# Bleak Faith: Forsaken

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

- Steam appid: 1173220
- Developer: Archangel Studios
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Action · List price: $29.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $4.1k to $6.2k per month (mid $5.2k)
- Opportunity score: $7.0k/month at x1.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 90.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $675.7k
- Review sentiment: 75% positive across 2977 reviews (2824 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 27.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 17 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 17 months ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 9 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $9.4k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $8.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $7.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $5.2k |

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

71, 36, 37, 14, 37, 41, 19, 38, 103, 39, 27, 38, 38, 31, 23, 28, 19, 29, 25, 19, 36, 34, 21, 31

## Estimated acquisition range

$124.1k to $248.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $62.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A science-fantasy soulslike set in a brutalist megastructure, emphasizing exploration and atmosphere over mechanical polish.

Bleak Faith: Forsaken shows durable engagement (75% positive, 2,977 reviews) and modest monthly residuals of $5,172/mo despite minimal post-launch support. The title has carved a niche audience who prize world design and lore depth, but upstream friction (acknowledged jank, combat feel, onboarding difficulty) caps mainstream appeal and growth. For a revival-focused publisher or a studio building a dark-fantasy catalog, the IP and player goodwill justify lightweight post-launch investment; for acquisition, the single-studio publisher status and long dormancy suggest watch-and-wait.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Combat mechanics and environmental collision are recurring pain points in reviews; remediation requires engineering headcount the original studio may lack.
- Risk (market): Soulslike saturation (FromSoftware, Elden Ring, indie competition) means positioning as 'sci-fi alternative' alone will not sustain growth without mechanical differentiation.
- Risk (other): Developer has posted nothing in 16.7 months; studio status flagged 'fading' with only one title and no visible pipeline.

What players are asking for:
- Combat feel tightening and framedata transparency
- Endgame content and replayability structures (what happens after the final boss)
- Bug fixes and stability patches (stuck-in-environment reports, boss-fight freezes)
- Clearer early-game difficulty signposting and tutorial depth

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit Archangel Studios' technical debt: identify quick-win stability and collision fixes that could be shipped in a 'legacy patch' within 4–6 weeks, rebuilding developer credibility and triggering positive review momentum.
2. Commission lightweight content roadmap (boss fight variants, cosmetics, modding tools) to signal future intent without overcommitting; announce via social channels to re-engage dormant wishlist followers.
3. Validate licensing opportunities for the Omnistructure IP (tabletop, narrative media, merchandising) to diversify revenue and lower per-player acquisition cost for a revival campaign.

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/1173220
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.