# AI＊Shoujo/AI＊少女

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

- Steam appid: 1250650
- Developer: ILLUSION
- Released: 2020 · Genre: Simulation · List price: $69.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.6k to $2.3k per month (mid $1.9k)
- Opportunity score: $5.1k/month at x2.60 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 63.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $949.1k
- Review sentiment: 75% positive across 2231 reviews (2103 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 5.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 3.1 years
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 4 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 5.4 years ago
- Store page localized in only 4 language(s)
- No Steam discount in 3.5 years (deepest tracked: -25%)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.5k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.1k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.9k |

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

11, 1, 8, 3, 1, 6, 1, 2, 1, 2, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6, 4, 5, 8, 4, 6, 9, 3, 4, 5

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 12 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$10.5k net in total, assuming a unit uplift of x3.0 (industry-typical for old catalog titles). Same ±30-50% error range applies.

## Estimated acquisition range

$46.6k to $93.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $23.3k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A character-creation and relationship-simulation sandbox from ILLUSION, the Japanese developer known for adult-oriented life sims.

AI*Shoujo sits in a quiet niche: $1.9k/mo residual on $949k lifetime revenue from a narrow but durable audience. The 75% positive rate and consistent 5 reviews/mo signal a stable, if small, player base unbothered by the 36-month dev silence. Acquisition makes little sense (licensed IP risk, niche asset), but a publisher exploring revival or licensing the core character-creation tech to other titles could unlock value a dormant creator won't pursue.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): ILLUSION titles often incorporate anime or manga character likenesses; verify character rights and third-party asset clearance before any revival.
- Risk (tech): No dev activity in 37 months and studio status flagged 'ghost'; codebase stability and mod-compatibility unknown if relaunched.
- Risk (market): Niche adult-simulation audience; mainstream distribution, console ports or broad marketing carry reputational risk.

What players are asking for:
- Stability fixes and launch support (review #2 reports crashes)
- Cloud save persistence (noted as missing quality-of-life feature in review #1)
- New character archetypes or narrative branches

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit IP clearances on character assets, anime/manga references, and any third-party visual tech to scope licensing or revival risk.
2. Investigate whether mod ecosystem or fan patches address the stability complaints; if robust, preserved community tools reduce revival cost.
3. Model licensing the character-creation subsystem (UI, generation algorithms, asset pipeline) to a live-service or console title as ancillary monetization.

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/1250650
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.