# Wild Bastards

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

- Steam appid: 1660840
- Developer: Blue Manchu
- Publisher: Maximum Entertainment
- Released: 2024 · Genre: Action · List price: $34.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.1k to $3.1k per month (mid $2.6k)
- Opportunity score: $4.3k/month at x1.65 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 19.3k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $197.7k
- Review sentiment: 74% positive across 781 reviews (604 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 10.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

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

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.7k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $4.1k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.7k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.6k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (23 months)

230, 54, 31, 28, 36, 15, 19, 22, 15, 6, 28, 5, 5, 19, 6, 16, 19, 6, 8, 12, 15, 10, 10

## Estimated acquisition range

$62.4k to $124.8k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $31.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- schinese: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 1%
- english: 92%
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- brazilian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 1%
- russian: 3% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 1%
- japanese: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)

## 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 (market): 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 (tech): 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 (other): 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.

What players are asking for:
- Clearer UI/tutorial explaining character synergies and build system on first run
- Enemy AI improvements and weapon accuracy fixes (especially hit-registration and bullet-drop mechanics)
- Price reduction or more transparent value justification relative to Void Bastards
- Content additions: new characters, weapons, or map themes to reduce repetition fatigue

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission a brief design audit on enemy AI, weapon tuning, and navigation UX; estimate dev cost and ROI for a 'quality-of-life' patch that addresses the 3 most-cited complaints in top reviews.
2. A/B test a $24.99 price point via regional or flash sales to measure elasticity; current data shows no discount history, so even a modest cut could signal repositioning to indie roguelike shoppers.
3. Partner with indie roguelike streamers and YouTube editors who cover Void Bastards; emphasize character synergy depth and visual style as differentiators; measure engagement lift before committing to content roadmap.

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/1660840
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.