# Surgeon Simulator

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

- Steam appid: 233720
- Developer: Bossa Studios
- Publisher: Infogrames
- Released: 2013 · Genre: Action · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.4k to $3.5k per month (mid $2.9k)
- Opportunity score: $6.2k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 1.0M · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.2M
- Review sentiment: 82% positive across 16880 reviews (13781 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 54.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 6.9 years
- Studio active elsewhere (6 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 10.3 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 | $5.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $4.6k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $4.2k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.9k |

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

43, 25, 25, 23, 48, 48, 42, 34, 45, 51, 25, 39, 48, 33, 43, 53, 39, 45, 30, 37, 91, 73, 58, 40

## Estimated acquisition range

$70.6k to $141.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $35.3k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A physics-comedy surgical simulator where deliberately bad controls and absurdist humor drive the entertainment rather than simulation accuracy.

Surgeon Simulator remains quietly profitable at $2.9k/mo residual revenue on a $2.2M lifetime base, with 82% positive sentiment driven by its uniquely polarizing control scheme and meme appeal. The title's low review velocity (55/mo, 6-month avg) and 10 discounts in 12 months suggest moderate promotional dependency; however, the 1.1 elasticity and 18% key-share indicate healthy organic interest and minimal gray-market leakage. Best fit: publishing partners seeking catalog depth in the comedy/streamer-bait category, or a studio eyeing IP revival with VR or mobile ports already proven viable.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Core appeal is novelty and meme virality; sustained engagement requires periodic content drops or meta-humor refresh to avoid dormancy below $2.3k/mo.
- Risk (tech): VR port praised in reviews but PC controls remain a friction point; platform modernization (engine, controller mapping) will be necessary if revival is pursued.
- Risk (other): Developer quiet for 83 months (last public post Q3 2016); no evidence of active stewardship, making post-acquisition support critical to retain community goodwill.

What players are asking for:
- Bug fixes for spawning and collision issues in later levels
- Improved or optional control remapping and VR optimization
- New surgical scenarios or campaign expansion beyond existing content

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit codebase for game-breaking bugs (spawning, physics) and prioritize fixes in a $50k-100k technical pass to stabilize residual revenue and unlock streaming recapture.
2. Test a seasonal cosmetic or scenario DLC drop ($1.99-4.99) to gauge willingness-to-pay and extend engagement beyond meme cycles.
3. Evaluate VR port potential (reviews confirm demand) as a differentiation vector against mobile clones and as a justification for a $15-20 re-release on console or standalone VR platforms.

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/233720
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.