Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Frogwares · 2014 · $29.99 · Adventure · deal grade A

• Estimated net residual revenue: $6.9k to $10.3k per month
• Opportunity: $12.9k per month at x1.50 dormancy
• Estimated lifetime owners: 529.6k
• 89%% positive across 7972 reviews · 53.2 reviews/month

Why it's flagged

• Developer active, last post 1 months ago
• Studio active elsewhere (13 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
• Last build shipped 7.0 years ago
• Last discounted 0 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months

Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A Victorian-era detective adventure where you solve six interconnected Sherlock Holmes cases through investigation, deduction, and moral choice.

Crimes and Punishments generates $8.6k/mo in residual revenue on minimal maintenance, backed by 89% positive reviews and steady engagement (53 reviews/mo). The title is a franchise anchor for Frogwares' Sherlock catalog and demonstrates durable appeal in the logic-puzzle detective niche. For a publisher seeking backlist depth or a studio evaluating the Sherlock IP, this is a quiet performer worth preserving and periodically discounting; a revival angle is limited by age and technical debt, but the game does not require significant overhaul to remain profitable. Most realistic play: publishing.

• Risk: Game is built on Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes; rights may be held by Conan Doyle Estate or a sublicense holder; full acquisition of IP or long-term exclusivity is unlikely.
• Risk: Recurring crash reports in deduction sequences and on Steam Deck; fixes would require active development resources and may not justify cost against current $8.6k/mo revenue.
• Risk: 2014 release; newer detective titles (Obra Dinn, etc.) have captured genre mindshare; discount-driven sales (current 90% off, 10 promos in 12m) suggest elasticity-driven monetization rather than organic demand.

This case as Markdown · Estimates carry ±30-50%% error per title.