# Squirrel Stapler

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

- Steam appid: 2535830
- Developer: David Szymanski
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Action · List price: $7.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.6k to $2.4k per month (mid $2.0k)
- Opportunity score: $2.6k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 65.3k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $130.1k
- Review sentiment: 96% positive across 2346 reviews (2040 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 39.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 10 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (10 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 36 months ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 8 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.2 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.1k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.0k |

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

49, 28, 30, 43, 54, 43, 34, 76, 32, 40, 30, 40, 28, 17, 40, 34, 28, 60, 69, 44, 25, 23, 42, 36

## Estimated acquisition range

$47.6k to $95.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $23.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- russian: 4% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- brazilian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 89% (game NOT localized in this language)

Localization gap: 100% of measured reviews are written in languages the game does not support (top: english). Localizing is likely immediate market expansion.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A surreal, deliberately low-poly first-person action game about stapling squirrels, wrapped in cryptic religious and existential narrative.

Squirrel Stapler has achieved cult status with a 96% positive rating and strong per-review engagement despite minimal marketing and no localization beyond English. The title earns $2,000/mo residual revenue from a $7.99 price point, with elasticity suggesting pricing flexibility and an untapped international audience (language gap at 100%). For a solo developer title, this represents either a publishing/localization play to unlock dormant demand, or acquisition if Szymanski's back catalog and design sensibility are valuable to a larger studio seeking cult-hit IP.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Game is niche avant-garde with limited mainstream appeal; scaling revenue beyond core cult audience may be difficult even with localization.
- Risk (tech): Solo developer with 10 studio titles; no evidence of sustained post-launch support (last dev post 10 months ago); long-term maintenance and platform compatibility risks.
- Risk (other): Heavy reliance on bizarre tone and creative shock value; quality and brand fit of any sequel, prequel, or derivative work would be high-stakes for a publisher.

What players are asking for:
- More squirrels (quantity and variety)
- Price reduction or frequent sales (review 4 notes $10.49 CAD is too high)
- Movie or expanded media adaptation (review 3 volunteer to produce film)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit Szymanski's 10-title catalog for franchise or thematic connectors; if Squirrel Stapler is outlier success, isolate design principles and IP moat.
2. Commission localization for top 4 non-English review languages (Brazilian Portuguese 26, Russian 69, German 19, Spanish 40) and A/B test pricing elasticity (1.24 suggests ~15% sales lift per 10% price cut).
3. Explore media rights optioning (film, podcast, merch) with rights holder; community is already co-creating fan content, suggesting strong licensing upside.

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/2535830
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.