# Until We Die

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

- Steam appid: 1197570
- Developer: Pixeye Games
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Action · List price: $16.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.0k to $1.6k per month (mid $1.3k)
- Opportunity score: $2.7k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 134.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $571.5k
- Review sentiment: 63% positive across 4628 reviews (4216 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 12.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 3.7 years
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 1 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 5.2 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.4k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.1k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $1.9k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.3k |

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

22, 10, 8, 18, 14, 18, 15, 16, 18, 9, 18, 24, 19, 13, 12, 17, 14, 12, 18, 18, 10, 5, 14, 9

## Estimated acquisition range

$31.3k to $62.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $15.7k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Until We Die is a top-down action roguelike with base-building mechanics and a hand-drawn art style, developed by Ukrainian indie studio Pixeye Games.

The title generated $571k lifetime on 135k units at $16.99, earning $1.3k/mo residually despite zero updates in 44 months. The 63% positive ratio and player praise for core loop satisfaction suggest genuine mechanical appeal, not a broken product. For a publisher or investor, the geometry is attractive: dormant IP with proven conversion, low monthly burn, and plausible upside if even minor content patches or a console port reignite discovery. Risk is high, no dev communication since 2021 suggests capacity or commitment constraints, but the studio's single-title status and Ukrainian location hint at possible force majeure rather than disinterest.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (other): Developer radio silence for 44 months; studio status flagged as inactive, and no sales recorded in past 12 months suggest possible dissolution or pivot; acquiring the code and publishing rights may require legal untangling.
- Risk (market): Roguelike + tower-defense hybrid is crowded; revival will compete against dozens of better-funded and actively-updated titles in the same niche.
- Risk (tech): Build date is 61 months old; engine (likely Unity/Godot) and dependencies may require modernization for current platform requirements and anti-cheat standards.

What players are asking for:
- New content or level progression beyond the single complete level
- Developer communication and roadmap transparency
- Console ports (Switch, PlayStation, Xbox)
- Quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes

Suggested first moves:
1. Initiate legal discovery to confirm IP ownership, source code access, and any outstanding contracts or obligations (especially if Pixeye Games is dormant or dissolved).
2. Conduct a 2-week technical audit: engine version, mod support, dependency rot, and cost to patch for current Steam / console SDKs.
3. Publish a transparent post-mortem and roadmap (1-2 new levels, balance pass, community QoL fixes) to test if 12–18 months of modest support can revive the player base and recover $300–500k in additional lifetime value.

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/1197570
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.