# Sherlock Holmes The Awakened

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

- Steam appid: 1949030
- Developer: Frogwares
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $39.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $11.5k to $17.3k per month (mid $14.4k)
- Opportunity score: $21.6k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 81.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $814.3k
- Review sentiment: 82% positive across 2939 reviews (2552 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 57.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 1 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (13 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 3.3 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $26.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $22.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $20.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $14.4k |

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

64, 82, 46, 45, 60, 64, 62, 60, 52, 47, 35, 49, 104, 57, 92, 57, 50, 74, 53, 59, 76, 42, 55, 62

## 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 +$4.4k 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

$346.0k to $692.0k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $173.0k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- japanese: 1%
- french: 6%
- koreana: 4%
- russian: 5% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 4%
- schinese: 14%
- brazilian: 4%
- german: 6%
- english: 55%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2023 remake of Frogwares' detective adventure blending Sherlock Holmes with Lovecraftian horror, built on the 2008 original.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened maintains steady residual revenue of $14.4k/mo on $814k lifetime net with 82% positive reviews and consistent player engagement post-launch. The title sits dormant at $39.99 with minimal marketing push (one discount in 0.76 months) and carries legitimate IP licensing risk that constrains acquisition options. For a publisher or platform partner, revival through seasonal discounting, localization gap closure (especially Russian at 4.8%), or bundling with the Frogwares back-catalog could unlock the $21.6k/mo opportunity ceiling without ownership transfer.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): Lovecraft IP, Sherlock Holmes, and their respective rights holders (or Conan Doyle Estate clearances for Sherlock) must be verified before any revival spend.
- Risk (tech): Multiple reviews report mid-game glitches requiring client restart and character-movement restrictions, suggesting inherited engine debt from 2008 remake baseline.
- Risk (market): Narrative-heavy detective adventure with forgiving puzzle difficulty appeals to niche audience; mainstream marketing shows limited ROI given low elasticity (-1) and non-mainstream tag.

What players are asking for:
- More visible Lovecraftian deity encounters and cosmic horror intensity beyond ambiance
- Better onboarding and UI clarity for puzzle solutions and optional side-case discovery
- Character movement freedom and stability fixes to match modern adventure standards
- Sherlock dialogue pacing/tone adjustment (currently perceived as overly fast and arrogant)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit Lovecraft and Sherlock IP clearance windows and renewal costs with Frogwares; confirm angle scope (publishing support vs. full acquisition ruled out).
2. Run a 15-25% discount promotion in Russian, German, and Simplified Chinese markets to test elasticity and close the 4.8% localization ROI gap; benchmark against $14.4k/mo baseline.
3. Explore bundle strategy pairing Awakened with Crimes & Punishments (2014) and The Case of the Scarlet Letter (2019) to surface existing franchise loyalty and cross-sell dormant catalog titles.

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/1949030
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.