# Laika: Aged Through Blood

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

- Steam appid: 1796220
- Developer: Brainwash Gang
- Publisher: Thunderful Publishing
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $9.2k to $13.8k per month (mid $11.5k)
- Opportunity score: $19.0k/month at x1.65 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 188.3k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $938.6k
- Review sentiment: 92% positive across 6630 reviews (5885 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 92.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 15 months
- Studio active elsewhere (4 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 32 months ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 11 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.2 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $20.9k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $18.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $16.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $11.5k |

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

106, 110, 122, 103, 97, 146, 90, 204, 130, 112, 137, 98, 102, 131, 136, 105, 93, 132, 91, 120, 96, 71, 93, 83

## Estimated acquisition range

$276.1k to $552.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $138.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- japanese: 1%
- german: 1%
- koreana: 2%
- russian: 11%
- spanish: 7%
- schinese: 16%
- brazilian: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 2%
- english: 58%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2023 post-apocalyptic action-metroidvania built around motorcycle combat and platforming, with acclaimed storytelling and soundtrack.

Laika has quietly built a strong, durable audience: 188k lifetime units, 91.6% positive reviews, and $11.5k/mo residual revenue nearly three years after launch despite zero marketing activity in 15 months. The game's core appeal, atmospheric worldbuilding, character work, and an original soundtrack by Beicoli, resonates deeply with players who describe it as underrated and memorable. This is a catalog asset with legs and licensing potential (OST, adaptation), though mainstream discovery remains limited and design friction (difficulty spikes, unclear objectives, tight controls) caps ceiling.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Mainstream appeal is constrained: high difficulty and learning curve limit addressable market despite critical player enthusiasm.
- Risk (other): Developer has gone silent for 15 months; no patches, events, or community engagement since launch window, raising long-term support and update expectations.
- Risk (other): Metroidvania design is incomplete: only 2 meaningful progression powerups, and player feedback suggests map-gating and objective clarity could be refined.

What players are asking for:
- Official soundtrack (OST) download or release, mentioned repeatedly as missing despite praise for Beicoli's score.
- Clearer objective markers and map guidance to reduce early-game friction and guide player pacing.
- Balance pass on late-game difficulty spikes and boss design, especially around motorcycle control responsiveness.
- Additional content or post-launch support signal to show the game is actively maintained.

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission a design audit on difficulty/UX friction points (objective clarity, visual feedback, control responsiveness) to scope a community-requested quality-of-life patch; even small improvements could unlock reviews and expand ceiling without massive cost.
2. Negotiate OST licensing and release terms with Beicoli to unlock a discrete revenue stream (bandcamp, spotify) and fulfill the most-asked player request, signaling ongoing support.
3. Evaluate porting feasibility and localization gaps (Brazilian Portuguese localization shows 2.3% gap but 131 reviews in that language, suggesting demand-supply mismatch); console/mobile ports or regional marketing could unlock $500–1500/mo incremental monthly.

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/1796220
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.