# Hira Hira Hihiru

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

- Steam appid: 2314820
- Developer: BA-KU
- Publisher: ANIPLEX.EXE
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $24.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.9k to $2.8k per month (mid $2.3k)
- Opportunity score: $3.0k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 25.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $160.3k
- Review sentiment: 98% positive across 964 reviews (804 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 15.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 2 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 33 months ago
- Store page localized in only 3 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 7 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.7k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.3k |

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

17, 14, 28, 10, 42, 22, 15, 29, 10, 22, 20, 20, 23, 13, 19, 12, 30, 16, 12, 19, 9, 19, 9, 22

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 3 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$3.0k 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

$56.1k to $112.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $28.0k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- russian: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 15% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 80%
- english: 5%
- koreana: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)

Localization gap: 15% 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 2023 narrative adventure by BA-KU published by Aniplex.EXE, featuring branching storytelling with heavy emotional themes and acclaimed writing.

Hira Hira Hihiru shows strong fundamentals: 98% positive sentiment, $160k lifetime net revenue on 25k units, and steady monthly residual income of $2.3k despite minimal marketing spend. The game is authored by Setoguchi Ren'ya, whose work commands devoted followership, and benefits from robust Japanese community engagement (627 Simplified Chinese reviews, 115 Japanese). However, the title remains quietly distributed outside Asia, with a 15% localization gap in top language and only 3 languages supported. For a publisher seeking catalog depth in narrative adventure, or a studio interested in Aniplex.EXE's anime-adjacent portfolio, this represents low-risk acquisition or regional publishing expansion opportunity.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Mainstream awareness remains minimal despite quality; growth ceiling may be structural rather than addressable through discounting alone.
- Risk (other): Developer BA-KU appears as single-title studio with minimal post-launch communication (2.3 months since last dev post), raising questions about ongoing support capacity.

What players are asking for:
- Additional language localizations beyond current three
- Quality-of-life features like robust skip and save management (already present but valued)
- Marketing or visibility outside existing regional communities

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission regional market study for Korean and Traditional Chinese localization ROI; Simplified Chinese reviews (627) suggest pent demand.
2. Initiate outreach to BA-KU and Aniplex.EXE on publishing partnership for North American / European positioning, leveraging existing narrative IP relationships.
3. Audit Setoguchi Ren'ya's broader catalog and fan communities for cross-promotion vectors and franchise expansion potential.

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/2314820
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.