# Roadwarden

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

- Steam appid: 1155970
- Developer: Moral Anxiety Studio
- Publisher: Assemble Entertainment
- Released: 2022 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $10.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.5k to $3.8k per month (mid $3.2k)
- Opportunity score: $5.3k/month at x1.65 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 142.2k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $389.7k
- Review sentiment: 94% positive across 5141 reviews (4444 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 46.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 24 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 24 months ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $5.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $5.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $4.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.2k |

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

69, 108, 53, 53, 109, 67, 43, 63, 67, 57, 44, 70, 75, 60, 46, 46, 67, 85, 53, 64, 49, 38, 38, 37

## Estimated acquisition range

$76.5k to $152.9k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $38.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A text-driven low-fantasy RPG where player choices shape a 40-day journey through an open world, built by solo developer Nick Roder.

Roadwarden has generated $390K lifetime on 142K units at a $10.99 price point with 94% positive reviews and a devoted niche audience, yet earns only $3.2K/mo residually after 23+ months dormant. The game demonstrates exceptional word-of-mouth ('gem', 'masterpiece') and narrative replay value; it is a candidate for quiet catalogue monetization via bundling, translation, console porting, or episodic expansion if the developer and publisher relationship can be clarified and revived.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (other): Developer (Moral Anxiety Studio) appears to be a one-person operation with no activity for 23+ months; studio status flagged as 'fading' and unclear who holds active rights or creative control.
- Risk (market): Text-heavy adventure RPGs occupy a narrow Steam niche; 13.6% key-reseller share suggests price elasticity and cannibalization via gray market.
- Risk (tech): Minor UI pain points noted in reviews (fish-trap tracking, keyword-guessing) are unaddressed, signaling zero post-launch support.

What players are asking for:
- Better inventory/quest UI for tracking tasks and resources across 40-day playthrough
- Console port (implied by comparison to 'retro' text adventures)
- Sequel or narrative expansion set in the same world

Suggested first moves:
1. Confirm IP ownership and developer intent: secure direct negotiation with Nick Roder or acquisition of Moral Anxiety Studio to unlock publishing rights and revival decisions.
2. Audit console opportunity: Roadwarden's reading-first design transfers well to Switch/PS5; estimate localization + porting cost against $3.2K/mo residual to model a 2-year breakeven.
3. Explore bundling and translation: pair with similar narrative-RPG catalogue titles in Assemble Entertainment's roster; localize to 3-5 languages to unlock non-English markets without heavy dev cost.

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/1155970
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.