# Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

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

- Steam appid: 1545560
- Developer: Mimimi Games
- Publisher: Hooded Horse
- Released: 2023 · Genre: RPG · List price: $39.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $12.2k to $18.2k per month (mid $15.2k)
- Opportunity score: $20.5k/month at x1.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 164.5k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.6M
- Review sentiment: 91% positive across 6507 reviews (5142 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 61.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Studio active elsewhere (5 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 7 months ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $27.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $24.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $21.7k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $15.2k |

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

45, 56, 27, 41, 52, 58, 42, 158, 104, 63, 91, 191, 120, 107, 102, 73, 94, 88, 50, 74, 60, 48, 53, 81

## Estimated acquisition range

$364.9k to $729.9k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $182.5k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- schinese: 32%
- german: 7%
- english: 43%
- koreana: 5%
- spanish: 3%
- japanese: 1%
- brazilian: 2%
- french: 3%
- russian: 6%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A Caribbean pirate-themed stealth-tactics RPG from Mimimi Games featuring an 8-character crew with unique skill sets and save-scum-friendly gameplay.

Shadow Gambit sits at $15.2k/mo residual revenue on $1.64M lifetime net, a respectable mid-tier catalog position for a 2023 release that maintains 91% positive review score and steady player engagement (61 reviews/mo). The title underperforms expectations versus Mimimi's prior franchises (Commandos, Shadow Tactics, Desperados), and the studio's closure in late 2024 creates a clear acquisition window for a publisher seeking proven-quality IP with inherent replayability and mod/DLC upside. Not a revival candidate yet, but a solid dormant catalog asset for a tactically-minded acquirer.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Player sentiment shows franchise fatigue relative to prior Mimimi releases; core complaint is oversimplification and repetitive mission design versus Desperados 3 and Shadow Tactics baseline.
- Risk (other): Studio ceased operations post-launch, limiting immediate post-sale support or live-service upside; all development overhead now falls to acquirer.
- Risk (other): Character unlock gates extend campaign depth artificially; endgame balancing issues (some crew members vastly under/overpowered) dampen replayability claims.

What players are asking for:
- Higher difficulty scaling and more challenging late-game encounters
- Longer campaign with earlier character unlock pacing
- Additional character skill variety and balance tuning
- Reduced mission repetition and larger, more varied map pools

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit live-service revenue potential: DLC character packs, cosmetics, and battle-pass mechanics align with 8-crew roster design; test price elasticity vs. current $39.99 anchor.
2. Conduct player cohort analysis on the 61/mo review rate: segment adopters by prior Mimimi title exposure and identify where 'too easy' cohort overlaps with minimal-spend players, informing future SKU or franchise positioning.
3. Evaluate mod-tool licensing and community-creation economy; Commandos and Shadow Tactics communities remain active on mod platforms, suggesting latent demand for Steam Workshop integration or map-editor release as low-cost engagement lever.

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/1545560
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.