# The Legend of Tianding

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

- Steam appid: 1406850
- Developer: Creative Games Computer Graphics Corporation
- Publisher: Neon Doctrine
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.6k to $2.4k per month (mid $2.0k)
- Opportunity score: $2.6k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 104.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $519.0k
- Review sentiment: 94% positive across 4371 reviews (3254 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 15.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 10 months ago
- Last build shipped 28 months ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.1k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.0k |

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

19, 26, 42, 21, 23, 19, 34, 17, 20, 17, 27, 40, 26, 20, 22, 8, 13, 18, 10, 14, 16, 18, 24, 13

## Estimated acquisition range

$47.4k to $94.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $23.7k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2D action game set in 1920s Taiwan with hand-drawn art that has earned $519k lifetime on modest monthly residuals of $1.97k.

The Legend of Tianding remains a quiet performer with strong community sentiment (93.6% positive) and steady organic discovery, but post-launch development appears dormant and combat feedback suggests mechanical issues that may limit ceiling. The title's cultural specificity and art direction are assets for niche revival or localization expansion; licensing or acquisition makes sense only if the buyer can commit to addressing known gameplay pain points or repositioning the IP beyond its current 25% key-reseller penetration.

- Most realistic play: watch
- Risk (tech): Player reviews cite unbalanced boss difficulty, damage scaling problems, and collision detection issues that suggest the combat loop needs rework; no developer communication in nearly 10 months implies low priority for post-launch fixes.
- Risk (market): Sales velocity has flattened to single-digit monthly units; while residual revenue of $1.97k/mo is stable, growth potential appears capped without substantial content or marketing intervention.
- Risk (other): Studio has only one title in portfolio; limited track record on live-service support or rapid iteration may signal risk if buyer expects active stewardship.

What players are asking for:
- Boss balance and damage scaling overhaul, especially second boss difficulty spike
- Improved melee engagement mechanics and player positioning feedback
- Collision and hit-detection refinement for fair boss patterns

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit the combat telemetry and player drop-off points (likely second boss) to quantify the cost of a balance patch; compare against cost of a small post-launch content drop (cosmetics, challenge modes) to re-engage the 104k existing players.
2. Evaluate localization and regional marketing runway in Asia (game has 10 languages, 1920s Taiwan setting); residual growth in Japanese or Korean markets may unlock $500k+ incremental lifetime if distribution and marketing expand.
3. Determine whether Creative Games will commit to a 6-month combat refresh or if the title should be repositioned as art/narrative-focused (e.g., graphic novel adaptation, anthology licensing) to monetize IP without combat rework investment.

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/1406850
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.