Wild Bastards

Blue Manchu · 2024 · $34.99 · Action · deal grade B

Estimated net residual revenue: $2.1k to $3.1k per month
Opportunity: $4.3k per month at x1.65 dormancy
Estimated lifetime owners: 19.3k
74%% positive across 781 reviews · 10.2 reviews/month

Why it's flagged

Developer silent for 17 months
Studio quiet across its whole catalog
Last build shipped 21 months ago

Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A deck-building tactical shooter set in a weird space western, spiritual successor to Void Bastards with roguelike progression and character synergies.

Wild Bastards generates $2.6k/mo residual revenue on $198k lifetime net, modest but stable. The 73% positive rating and strong player retention (10+ reviews/mo after 21 months, deep engagement seen in 25-124h playtimes) suggest a small but loyal audience valuing its presentation and character-synergy depth. The title is quiet rather than dormant: it has found its niche but lacks mainstream visibility and suffers from a $35 price point that players compare unfavorably to Void Bastards. A revival angle (content drops, pricing adjustments, marketing to indie roguelike fans) is more realistic than acquisition; publishing partners should explore whether a modest live-service roadmap could unlock the engaged-but-frustrated cohort. Most realistic play: revival.

Risk: Direct comparison to Void Bastards (2019) creates expectation mismatch; players see Wild Bastards as derivative and overpriced, depressing word-of-mouth despite higher production values.
Risk: Recurring complaints about enemy AI simplicity, weapon accuracy inconsistency, and map-navigation friction suggest systemic design gaps that would require significant dev investment to repair.
Risk: Developer activity is low (17.5 months since last dev post); studio status flagged as 'fading' with only 2 titles in catalog; publisher Maximum Entertainment has limited visibility in indie spaces.

This case as Markdown · Estimates carry ±30-50%% error per title.