# The Last Flame

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

- Steam appid: 1830970
- Developer: Hotloop
- Released: 2025 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.8k to $4.2k per month (mid $3.5k)
- Opportunity score: $4.7k/month at x1.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 86.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $580.2k
- Review sentiment: 85% positive across 2898 reviews (2705 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 20.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Last build shipped 9 months ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 12 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.9 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $6.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $5.5k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $5.0k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.5k |

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

46, 38, 31, 57, 48, 499, 141, 118, 54, 27, 46, 34, 21, 22, 30, 29, 23, 32, 26, 14, 20, 10, 24, 30

## Estimated acquisition range

$83.1k to $166.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $41.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- french: 4%
- english: 49%
- koreana: 6%
- spanish: 1%
- schinese: 28%
- brazilian: 2%
- german: 5%
- russian: 3%
- japanese: 2%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

The Last Flame is a chill, rogue-lite auto-battler with deep hero-item synergies and custom game creation tools.

A quiet indie hit with 85% positive reception and $580k lifetime revenue across 86.5k units, The Last Flame continues to generate $3.5k/mo residual despite zero developer engagement in 14 months. The game's replayability (players log 100+ hours) and feature depth (custom rules, Reborn mode) suggest untapped demand for accessible strategic deck-builders. For a publisher or studio seeking a proven, low-maintenance catalog title with healthy engagement metrics, this represents a low-risk revenue floor; for Hotloop alone, a content update or monetization optimization could unlock $5k+/mo potential.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Auto-battler and rogue-lite markets are crowded; differentiation on UI/clarity is weak per negative reviews, limiting viral growth.
- Risk (tech): No graphics options and UI navigation complaints suggest the engine or codebase may lack modular scalability for console or mobile ports.
- Risk (other): Developer silence for 14 months combined with single-title studio status raises questions about capacity and willingness to maintain or expand the title.

What players are asking for:
- Regular content updates and sequel/sequel exploration
- UI and visual clarity improvements (hero distinction, graphics settings)
- Continued balance patches for item-hero combos

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit codebase and art asset modularity to assess viability for a live-service roadmap or mobile adaptation; UI overhaul is the primary onboarding unlock.
2. Contact Hotloop to explore motivations for silence; ascertain IP ownership status and willingness to license, partner, or divest.
3. A/B test a modest content drop (5-10 new hero archetypes or rogue-lite run modifiers) to measure re-engagement rate and validate $5k+/mo ceiling.

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/1830970
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.