# sobosuba

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

- Steam appid: 1946560
- Developer: keepeetron
- Released: 2026 · Genre: Casual · List price: $3.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.5k to $3.8k per month (mid $3.2k)
- Opportunity score: $5.1k/month at x1.60 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 3.0k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $4.1k
- Review sentiment: 100% positive across 95 reviews (95 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 95.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- No developer announcement on record, ever
- Last build shipped 0 months ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 1 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $5.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $5.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $4.5k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.2k |

## Estimated acquisition range

$76.3k to $152.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $38.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- russian: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 9% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 82%

Localization gap: 18% of measured reviews are written in languages the game does not support (top: japanese). Localizing is likely immediate market expansion.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A physics-based merge puzzle game where players combine soft-body blobs to reach higher denominations, blending Suika mechanics with Dockle-like shooting controls.

Sobosuba launched in December 2025 with exceptional sentiment (100% positive across 95 reviews) and a distinctive mechanical identity that separates it from saturated merge-game clones. At $3.2k-3.8k/mo residual, it's too small for traditional publishing, but the title demonstrates strong product-market fit for a minimal-overhead indie: players consistently praise depth-masking simplicity, sound design, and zero predatory monetization. The real opportunity lies in mobile port rights or revival as a waiting-room game; the Steam community explicitly asks for that, and the current developer (one-person studio, zero revenue-share tracking) may lack mobile resources.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Merge-game market is crowded and subject to trend cycles; Suika clones have already saturated mobile storefronts, and standalone physics puzzlers rarely sustain long-term engagement beyond early whale cohorts.
- Risk (tech): Soft-body physics engine adds complexity for mobile porting; physics feel may not translate to touch controls or vary unpredictably across device hardware.
- Risk (other): Developer is a solo creator with one shipped title; bandwidth for post-launch support, localization (17.6% gap, especially Japanese), or platform diversification is unclear.

What players are asking for:
- Mobile version (mentioned in 5+ reviews)
- Music track (noted as missing in review #7)
- Customizable control schemes, especially for Steam Deck
- Address occasional physics randomness inconsistency

Suggested first moves:
1. Secure mobile publishing rights and negotiate port timeline; community demand for iOS/Android is explicit and underserved.
2. Conduct localization audit for Japanese and Chinese (8 JA reviews, 2% Chinese reach vs. genre baseline); console version (Switch) may also unlock dormant segment.
3. Negotiate revenue-share or buyout with keepeetron; one-person developer likely receptive to upfront capital for platform expansion, leaving Steam operations untouched.

Generated 2026-08-21 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/1946560
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.