# Ratten Reich

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

- Steam appid: 1717250
- Developer: METALLADLERSTUDIO
- Released: 2025 · Genre: Indie · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.3k to $1.9k per month (mid $1.6k)
- Opportunity score: $2.1k/month at x1.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 19.5k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $130.8k
- Review sentiment: 40% positive across 703 reviews (610 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 9.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 13 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 13 months ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 5 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.5k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.2k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.6k |

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

350, 18, 16, 20, 16, 17, 13, 13, 2, 9, 3, 29, 12, 8, 16, 13, 12, 5, 5, 11, 9, 8, 13, 10

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 4 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$3.4k net in total, assuming a unit uplift of x3.0 (industry-typical for old catalog titles). Same ±30-50% error range applies.

## Estimated acquisition range

$37.5k to $75.1k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $18.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- russian: 16%
- spanish: 3%
- french: 3%
- german: 11%
- japanese: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 5% (game NOT localized in this language)
- brazilian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 59%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Ratten Reich is an indie strategy game about rat factions vying for control, currently generating $1.56k/mo in residual revenue.

A quiet indie title with modest but stable revenue ($1.56k/mo mid-case) and a completed 13-month lifecycle, Ratten Reich shows minimal player churn and respectable post-launch monetization. However, the 40% positive review rate, single developer studio marked as fading, zero updates in 13 months, and low velocity (8-16 sales/mo) suggest limited growth potential. This is a catalog hold, not an acquisition target, unless the buyer sees IP licensing or regional expansion (6.9% localization gap, notably Simplified Chinese) as viable.

- Most realistic play: watch
- Risk (market): Positive review rate of 40% and player sentiment around content completeness suggest audience alignment issues that may not be solvable without significant redesign.
- Risk (other): Single-person studio status and 13-month silence post-launch indicate low capacity for meaningful updates or support.
- Risk (tech): No evidence of ongoing technical maintenance or platform support; risk of bit-rot on newer OS versions.

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit localization completeness for Simplified Chinese and other under-supported languages; consider whether low-cost regional marketing can unlock dormant demand.
2. Review developer communication archive to identify whether transparency gaps drove negative sentiment, and whether a single update cycle could meaningfully shift perception.
3. Calculate runway: at $1.56k/mo revenue and zero active development, assess whether to retain as zero-cost catalog filler or license/bundle with other indie titles to reduce perception of abandonment.

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/1717250
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.