# Class of '09: The Re-Up

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

- Steam appid: 2318310
- Developer: SBN3
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Casual · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $4.7k to $7.0k per month (mid $5.8k)
- Opportunity score: $7.6k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 142.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $534.3k
- Review sentiment: 97% positive across 4744 reviews (4467 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 62.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 2 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (4 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 25 months ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 4 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $10.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $9.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $8.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $5.8k |

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

202, 197, 107, 78, 155, 136, 52, 132, 67, 53, 64, 100, 34, 40, 43, 32, 70, 78, 44, 84, 58, 62, 57, 70

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 5 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$18.1k 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

$140.2k to $280.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $70.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- russian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 95% (game NOT localized in this language)
- koreana: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- brazilian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)

Localization gap: 100% of measured reviews are written in languages the game does not support (top: english). Localizing is likely immediate market expansion.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Class of '09: The Re-Up is a narrative-driven visual novel sequel blending dark comedy, relationship routes, and deliberate narrative ambiguity set in a 2000s high school.

This title is a quiet earner generating $5.8k/mo residual with 97% positive sentiment and strong franchise loyalty, despite near-zero marketing activity in the last 2 months. The community explicitly prefers it over later entries but acknowledges it trails the original; acquisition makes sense only if the buyer can commit to a broader Class of '09 IP consolidation or licensing arrangement. For a dormant indie publisher, this is a catalog stabilizer; for a visual novel specialist, it's a proof point of undermonetized fan demand.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Franchise fatigue evident: players cite the first game as superior, and review velocity has declined 60% from peak (202/mo in month 1 to 57-70/mo by month 20).
- Risk (other): Single-language catalog (100% loc gap) limits addressability despite 4.3k+ English reviews; 8 non-English communities exist but are unserved.
- Risk (other): Pricing confusion and perceived unfair positioning: players note it costs more than prior entries, eroding goodwill despite critical acclaim.

What players are asking for:
- More player agency in endings (current system blamed for forced bad outcomes regardless of choice)
- Localization into Russian, German, Japanese, and Chinese (regional communities exist but untapped)
- Clarity on pricing vs. earlier titles and franchise roadmap

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit the full Class of '09 portfolio (original, Flipside, Re-Up, and any dormant titles): confirm IP ownership, consolidate under single publisher SKU, and test bundled pricing to recover margin and reduce customer friction.
2. Conduct light localization audit for Russian, German, and Japanese (highest review volume post-English): 5-8k install base in each region suggests 15-25% uplift in residual revenue per language at modest spend.
3. Engage SBN3 on post-launch roadmap: clarify whether Re-Up is final or if franchise continues, and negotiate exclusive publishing or licensing terms if buyer intends to revive or expand the IP; current 1.8-month dev silence suggests minimal active support.

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/2318310
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.