# shapez

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

- Steam appid: 1318690
- Developer: Tobias Springer
- Publisher: tobspr Games
- Released: 2020 · Genre: Casual · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $5.4k to $8.0k per month (mid $6.7k)
- Opportunity score: $8.7k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 424.5k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $911.5k
- Review sentiment: 96% positive across 15798 reviews (14149 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 124.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 4 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (3 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 34 months ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $12.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $10.6k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $9.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $6.7k |

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

249, 83, 146, 114, 140, 498, 142, 135, 88, 84, 133, 352, 155, 93, 116, 86, 92, 228, 119, 139, 121, 126, 110, 134

## Estimated acquisition range

$160.8k to $321.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $80.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

An elegant, minimalist factory-building puzzle game where players design and optimize production lines to create increasingly complex shapes.

Shapez remains a quiet earner generating $6,701/mo residual revenue on just $9.99 MSRP, with 95.9% positive reviews and strong staying power across 424k lifetime units. The game has proven cross-platform appeal (iOS, web, PC) and sits at the intersection of automation/puzzle audiences that Factorio demonstrated have deep engagement and willingness to buy sequels. This is an attractive dormant catalog asset for a publisher seeking low-maintenance, high-satisfaction titles, or a platform partner seeking exclusive console ports or mobile revivals.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Sequel (Shapez 2) may cannibalize residual sales of the original; monitor cannibalization rate and marketing separation.
- Risk (tech): Player reports CPU thermal load during extended play; optimization or platform-specific performance tuning may be needed to unlock console/mobile expansion.
- Risk (other): Colorblind accessibility implementation is reportedly inadequate; remediation needed to capture neurodivergent audience that appears to love automation games.

What players are asking for:
- Better colorblind mode with shape/texture overlays instead of hover-text (one negative review demonstrates friction)
- Console versions (implied by iOS success and cross-platform demand)
- Late-game content variety (some players report boredom in endgame despite 50+ hour sessions)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit accessibility roadmap: fix colorblind mode before any platform expansion, as neurodivergent players are core audience and likely repeat buyers of sequels.
2. Profile console port feasibility (Nintendo Switch or PlayStation) via performance testing; reviews suggest thermal/optimization upside that could unlock 2x-3x residual if ported.
3. Analyze Shapez 2 sales and review trends to model cannibalization; if minimal, invest in re-marketing original as 'entry point' bundle with sequel at aggressive launch discount (evidence shows $1 entry point drove Shapez 2 purchase).

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/1318690
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.