# The Entropy Centre

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

- Steam appid: 1730590
- Developer: Stubby Games
- Publisher: Playstack
- Released: 2022 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $4.3k to $6.5k per month (mid $5.4k)
- Opportunity score: $10.0k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 106.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $531.6k
- Review sentiment: 89% positive across 4432 reviews (3333 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 43.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 12 months
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 3.4 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $9.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $8.5k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $7.7k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $5.4k |

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

39, 27, 27, 41, 32, 35, 39, 49, 119, 78, 33, 50, 53, 36, 38, 51, 38, 38, 54, 46, 40, 37, 36, 47

## Estimated acquisition range

$129.6k to $259.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $64.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- french: 4%
- english: 66%
- japanese: 1%
- german: 4%
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- russian: 16%
- spanish: 2%
- schinese: 4%
- brazilian: 3%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A first-person puzzle-adventure built on a time-reversal mechanic, designed as a spiritual successor to Portal with comedic AI companion and 15+ hour campaign.

The Entropy Centre sits in a rare sweet spot: 89% positive sentiment, $5.4k/mo residual revenue, and a completed, polished product with zero sales velocity loss over 41 months. Stubby Games (single-title studio, inactive 12 months) has moved on, but the game's audience is stable and its core mechanic (time rewind) remains unexploited in the puzzle space. Best angle is acquisition of the IP by a publisher seeking catalog depth or a studio wanting to extend the franchise; revival is secondary but feasible if positioning shifts toward speedrun/modding communities or regional localization (Korean gap evident).

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Portal franchise dominance means ceiling on market mindshare; 89% sentiment reflects core puzzle-game audience, not mainstream appeal (grade A but not mainstream=true).
- Risk (other): Developer studio fading and inactive 12 months signals no ongoing support; buyer assumes full post-acquisition maintenance and community relations.
- Risk (other): Recurring complaint: late-game padding, puzzle difficulty cliff, and story payoff (ending loop) underwhelms; expansion or patch burden falls on new owner.

What players are asking for:
- Manual save system (multiple reviews cite checkpoint frustration).
- Harder final-act puzzles or optional challenge modes (progression feels stretched).
- Expanded or alternative ending (story loop perceived as cheap/meaningless).
- Speedrun/modding tooling or leaderboards (untapped competitive angle).

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit Korean localization gap (24 reviews, 0.76% language gap) and regional pricing; low-friction expansion into Asia-Pacific could lift residual $1-2k/mo.
2. Assess speedrun/challenge-mode viability: community hints at untapped competitive play; minimal dev lift could unlock streamer/modding secondary revenue.
3. Interview Stubby Games or publisher Playstack on IP holder, engine lock-in, and music/voice licensing status before moving to LOI; Playstack's continued involvement (if any) will shape acquisition vs. licensing terms.

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/1730590
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.