# Internet Cafe Simulator 2

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

- Steam appid: 1563180
- Developer: Cheesecake Dev
- Released: 2022 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $7.1k to $10.6k per month (mid $8.8k)
- Opportunity score: $18.6k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 392.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.0M
- Review sentiment: 73% positive across 13194 reviews (12269 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 71.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 4.4 years
- Studio active elsewhere (8 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 4.4 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $16.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $14.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $12.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $8.8k |

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

138, 106, 108, 101, 152, 133, 134, 105, 118, 64, 53, 111, 82, 64, 81, 63, 68, 78, 75, 84, 62, 74, 46, 85

## Estimated acquisition range

$212.3k to $424.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $106.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- english: 27%
- koreana: 4%
- spanish: 18%
- brazilian: 5% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 3%
- russian: 22%
- japanese: 1%
- schinese: 15%
- french: 5%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Business simulation where players build and manage an internet cafe while managing criminal threats, staff, and tech upgrades.

Internet Cafe Simulator 2 has generated nearly $2M lifetime on modest sales (392k units) with 73% positive reviews and $8.8k/mo residual revenue, suggesting durable appeal in a niche but viable genre. However, the studio (Cheesecake Dev) shows fading momentum: no discounts in 53 months, zero sales in the last year, and reviews declining from 138/mo to 46/mo. The game is not licensed IP and sits in an underserved simulation category where even quiet titles can sustain modest cash flow, making it a low-risk acquisition or publishing revival candidate for a studio seeking catalog depth or a second-life campaign.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Genre (business sim) and setting (internet cafes) appeal to a narrow, possibly aging demographic; relevance may erode as context shifts.
- Risk (tech): Game is 53 months old with no developer activity or patches; technical debt and compatibility drift on newer OS/hardware unknown.
- Risk (other): Studio status listed as 'fading' with 6 titles total and no recent communication; acquisition requires due diligence on code quality and IP transfer clarity.

What players are asking for:
- Multiplayer mode or co-op cafe management
- Improved cafe aesthetic customization and visual polish
- Price reduction or more frequent sales (players note $20 is steep)

Suggested first moves:
1. Conduct IP ownership and source code audit with Cheesecake Dev to confirm clean transfer path and technical state.
2. Model pricing elasticity: test $14.99 or $9.99 price point via limited regional discount to validate pent-up demand and lift monthly revenue above $8.8k/mo baseline.
3. Prototype one high-impact feature (e.g. local co-op or cosmetic cafe themes) to validate whether modest post-acquisition support can reignite velocity and justify retention over delisting.

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/1563180
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.