# The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile

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

- Steam appid: 268990
- Developer: Ska Studios
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Action · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $995 to $1.5k per month (mid $1.2k)
- Opportunity score: $2.6k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 96.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $207.9k
- Review sentiment: 95% positive across 1876 reviews (1760 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 23.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 4.5 years
- Studio active elsewhere (3 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 4.5 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $1.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.2k |

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

9, 15, 12, 20, 37, 14, 29, 22, 18, 28, 41, 28, 21, 23, 25, 18, 28, 28, 20, 27, 24, 11, 29, 28

## Estimated acquisition range

$29.8k to $59.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $14.9k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2D action game from 2017 featuring stylized vampire combat with visual novel story segments and motion-sickness triggering screen effects.

Vampire Smile maintains a strong 95% positive rating and $1.2k/mo residual revenue despite zero promotion in 54+ months, suggesting a stable cult audience. However, a documented accessibility barrier (screen distortion/flashing causing headaches with no toggle) limits growth potential and poses liability risk. The title is worth monitoring for a low-cost accessibility patch as a quick win, but acquisition interest should be conditional on fixing the visual effect before any marketing push.

- Most realistic play: watch
- Risk (tech): Screen distortion/flashing effect lacks accessibility option and causes documented headaches; disabling it may require art direction compromise.
- Risk (market): No discounting in 54 months and no ITAD tracking suggests publisher may not be actively monetizing; unclear if rights holder is motivated to optimize.
- Risk (other): Developer (Ska Studios) posts have been silent for 54+ months; future support or patches depend on studio capacity.

What players are asking for:
- Option to disable or tone down screen distortion and flashing
- 100% completion encouragement (cosmetics, leaderboards, achievements)
- Port or re-release on modern consoles

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit the screen distortion effect source code and feasibility of a user-facing toggle; quantify cost/effort to ship an accessibility patch.
2. Validate whether Ska Studios or publisher still holds active rights and is open to a low-cost update or licensing deal.
3. Survey or monitor Steam reviews and community channels for any spike in motion-sickness complaints that could trigger regulatory scrutiny or refund claims.

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/268990
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.