# Murders on the Yangtze River

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

- Steam appid: 1746030
- Developer: OMEGAMES STUDIO
- Released: 2024 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $10.0k to $15.1k per month (mid $12.5k)
- Opportunity score: $16.3k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 504.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.2M
- Review sentiment: 97% positive across 21132 reviews (15754 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 114.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 1 months ago
- Last build shipped 18 months ago
- Store page localized in only 3 language(s)
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $22.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $19.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $17.9k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $12.5k |

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

362, 324, 318, 362, 715, 489, 470, 228, 155, 166, 215, 286, 166, 135, 162, 118, 116, 186, 113, 98, 60, 93, 177, 146

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 1 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$19.8k 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

$301.0k to $602.1k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $150.5k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- russian: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 93%
- brazilian: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- koreana: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 7%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A turn-of-the-century Chinese detective visual novel in the Ace Attorney mold, with historical grounding and strong production values.

Murders on the Yangtze River has earned $2.2M lifetime on 504k units at a $15 price point, maintains 97% positive reviews, and still generates $12.5k/mo in residual revenue despite minimal marketing post-launch. The title filled a genuine gap in Western audiences' exposure to early-20th-century China through detective storytelling. For a publisher or studio seeking a proven IP with a vocal, underserved fanbase and high replay/expansion potential, this represents a quiet but stable catalog asset; the developer's single-title status and near-zero discount history suggest room for professional marketing, sequel development, or geographic expansion, especially in Chinese markets where review volume (14k+ in Simplified Chinese) indicates untapped monetization.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Visual novel/detective games face crowded indie competition; differentiation rests entirely on setting, writing quality, and community goodwill rather than mechanical innovation.
- Risk (tech): Translation quality flagged by players as a bottleneck to immersion; expansion to additional markets may require localization investment beyond initial English/Chinese effort.
- Risk (other): Developer is a single-title studio with no track record of post-launch support iteration or sequel delivery; execution risk on DLC/sequel promises seen in player reviews.

What players are asking for:
- Sequel or continuation (mentioned in 4+ top reviews as urgent request)
- DLC expansion content (referenced in at least one positive review)
- Improved English translation quality and character nuance
- Additional historical context/educational materials integrated into gameplay

Suggested first moves:
1. Conduct rights-holding validation and secure IP ownership from OMEGAMES STUDIO; confirm developer's appetite for partnership or acquisition given single-title output and recent dev activity (0.73 months since last post).
2. Commission a localization audit and cost estimate for high-quality English re-translation and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) expansion; data shows 14k+ reviews in Simplified Chinese but only 3 languages currently supported, suggesting significant addressable upside.
3. Develop a sequel/DLC roadmap with the developer; players are explicitly requesting continuation and community sentiment is high enough to sustain Kickstarter, early access, or direct pre-order campaign if announcement is coupled with transparent timeline.

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/1746030
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.