# Wordle

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

- Steam appid: 1334000
- Developer: PreoNus Games
- Publisher: Gigantum Games
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Casual · List price: $30.62
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $9.8k to $14.7k per month (mid $12.2k)
- Opportunity score: $25.7k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 36.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $279.5k
- Review sentiment: 77% positive across 1440 reviews (1144 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 64.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- No developer announcement on record, ever
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 5 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 4.6 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 11 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $22.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $19.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $17.5k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $12.2k |

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

5, 42, 15, 11, 29, 14, 8, 11, 8, 3, 6, 8, 6, 12, 31, 5, 6, 4, 2, 4, 151, 185, 36, 6

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 1 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$573 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

$293.2k to $586.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $146.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A casual word-puzzle game released in 2021 under Steam publishing, currently generating $12.2K/mo residual revenue.

Wordle on Steam presents a licensing and publishing puzzle rather than a straightforward acquisition opportunity. The game earned $279K lifetime across 36.6K units at $30.62, but sits in a complex IP landscape: the original Wordle was developed by Josh Wardle and acquired by The New York Times Company in January 2022, while this Steam port appears to be a third-party adaptation. With $12.2K/mo residual revenue, strong 77% positive sentiment, and 64 reviews/month, the title shows patient, engaged players, but any commercial expansion requires clarity on rights ownership and NYT's stance on non-official ports.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): The New York Times Company owns Wordle IP and has taken enforcement action against clones and unauthorized ports; this Steam title's legal status and continued operation is uncertain.
- Risk (market): The original Wordle phenomenon peaked in early 2022; this port's $25.7K monthly opportunity assumes stable play, but viral word games historically exhibit sharp retention cliffs.
- Risk (other): Studio status is inactive and developer has posted no updates in months, creating abandonment risk and future support liability.

Suggested first moves:
1. Verify IP licensing with The New York Times Company and clarify whether this port has explicit permission or is operating in a gray zone; do not invest further until rights status is confirmed in writing.
2. If rights are secure, conduct player cohort analysis on the 64 monthly reviewers to identify which features or modes drive engagement at $12.2K/mo, and whether an official NYT partnership is feasible.
3. Monitor NYT's enforcement actions and official Wordle roadmap; if the company moves to consolidate ports or shut down clones, this asset becomes a liability within months.

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/1334000
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.