# TowerFall Ascension

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

- Steam appid: 251470
- Developer: Maddy Makes Games Inc.
- Released: 2014 · Genre: Action · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $891 to $1.3k per month (mid $1.1k)
- Opportunity score: $2.3k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 220.3k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $709.7k
- Review sentiment: 95% positive across 3612 reviews (2937 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 13.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 10.4 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 5.7 years ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.3 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.0k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $1.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $1.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.1k |

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

16, 12, 10, 13, 18, 18, 12, 14, 7, 6, 12, 14, 14, 6, 12, 12, 13, 15, 11, 14, 10, 13, 11, 24

## Estimated acquisition range

$26.7k to $53.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $13.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

TowerFall Ascension is a fast-paced local-multiplayer archery action game with deep variant systems, released in 2014 by Maddy Makes Games.

TowerFall sits in a quiet revenue zone, generating $1.1k/mo on a $14.99 price point with 94.9% positive sentiment and 220k lifetime units. The community adores it as a timeless party game and recognizes its design lineage to Celeste; however, the studio is fading and the game hasn't seen dev engagement in 10+ months. The title is a candidate for acquisition by a publisher seeking a proven, low-maintenance catalog asset with strong retention and word-of-mouth, or for a revival push (cosmetics, seasonal modes, cross-promotion with Celeste) if IP control is available.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Local-multiplayer action games face headwind from online-first trends; online integration or cross-platform play would require significant new development.
- Risk (other): Developer studio status flagged as 'fading' with only 2 titles total and no public updates in 10+ months; unclear if team capacity or interest in support exists.
- Risk (tech): 68+ months since build, 1 language only, and no deep sales in recent history suggest aging marketing lift and possible platform-compatibility debt.

What players are asking for:
- Online multiplayer support or cross-play modes
- Cosmetics, skins, or cosmetic variants
- New arena or game mode packs
- Mobile or console port availability

Suggested first moves:
1. Confirm IP ownership and developer/publisher rights status; verify no licensing entanglements or co-ownership claims.
2. Conduct technical audit: test compatibility on current Steam versions, identify platform debt, and scope minimal effort for cosmetics/seasonal content.
3. Quantify upside: model revenue impact of a modest Steam featuring push, cosmetics storefront (20-30% attach rate typical), or co-promotion with Celeste IP; compare to acquisition cost and ongoing support burden.

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/251470
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.