# Somerville

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

- Steam appid: 1671410
- Developer: Jumpship
- Released: 2022 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.4k to $3.7k per month (mid $3.1k)
- Opportunity score: $6.4k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 57.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $287.9k
- Review sentiment: 70% positive across 1883 reviews (1805 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 24.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 2.7 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 3.0 years ago
- Last discounted 5 months ago, 6 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.7 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $5.5k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $4.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $4.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.1k |

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

28, 35, 48, 19, 67, 46, 45, 42, 29, 52, 21, 37, 32, 31, 31, 53, 32, 32, 40, 36, 20, 21, 15, 15

## Estimated acquisition range

$73.3k to $146.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $36.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- brazilian: 6%
- german: 3%
- russian: 15%
- french: 5%
- english: 55%
- koreana: 1%
- spanish: 5%
- japanese: 2%
- schinese: 8%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2022 sci-fi adventure from Jumpship about a family navigating an alien landscape, built around environmental puzzle-solving and narrative discovery.

Somerville has earned $288k lifetime on modest sales (58k units) with a 70% positive rating, generating $3.1k/mo in residual revenue. The game occupies a quiet but stable niche: it has legs, multilingual reach (22 languages), and no technical decay risk. However, the studio is fading (one title only), review velocity is declining (24.5/mo, down from earlier months), and player feedback identifies control friction as a persistent engagement blocker. This is a candidate for acquisition by a publisher seeking a finished, complete IP with international appeal and potential for console porting or legacy marketing; less suitable for revival without significant control redesign.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Declining review velocity and 36-month age suggest the initial audience has largely played through; meaningful growth will require active repositioning (console debut, VR adaptation, or regional marketing push).
- Risk (tech): Player reviews consistently cite control problems as a barrier to engagement; any acquisition should include resources for control audit and potential redesign across platforms.
- Risk (other): Studio status is fading with only one shipped title; no post-launch support capacity means a buyer inherits a finished but unsupported asset.

What players are asking for:
- Improved or remappable controls, especially for platforming and interaction sequences
- Optional puzzle hints or difficulty modes for less experienced players
- Console versions (PlayStation, Xbox noted in comments)

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission a control UX audit comparing Somerville's input latency and remapping flexibility against genre peers (Outer Wilds, A Short Hike, Kentucky Route Zero); identify cost of a refresh pass.
2. Research console publishing partners (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft Indies programs) to assess porting feasibility and regional sales potential; Somerville's multilingual content and 70% positive rate suggest addressable console audiences.
3. Analyze the 80% historical discount elasticity (1.68) to model organic recovery at $9.99-14.99; calculate whether modest seasonal sales + residual ($3.1k/mo) justify holding vs. strategic bundling with other IPs.

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/1671410
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.