# Pharaoh™: A New Era

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

- Steam appid: 1351080
- Developer: Triskell Interactive
- Publisher: Dotemu
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Simulation · List price: $22.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $4.0k to $6.0k per month (mid $5.0k)
- Opportunity score: $6.5k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 152.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $875.2k
- Review sentiment: 75% positive across 5340 reviews (4771 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 35.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 6 months ago
- Last build shipped 33 months ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 8 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $9.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $7.9k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $7.2k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $5.0k |

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

41, 34, 34, 56, 55, 59, 40, 44, 51, 53, 42, 50, 53, 32, 40, 37, 24, 55, 32, 40, 41, 27, 30, 40

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 2 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$5.7k 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

$120.4k to $240.8k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $60.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2023 remake of the 1999 isometric city-builder Pharaoh, licensed from Impressions Games' original design, developed by Triskell Interactive and published by Dotemu.

Pharaoh: A New Era has generated $875K lifetime revenue on 152K units sold and maintains a steady $5K/mo residual income stream, but community feedback reveals a bifurcated user base: nostalgic original players who appreciate the faithful recreation versus players expecting a modernized successor. The game's 75% positive rating masks unresolved technical debt (crashes, lag, mod-dependency for fixes) and developer inactivity (6 months without updates) that undermines long-term engagement. For a publisher or studio seeking a dormant franchise revival with established IP and existing player goodwill, this title represents a low-risk remaster acquisition opportunity if technical debt can be cleared and post-launch support resumed.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): Original Pharaoh IP and design owned by Impressions Games (now inactive); Dotemu likely holds exclusive remake rights but any acquisition requires rights negotiation or assumption of existing license.
- Risk (tech): Multiple reports of mission-blocking crashes, performance lag, and gameplay bugs that players say require third-party mod packs to resolve, suggesting rushed launch and minimal post-release engineering.
- Risk (market): Strong nostalgia-driven sales from 1990s generation but weak differentiation from original; gameplay loop perceived as repetitive, limiting appeal to younger players or genre newcomers.

What players are asking for:
- Stable, crash-free gameplay and mission completion paths without mod dependencies
- Regular balance patches and quality-of-life updates (parity with or beyond original)
- New content or campaign scenarios to reduce repetition and extend play lifespan
- Transparent communication from developers on roadmap and known issue triage

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit the existing code base and triage crash reports tied to mission progression; prioritize a patch that resolves the top 3 game-blocking bugs and publish a transparent roadmap within 30 days to re-engage dormant players.
2. Analyze Triskell Interactive's bandwidth and capacity: if internal constraints are limiting post-launch support, consider hiring a dedicated post-launch team, outsourcing QA, or absorbing the title into a larger publishing studio with live-ops experience.
3. Evaluate Dotemu's license terms for the original Impressions Games IP and clarify renewal, expansion, and sequel rights; consult counsel on any acquisition pathway and whether a buyout of existing IP stake is financially competitive versus licensing a new remake studio.

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/1351080
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.