# Definitely Not Fried Chicken

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 1036240
- Developer: Dope Games
- Publisher: Silver Lining Interactive
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Simulation · List price: $24.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.9k to $4.4k per month (mid $3.6k)
- Opportunity score: $4.9k/month at x1.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 68.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $428.3k
- Review sentiment: 73% positive across 2558 reviews (2148 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 23.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 15 months
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 15 months ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.7 review velocity during past deep sales

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $6.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $5.7k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $5.2k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.6k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

27, 22, 22, 15, 53, 45, 16, 37, 20, 35, 132, 37, 18, 31, 27, 18, 31, 56, 23, 36, 23, 24, 15, 19

## Estimated acquisition range

$87.2k to $174.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $43.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A tycoon simulation about running underground fried chicken operations with city management depth, wrapped in irreverent humor.

Definitely Not Fried Chicken sits at an inflection point: 73% positive reviews, ~3.6k/mo residual revenue, and strong per-unit engagement (median 32-56h playtime) suggest a stable but dormant title with repair-and-expand upside. The core loop works for its niche audience, but systemic bugs (worker pathing, save corruption, UI clarity) and year-long dev silence have eroded player confidence. A 3-6 month focused maintenance cycle could unlock revival momentum; current $24.99 positioning and 1.68 elasticity suggest price cuts are lever-free.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Multiple reports of worker AI pathing failures, save game data loss, and confusing UI logic suggest under-tested state machine or save serialization code that requires skilled engineering triage.
- Risk (market): 14.5 months since last dev communication and studio marked fading (single-title indie); uncertainty over whether original team can execute maintenance roadmap.
- Risk (other): High micromanagement friction (hourly worker scheduling, no delivery automation) without corresponding depth simulation may alienate players seeking either casual or hardcore tycoon experiences.

What players are asking for:
- Regular updates and dev communication to signal the game is not abandoned
- Worker pathfinding and delivery automation to reduce tedious micromanagement
- Save game reliability and data persistence fixes
- UI clarity overhaul for scheduling and building management

Suggested first moves:
1. Acquire source code audit and triage report on worker AI pathing and save serialization to quantify fix scope and cost (1-2 weeks).
2. Secure original developer or contract a small team for 8-12 week maintenance sprint targeting top 4 bug categories; commit to monthly patch notes publicly.
3. Launch soft repositioning: 33-50% discount during maintenance period, refresh Steam capsule art, post clear roadmap to rebuild review sentiment and test elasticity (1.68 suggests price-cut volume upside).

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/1036240
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.