# Age of Darkness: Final Stand

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

- Steam appid: 1426450
- Developer: PlaySide
- Released: 2025 · Genre: Strategy · List price: $27.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $9.5k to $14.3k per month (mid $11.9k)
- Opportunity score: $16.1k/month at x1.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 302.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.8M
- Review sentiment: 74% positive across 10612 reviews (9450 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 50.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 14 months ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $21.7k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $18.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $17.0k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $11.9k |

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

75, 41, 40, 36, 76, 1633, 498, 180, 90, 84, 118, 74, 83, 51, 60, 142, 116, 100, 62, 71, 40, 48, 45, 39

## Estimated acquisition range

$286.3k to $572.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $143.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A roguelike base-defense RTS with procedural maps where you manage resources, build fortifications and fend off escalating dark invasions, similar to They Are Billions.

Age of Darkness has earned $2.84M lifetime on 302k units and maintains $11.9k/mo residual revenue despite zero developer support for 14 months. The core loop is sound (74% positive, 261-288h player testimonials), but multiplayer desyncs, unit pathing bugs, balance issues and abandoned dialogue/campaign polish have stalled growth at mainstream adoption. A publishing partner or new studio could capture immediate value through focused technical fixes and seasonal content without major creative overhaul; the game sits squarely in the underserved co-op RTS niche.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (tech): Multiplayer plagued by desyncs and crashes; unit pathing and building rotation UI constraints frustrate core gameplay loops.
- Risk (market): They Are Billions owns the genre narrative; Age of Darkness is perceived as capable but less polished, limiting viral potential despite solid mechanics.
- Risk (other): PlaySide is fading (single title studio) with no dev posts in 14 months; IP ownership and code access clarity required before acquisition.

What players are asking for:
- Stable multiplayer with matchmaking or ranked queue
- More factions, unit diversity and balance tuning
- Continued content updates and seasonal events
- Campaign dialogue and narrative polish

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit PlaySide's multiplayer netcode and unit pathing systems; estimate fix effort and build a 90-day technical roadmap focused on desync elimination.
2. Conduct IP and code ownership due diligence; confirm all assets are unencumbered and source is accessible for future iterations.
3. Prototype a season pass or cosmetic monetization layer (skins, faction variants) to validate willingness-to-pay among the 288h-players without raising base price.

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/1426450
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.