# Octodad: Dadliest Catch

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

- Steam appid: 224480
- Developer: Young Horses
- Released: 2014 · Genre: Action · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.7k to $4.0k per month (mid $3.3k)
- Opportunity score: $6.2k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 680.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.2M
- Review sentiment: 94% positive across 10686 reviews (9072 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 41.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 15 months
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 5.6 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $6.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $5.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $4.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.3k |

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

36, 26, 125, 55, 72, 66, 38, 65, 34, 51, 47, 58, 47, 34, 31, 64, 41, 63, 43, 34, 34, 58, 40, 40

## Estimated acquisition range

$80.2k to $160.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $40.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A physics-based comedy stealth game where you play as an octopus disguised as a suburban dad, trying to blend in without anyone discovering your true identity.

Octodad remains a rare A-grade title earning $3.3k/mo in residual revenue on a 10-year-old release with 94% positive sentiment and steady month-to-month sales velocity. Young Horses has shipped only two titles total; the studio is actively operating but dormant on this IP. The game's absurdist humor, viral meme status ("nobody suspects a thing"), and evergreen appeal to casual and speedrun communities suggest untapped revival potential through marketing, platform ports, or franchise expansion.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (market): Physics-based couch-co-op games face natural ceiling in online-first market; console/mobile ports would be required to meaningfully scale residual revenue.
- Risk (other): Developer has not posted in 15 months; unclear if studio capacity exists for updates, ports, or sequel work without external publishing partnership.

What players are asking for:
- Longer campaign or sequel (reviews cite brevity as only regret)
- Console ports, especially Switch (implied by couch-co-op nature)
- Community workshop support or level editor
- Cross-platform co-op expansion

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit IP ownership and franchise rights held by Young Horses; confirm no encumbrances before any licensing or sequel proposal.
2. Commission market sizing for Nintendo Switch port: couch-co-op physics games have outsized attach rates on console. Estimate 2-4x current monthly residual if ported and marketed to console discovery networks.
3. Outreach to Young Horses for collaborative revival campaign: limited Steam sale, seasonal event appearances, or community-driven speedrun tournament. Low capital, high brand goodwill ROI given 41 reviews/mo baseline engagement.

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/224480
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.