# Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

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

- Steam appid: 239200
- Developer: The Chinese Room
- Publisher: Frictional Games
- Released: 2013 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $3.5k to $5.2k per month (mid $4.3k)
- Opportunity score: $6.5k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 539.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.3M
- Review sentiment: 70% positive across 12098 reviews (7196 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 40.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 9 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (6 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 9.6 years ago
- 41% of reviews come from key activations (excluded from revenue estimates)
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $7.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $6.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $6.2k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $4.3k |

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

29, 39, 32, 38, 70, 77, 44, 49, 41, 36, 40, 38, 46, 36, 58, 36, 53, 61, 45, 39, 49, 41, 36, 31

## Estimated acquisition range

$103.6k to $207.1k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $51.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

First-person psychological horror game from 2013 where players navigate an industrial Victorian mansion guided by a disembodied voice, pursuing an unsettling narrative about industrial excess and moral decay.

A Machine for Pigs generates $4.3K/mo in residual revenue on a 12-year-old title with 70% positive sentiment and a dormant but stable player base. The game's departure from survival mechanics divided the community but its atmospheric storytelling and thematic coherence retain appeal to narrative-focused horror players. For a publisher holding Frictional Games IP or exploring horror catalog value, this title represents modest but steady ancillary revenue with minimal ongoing support costs; for a studio considering horror revival campaigns, it offers proof that cinematic horror can sustain engagement without resource-management systems.

- Most realistic play: watch
- Risk (market): Genre sentiment shifted away from cinematic linear horror toward immersive sim and survival mechanics; title is actively compared unfavorably to its prequel.
- Risk (tech): Built on HPL2 engine; modernization or porting to new platforms would require significant technical lift.
- Risk (other): Developer last posted 9 months ago; studio maintains 6 titles but no recent signals of active support for this aging property.

What players are asking for:
- Restoration or remaster of survival mechanics (sanity, limited resources, inventory) from The Dark Descent
- Increased encounter frequency and genuine threat perception during monster encounters
- Port to modern platforms or VR adaptation to revitalize engagement

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit player telemetry on engagement curves and churn points; determine if story-first design attracts underserved demographic (casual horror, narrative games) or simply disappoints action-horror fans.
2. Model cost and reception for a 'Director's Cut' that reintroduces optional survival systems as toggles without rewriting core flow.
3. Track Amnesia franchise revival signals (franchise reboot, new mainline entry, VR projects) to evaluate whether A Machine for Pigs benefits from brand momentum or remains overshadowed by The Dark Descent.

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/239200
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.