# SteamWorld Dig

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

- Steam appid: 252410
- Developer: Image & Form Games
- Released: 2013 · Genre: Action · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.9k to $2.8k per month (mid $2.3k)
- Opportunity score: $4.3k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 486.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.0M
- Review sentiment: 94% positive across 10987 reviews (6490 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 43.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 12.1 years ago
- 41% of reviews come from key activations (excluded from revenue estimates)
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 10 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 | $4.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.7k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.3k |

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

75, 28, 99, 58, 89, 61, 31, 35, 36, 81, 95, 121, 51, 40, 59, 39, 59, 54, 47, 56, 46, 42, 40, 29

## Estimated acquisition range

$55.8k to $111.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $27.9k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2013 mining adventure game where you dig, explore, and fight robots underground as a steambot prospector.

SteamWorld Dig remains profitable at $2,326/mo residual despite 145 months post-launch and minimal marketing. The franchise has proven staying power (three installments, strong nostalgia pull), but Image & Form's fading studio status and 14 months of silence suggest the IP may be underexploited. For a mid-market publisher or revival studio, acquiring or re-platforming the SteamWorld catalog could unlock licensing upside and mobile/console ports without major development risk.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (other): Developer Image & Form is listed as 'fading' with no public communication in 14 months; rights clarity and active studio support for patches or ports is uncertain.
- Risk (market): Dig 1 occupies the same franchise space as the more recent Dig 2 and Headlands, creating internal cannibalization risk if re-marketed aggressively.
- Risk (tech): A 12-year-old engine and codebase may require modernization for console or mobile deployment despite current Steam stability.

What players are asking for:
- A third SteamWorld Dig game to continue the narrative
- Mobile ports (iOS/Android) for portability
- Console releases beyond current platforms
- Crossplay or expanded multiplayer features

Suggested first moves:
1. Conduct IP-ownership audit with Image & Form to confirm trademark, source code, and publishing rights are unencumbered and available for acquisition or licensing.
2. Model port economics for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, iOS, and Android using historical Dig 2 performance and current casual-gaming benchmarks to size the revival opportunity.
3. Engage Image & Form or its assets-holder about a narrative roadmap: whether a Dig 3 is feasible, or if a remaster/anthology collection bundling the trilogy would re-engage the audience at a lower burn rate.

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/252410
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.