# SteamWorld Heist II

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

- Steam appid: 2396240
- Developer: Thunderful Development
- Publisher: Thunderful Publishing
- Released: 2024 · Genre: Indie · List price: $29.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $4.6k to $6.8k per month (mid $5.7k)
- Opportunity score: $9.4k/month at x1.65 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 69.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $612.7k
- Review sentiment: 93% positive across 2466 reviews (2184 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 26.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 23 months ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $10.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $9.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $8.1k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $5.7k |

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

649, 156, 186, 122, 213, 118, 73, 64, 50, 43, 49, 75, 68, 31, 33, 29, 45, 37, 27, 27, 38, 23, 19, 22

## Estimated acquisition range

$136.8k to $273.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $68.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- french: 3%
- german: 4%
- spanish: 3%
- schinese: 13%
- brazilian: 2%
- english: 66%
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- russian: 8%
- japanese: 1%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

SteamWorld Heist II is a turn-based tactical shooter with ricochet-bullet combat and naval strategy elements, sequel to the 2015 indie hit.

This 93%-positive title is generating $5.7k/mo residual revenue on a $30 price point with zero promotional activity in 12 months, signaling either confidence in organic demand or a quiet title slipping from publisher attention. The franchise has proven legs across multiple genres (Dig, Dig 2, Heist), but studio_status 'fading' and 14 months since last dev communication suggest the team has moved on. Revival or catalog acquisition makes sense only if Thunderful Publishing retains full ownership and can commit to a seasonal content roadmap or Steam algorithm refresh.

- Most realistic play: watch
- Risk (market): Sales velocity fell from 649 units (month 1 post-launch) to 19-38/mo by month 22; no discounts run in 12 months may indicate either pricing confidence or publisher deprioritization.
- Risk (tech): Player feedback consistently flags camera/zoom limitations on battle tactics mode, tuned for handheld play; these are not trivial UX fixes post-launch.
- Risk (other): Developer silence (14 months) paired with studio_status 'fading' and only 2 titles in studio portfolio raises questions about post-launch support capacity.

What players are asking for:
- Wider camera zoom and better scaling for desktop play
- Quality-of-life parity with features that shipped in the first game
- Clarity on ricochet-aiming mechanics and how aim stat/sniper ability gating affects fun factor
- Naval combat to feel as polished as ground missions

Suggested first moves:
1. Verify Thunderful Publishing ownership of all IP and determine if a content roadmap or live-ops layer exists in design docs; confirm dev team availability for even minimal post-launch patches.
2. Commission a camera/zoom accessibility audit and cost estimate for a 'desktop quality of life' patch; this single fix might unlock positive word-of-mouth and sales lift without major design rework.
3. Evaluate franchise potential: if revival is considered, prioritize either a new Dig or Heist spin-off over incremental II updates, given that the core game is selling (albiet slowly) and studio is fading.

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/2396240
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.