VILE: Exhumed Launches Independently as a Free Shareware Title

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VILE: Exhumed Launches Independently as a Free Shareware Title

Ways to support the game are available on the website, and half of all profits will be donated to charity.

Los Angeles, USA - August 5, 2025 — Final Girl Games–the solo development effort of creator Cara Cadaver– and publisher DreadXP are announcing today that VILE: Exhumed has been released independently as a free shareware title under a CC BY-NC-ND license. The team believes very strongly in the power message of Cara's very personal game that was unjustly banned from Steam in late July, 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 and play, with optional payment links available for anyone who wishes to support.



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. “This is our response to being censored, and our rejection of the idea that horror can be defined as acceptable or not.”

VILE: Exhumed launches independently today through the dedicated website www.vileisbanned.com as a free shareware title. 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. It is published by DreadXP under the XP Ultra program, a publishing initiative created to support innovative horror experiences. In addition, a physical version of the game is currently being planned for the future with a partner.

“As soon as we realized that the game had been banned, the conversation internally with Cara became about what we collectively could do to do right by her and her work. In the face of widespread attempted censorship, it didn’t feel like a time for half-measures and compromise, so we all decided that releasing the game into the wild where it could never be made unavailable by a single platform felt like the best option, and strongest message.” says DreadXP Director, Hunter Bond.

Originally developed as a prototype 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. Solo developer Cara Cadaver has channeled a fiercely personal perspective into VILE: Exhumed, creating a story that feels intimate, upsetting, and deeply human. This is horror stripped of metaphor and of the fantasy or supernatural, laid bare in binary and blood. As the game invites you to confront uncomfortable truths about entitlement, identity, and digital voyeurism, Cadaver hopes you’ll find not just fear, but careful reflection.

Features:

Creep through the darkest pits of an old computer
Uncover a rat’s nest of photos, messages, emails, and other digital residue
Unearth the aftermath of one man’s obsession with adult film actress Candy Corpse
Deeply disturbing, gruesome, narrative-driven horror.

For more information:

Play the game: www.VILEISBANNED.com
Follow Cara Cadaver on X: https://x.com/dirtlord77
Follow DreadXP on X: https://twitter.com/DreadXPGames
Follow DreadXP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreadxpgames
Join the DreadXP Discord: https://discord.gg/JTPfXdSFXq

About Final Girl Games

Final Girl Games is the solo developer Cara Cadaver, who is based in Canada. Cara started developing games in 2022, previous releases from Final Girl Games include Attachment Not Found, and the original version of VILE on Itch.Io.

About DreadXP

DreadXP is a leading independent horror games publisher. DreadXP’s goal is to seek out and publish great titles, and uplift members of the indie dev community. DreadXP releases include award-winning games such as The Mortuary Assistant, Sucker for Love: First Date, My Friendly Neighborhood, Dread Delusion, and the Dread X Collections, an anthology series of mini-horror games. DreadXP’s upcoming titles include The Lacerator, Amanda the Adventurer 3, PIGFACE, and Paranormal Activity. DreadXP is a sister company of the horror media website Dread Central, as well as the independent horror film production company, DREAD.

To learn more about DreadXP, please visit www.dreadxp.com.

About XP Ultra

XP Ultra is a publishing program by DreadXP intended to highlight smaller but impactful horror games that break new ground. The first game published under this initiative was 2024’s FLATHEAD, and VILE: Exhumed joins the lineup today.