# Deponia: The Complete Journey

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

- Steam appid: 292910
- Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
- Released: 2014 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $29.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.4k to $2.1k per month (mid $1.7k)
- Opportunity score: $3.6k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 252.2k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.6M
- Review sentiment: 84% positive across 6841 reviews (3362 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 10.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 11.3 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 9.8 years ago
- 51% 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: x1.4 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.7k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.5k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.7k |

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

10, 5, 10, 13, 18, 20, 9, 12, 9, 12, 12, 10, 3, 7, 6, 16, 9, 17, 7, 15, 18, 10, 9, 5

## Estimated acquisition range

$41.3k to $82.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $20.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2014 point-and-click adventure trilogy bundling Deponia, Chaos on Deponia, and Goodbye Deponia, developed by Daedalic Entertainment.

Deponia: The Complete Journey has generated $1.6M lifetime revenue from 252K units at a steady $1.7K/mo residual, but is hemorrhaging quality signals: players consistently report game-breaking bugs (softlocks, progression blockers), the studio has not posted in 135 months, and velocity has flatlined to single digits. For a publisher with technical capacity to patch, the existing 84% positive rating and strong player sentiment about narrative quality suggest a modest but viable turnaround candidate if bugs can be fixed; for acquisition, the IP and back-catalog strategy matter more than current cash flow.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Multiple reports of progression-blocking bugs (chapter-one softlock, pigeon puzzle loop) suggest the codebase is fragile and may require substantial QA and patching to be releasable.
- Risk (market): Point-and-click adventure genre has contracted significantly since 2014; player base is aging and niche, limiting upside even with bug fixes.
- Risk (other): Developer (Daedalic Entertainment) is in 'fading' status with no dev activity in 135 months; internal capacity to support post-acquisition patches is unclear.

What players are asking for:
- Fix game-breaking softlock bugs (chapter 1, pigeon puzzle)
- Improve puzzle clarity and reduce 'moon logic' difficulty spikes
- Port or optimize for modern systems (compatibility issues implied)

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission a technical audit to map all known softlock vectors and estimate patch cost; prioritize chapter 1 and pigeon puzzle.
2. Evaluate whether Daedalic Entertainment retains source code and IP rights, and assess their interest in a co-publishing or licensing arrangement versus full acquisition.
3. Run A/B test pricing: deep sale (40-50% off) to current Steam audience to confirm elasticity (1.39 suggests room for volume gain) and measure whether bug-fix announcement moves needle on wishlist adds before committing to full revival.

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/292910
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.