# Spirit of the North

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

- Steam appid: 1213700
- Developer: Infuse Studio
- Publisher: Silver Lining Interactive
- Released: 2020 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $4.7k to $7.0k per month (mid $5.9k)
- Opportunity score: $8.8k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 167.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $719.3k
- Review sentiment: 84% positive across 6573 reviews (5580 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 54.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 0 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 5.6 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $10.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $9.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $8.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $5.9k |

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

53, 38, 247, 154, 153, 102, 64, 60, 80, 144, 76, 102, 80, 74, 77, 121, 88, 99, 54, 62, 44, 39, 65, 63

## Estimated acquisition range

$140.5k to $281.0k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $70.3k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A wordless, atmospheric adventure where players guide a fox spirit through gorgeous landscapes to solve puzzles and lift a magical plague.

Spirit of the North has generated $719k lifetime revenue on 167k units at $19.99, with a stable 84% positive rating and 54.5 reviews/month after 67 months. The game is quiet but not dying: it still earns $5.9k/mo residually despite zero discounting and no marketing activity in the past month. The core tension is intentional design (no dialogue, open navigation) that delights 70% of players but actively repels 20-30% seeking clearer guidance. For a publisher or studio seeking a low-risk, high-margin backlist title with sequel or expanded-universe potential, this is worth acquiring; for a live-service or engagement-focused buyer, the dormant community and single-player-only design make it a poor fit.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): The game's core design (zero dialogue, minimal UI signposting) is deliberately divisive; it will never appeal to mainstream players who expect explicit progression markers or tutorials.
- Risk (tech): Player reports cite Unreal Engine performance issues and invisible-wall level design that feels dated for a 2020 release; engine port or engine upgrade could be expensive.
- Risk (other): With zero sales in the past 12 months and no price discounting strategy on file, the title has no machinery for seasonal upticks or platform-specific promotions; a buyer would need to rebuild positioning from scratch.

What players are asking for:
- Clearer wayfinding or optional hint system to reduce confusion on puzzle progression without dialogue.
- Controller-friendly UI and input refinement (keyboard controls cited as unintuitive).
- Performance optimization and invisible-wall / level-design polish to reduce immersion breaks.
- DLC or sequel expanding the spirit-realm narrative and world scale.

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit live player telemetry on drop-off points (especially Chapter 7, per reviews) to identify quick UX wins: optional hint UI, wayfinding refinement, or control mapping that could improve conversion without redesigning core loop.
2. Evaluate port and sequel potential: IP is original, developer is operating, and player sentiment on the fox-spirit premise is strong; a prequel, multi-fox co-op mode, or narrative expansion could unlock new acquisition vectors.
3. Run a pricing and promotion test on Steam (e.g., $14.99 launch or 20% seasonal discount) and bundle opportunities (e.g., indie exploration collections, PlayStation Plus catalog) to reactivate the zero-sales tail and test elasticity beyond the -1.0 baseline estimate.

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/1213700
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.