# Is this Game Trying to Kill Me?

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

- Steam appid: 2658470
- Developer: Stately Snail
- Released: 2024 · Genre: Action · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.8k to $2.8k per month (mid $2.3k)
- Opportunity score: $3.8k/month at x1.65 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 47.5k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $208.2k
- Review sentiment: 95% positive across 1661 reviews (1485 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 21.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 20 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 19 months ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.6k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.3k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (21 months)

458, 144, 156, 98, 57, 40, 31, 29, 48, 108, 21, 55, 34, 60, 29, 14, 20, 21, 16, 16, 39

## Estimated acquisition range

$55.2k to $110.4k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $27.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- french: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 42%
- russian: 38%
- japanese: 1%
- schinese: 5%
- german: 3%
- koreana: 2%
- spanish: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- brazilian: 6%

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A short-form atmospheric puzzle game with horror elements where players alternate between a cabin interface and a computer screen to solve environmental challenges.

Is this Game Trying to Kill Me? is a quiet performer with a 95% positive rating and $2.3k/mo residual revenue on a $14.99 price point, suggesting strong word-of-mouth and player satisfaction in a niche puzzle segment. The 19-month-old title has seen no discount activity in the past year, no recent developer communication, and declining velocity (39 reviews/mo down to 16 over recent months), pointing to a title that has finished its initial sales arc but maintains healthy engagement. For a publisher seeking to acquire or revive a polished, IP-complete indie asset with proven review strength and room for localization (French at 2.4% gap), this represents a low-risk catalog play; for a studio, it merits tracking as a potential publishing or marketing partnership if community asks signal expansion appetite.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Short playtime (2-4 hours for 100%) limits revenue per user and creates pricing tension at $14.99; players explicitly recommend waiting for sales despite 95% satisfaction.
- Risk (tech): 19 months since last developer post and zero promotional activity in 12 months suggests studio capacity or interest in support may be limited.
- Risk (other): Niche appeal in escape-room/puzzle category with modest scale (47k lifetime units) means upside is conditional on targeted marketing or franchise expansion rather than organic growth.

What players are asking for:
- Longer content or sequel to justify the $14.99 price
- More frequent discounts or lower base price for accessibility
- Additional puzzle variety or campaign expansion

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit untapped localization: French is 2.4% behind; Russian and Brazilian Portuguese are top secondary languages (550 and 89 reviews), a light translation pass could unlock 10-15% uplift in regional revenue.
2. Model a bundling or publishing refresh: consider packaging with similar indie puzzle titles or a 'Stately Snail' studio bundle to drive discovery and justify $14.99 positioning through volume.
3. Reach out to Stately Snail for publishing partnership: zero discounts and 20+ months of silence suggests the studio may welcome marketing support, DLC co-development, or console porting rather than a full acquisition.

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/2658470
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.