# Stella of The End

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

- Steam appid: 2510770
- Developer: VisualArts/Key
- Publisher: VisualArts
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $3.8k to $5.7k per month (mid $4.7k)
- Opportunity score: $9.0k/month at x1.90 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 90.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $450.4k
- Review sentiment: 97% positive across 3148 reviews (2824 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 38.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 2.8 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 33 months ago
- Store page localized in only 3 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 6 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.6 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $8.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $7.5k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $6.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $4.7k |

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

76, 47, 38, 33, 80, 59, 44, 192, 58, 48, 69, 112, 77, 47, 70, 68, 79, 61, 32, 43, 34, 26, 32, 61

## Estimated acquisition range

$113.6k to $227.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $56.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- brazilian: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 13%
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- russian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 10% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 74%

Localization gap: 12% of measured reviews are written in languages the game does not support (top: japanese). Localizing is likely immediate market expansion.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A sci-fi visual novel by Key about a human courier and an android navigating a machine-dominated future, built on emotional storytelling and character bonds.

Stella of The End sits in a quiet growth phase: 97% positive reviews, $4.7k/mo residual revenue, and steady engagement (38 reviews/mo) despite zero developer communication in 33 months. The game has already recouped well beyond its production cost (lifetime $450k net on ~90k units) and appears to be a self-sustaining quiet title rather than a revival candidate. For acquirers, the appeal is limited unless seeking a Key visual-novel IP anchor; for publishers, the licensing opportunity (Key owns the studio and franchises) may merit discussion of expanded localization or console ports.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Risk (tech): Visual novel engine and pipeline may be proprietary to Key; porting to console or mobile would require technical partnership or rebuild.
- Risk (market): Extremely high localization gap (12.4%, top missing language is Japanese) suggests the domestic/Asian market is undertapped; expanding there could cannibalize or require careful regional pricing.
- Risk (other): Developer studio marked 'fading' with no activity in 33 months; future support or updates unlikely without external publisher intervention.

What players are asking for:
- Console ports (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation mentioned in comparisons to God of War, Nier)
- Expanded Japanese/Korean localization and marketing
- Sequel or spiritual follow-up in the same universe

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit localization ROI: calculate lift from full Japanese/Korean/Russian subtitle + marketing push, especially in Asia where Chinese reviews (2k+) already dominate total review count.
2. Explore console porting feasibility with Key: Switch and PlayStation would unlock seasonal sales spikes and console-native review ecosystems; current 60% max discount suggests price elasticity room.
3. Model licensing deal for anime or manga adaptation: strong emotional IP, high review quality, and existing anime-adjacent fanbase (Atri, 86 comps) make it an attractive optioning target for anime studios.

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/2510770
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.