# Before Your Eyes

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

- Steam appid: 1082430
- Developer: GoodbyeWorld Games
- Publisher: Skybound Games
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $16.4k to $24.6k per month (mid $20.5k)
- Opportunity score: $30.8k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 671.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.7M
- Review sentiment: 98% positive across 23633 reviews (20988 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 329.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 9 months ago
- Last build shipped 3.9 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $37.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $32.4k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $29.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $20.5k |

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

269, 243, 262, 361, 541, 288, 164, 452, 281, 198, 415, 413, 586, 416, 391, 248, 690, 568, 269, 487, 399, 248, 238, 337

## Estimated acquisition range

$492.7k to $985.4k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $246.3k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- french: 2%
- german: 1%
- schinese: 11%
- brazilian: 3% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 77%
- koreana: 1%
- russian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 4%
- japanese: 0%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A narrative adventure game where eye-tracking and blinking mechanics make players' own emotional responses part of the story.

Before Your Eyes is a quiet but culturally resonant title generating $20.5K/mo in residual revenue on modest install base (672K lifetime units) with 97.9% positive sentiment. The game's innovative eye-tracking mechanic, under-monetized at $9.99, and strong word-of-mouth (330 reviews/mo) make it attractive for revival campaigns (console ports, VR adaptation, educational licensing). Risk: developer is one-title studio with 9 months of silence; acquisition upside limited unless publisher or franchise extensions are the play.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Eye-tracking dependency limits addressable market; works well on PC with webcam but poor on console/mobile without native IR hardware.
- Risk (market): Developer silent for 9 months; one-title studio with no announced pipeline suggests indie fatigue or resource constraint.
- Risk (other): Narrative-driven indie with short playtime (2 hours) faces retention challenges in recurring-revenue models; one-time emotional experience resists sequelization.

What players are asking for:
- Console ports (PlayStation, Switch) with built-in eye-tracking or alternative input schemes
- Fix for visual blurriness in final 10 minutes (appears intentional but some players report bugs)
- Behind-the-scenes content, developer commentary, or soundtrack release

Suggested first moves:
1. Explore console publishing partnerships (PlayStation Indies, Nintendo) with alternative blink-input (controller haptic / analog stick) to unlock locked-out platforms.
2. License eye-tracking mechanic to VR platforms (Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2) where hardware native support eliminates friction and justifies premium pricing.
3. Approach educational institutions and mental-health organizations for institutional licensing; game's emotional impact and brevity fit therapeutic and wellness curricula.

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/1082430
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.