# Unrooted

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

- Steam appid: 2441100
- Developer: 85 Plus Games
- Released: 2024 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $15.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.7k to $2.6k per month (mid $2.2k)
- Opportunity score: $4.1k/month at x1.90 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 3.2k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $15.1k
- Review sentiment: 86% positive across 104 reviews (101 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 18.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- No developer announcement on record, ever
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 25 months ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.0k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.4k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.1k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.2k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (6 months)

103, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1

## Estimated acquisition range

$52.4k to $104.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $26.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- german: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 99%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Unrooted is a 2024 adventure game from 85 Plus Games with hand-crafted art and music that has encountered critical save-file stability issues.

At $2.2k/mo residual revenue on $15.1k lifetime net, Unrooted sits well below viability, but the 85.6% positive review rate and strong art direction suggest the core appeal is real. The blocker is a save corruption bug that has bricked player progress in later zones. For a small publisher or the developer itself, a targeted patch addressing this single critical flaw could unlock both player goodwill and modest recurring revenue; for a larger buyer, the IP and team are not valuable enough to justify acquisition. This is a revival play, not an acquisition one.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Save-file softlock in zone five is breaking progression for players; without a fix, positive sentiment will erode rapidly.
- Risk (market): Single-title studio with no developer communication signals (last post -1 months) and fading studio status; unclear if team is still resourced or engaged.
- Risk (other): Only English localization despite 1% detected German audience gap; minimal Steam key distribution (2.9%) limits discoverability.

What players are asking for:
- Fix save-file corruption in zone five and later areas
- Post-launch communication or roadmap updates from developers

Suggested first moves:
1. Reach out to 85 Plus Games directly to assess team capacity and interest in a hotfix; if unresponsive or resource-constrained, inquire about licensing the IP or acquiring the title outright for a controlled revival patch.
2. Audit the save-system code and reproduction steps; prioritize a zone-five stability fix that can ship within 2-4 weeks to restore player trust and unlock the $4.1k/mo opportunity figure.
3. Add German localization and run a modest discount promotion (15-20%) after patch launch to address the 1% localization gap and reignite the review cycle (currently 18.7 reviews/mo).

Generated 2026-08-21 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/2441100
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.