, certain kinds of adult-only content." It appeared that around 100 games were delisted from the platform in just two days following this.

Meanwhile, Itch.io shared an "update on NSFW content" last week, noting that all NSFW content has been deindexed from the marketplace, meaning it can no longer show up in search results while the site reviews everything "to ensure we can meet the requirements of our payment processors."

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It was confirmed that "recently, we came under scrutiny from our payment processors regarding the nature of some content hosted on Itch.io," following not-for-profit organization Collective Shout sending an open letter to payment processors requesting that they "cease processing payments on gaming platforms which host rape, incest, and child sexual abuse-themed games." Collective Shout also campaigned for the removal of No Mercy earlier this year, a game centered around sexual violence.

Not long after this, it was highlighted that indie horror hit Mouthwashing was deindexed on the platform. In a Bluesky post, Martin Halldin, audio lead at developer Wrong Organ, stated that he was "not surprised," and "with the new policy changes caused by Mastercard/Visa it was just a matter of time."

Without getting into spoilers, Mouthwashing deals with some heavy themes, including the fact that it's implied that one character is sexually assaulted. However, responding to the situation on Bluesky, Itch.io explains that the game "hasn't been indexed since October 2024 since it doesn't meet our indexing criteria."

This game hasn't been indexed Since October 2024 since it doesn't meet our indexing criteria: itch.io/docs/creator... They are using a "Download" button as a link to Steam. The developer took down any playable files form this page in 2024.

— @itch.io (@itch.io.bsky.social) 2025-07-29T10:42:31.988Z

Specifically, it says, the developers are "using a 'Download' button as a link to Steam. The developer took down any playable files [from] this page in 2024." Indeed, if you check the site's guide to getting games indexed, it notes that developers must "ensure you have files uploaded to the project page. Your page must be purchasable, downloadable, or playable in the browser to be indexed."

So, deindexed, yes, but apparently not because of any new policies. Halldin has since clarified that he "made an incorrect assumption" and has publicly apologized to Itch.io. Mouthwashing is still available to buy on Steam, too. However, this isn't the first time that people have been worried that this crackdown could end up affecting more than porn games.

Steam removing adult games shows "you can even censor another country’s free speech," claims Nier creator Yoko Taro.