# Tormented Souls

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

- Steam appid: 1367590
- Developer: Dual Effect
- Publisher: PQube
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $6.2k to $9.2k per month (mid $7.7k)
- Opportunity score: $10.0k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 193.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $965.9k
- Review sentiment: 90% positive across 8104 reviews (6056 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 61.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 10 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 33 months ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 9 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $14.0k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $12.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $11.0k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $7.7k |

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

41, 104, 79, 80, 136, 125, 67, 76, 44, 68, 104, 94, 224, 179, 184, 214, 137, 119, 82, 83, 54, 57, 38, 57

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 5 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$40.0k 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

$184.9k to $369.8k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $92.5k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2021 indie survival horror game that deliberately recreates classic Resident Evil and Silent Hill design, including fixed cameras, tank controls, and obtuse puzzles.

Tormented Souls has found steady residual traction ($7.7k/mo mid-range) among horror enthusiasts who explicitly seek retro survival-horror authenticity, evidenced by 89.8% positive reviews and consistent engagement. The game's deliberate design choices (archaic controls, limited saves, audio puzzles) repel mainstream players but create a durable niche audience. For a publisher or revival campaign, the opportunity lies in vertical expansion within that niche: deeper difficulty modes, community puzzle guides, or a focused marketing push toward the retro-horror community during horror seasons. Acquisition alone is low-risk given the modest lifetime revenue ($966k), but the single-studio developer and modest velocity suggest this title has found its natural audience ceiling.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (market): The game's design intentionally alienates players seeking modern QoL; its niche appeal may not expand even with marketing investment.
- Risk (tech): Accessibility gaps flagged by deaf players on audio-dependent puzzles expose design debt that would require narrative rework to fix.
- Risk (other): Developer activity is light (10 months since last post); Dual Effect is a one-title studio, raising questions about long-term support capacity.

What players are asking for:
- Accessibility pass: alternative solutions to audio-dependent puzzles or visual indicators for deaf and hard-of-hearing players
- Combat rebalance: reduce enemy jank, projectile collision fixes, and camera-switching fluidity during movement
- Quality-of-life toggles: optional expanded save points or difficulty modes that preserve atmosphere without punishing archaic design

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission a community puzzle guide and difficulty-mode survey to quantify appetite for curated play experiences without watering down core design.
2. Audit accessibility debt (especially audio-puzzle alternatives) and estimate cost/effort for a post-launch patch; small fixes here unlock positive word-of-mouth in disability communities.
3. Explore limited seasonal campaigns (Halloween, Christmas) to re-engage the existing 193k lifetime audience and test whether pricing experiments or bundle deals lift monthly revenue above current $7.7k/mo range.

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/1367590
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.