# Crawl

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

- Steam appid: 293780
- Developer: Powerhoof
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Action · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $999 to $1.5k per month (mid $1.2k)
- Opportunity score: $2.6k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 308.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $994.9k
- Review sentiment: 95% positive across 7304 reviews (5614 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 15.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 5.9 years
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 4.6 years ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 6 sales in the last 12 months

## 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)

24, 24, 17, 24, 22, 24, 17, 17, 26, 18, 26, 29, 18, 11, 20, 22, 24, 27, 9, 14, 15, 17, 14, 24

## Estimated acquisition range

$30.0k to $59.9k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $15.0k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Local multiplayer dungeon crawler where one player controls the dungeon itself, rotating hero roles in real-time combat.

Crawl has maintained a 94.6% positive rating and $995k lifetime revenue on word-of-mouth alone, generating $1,249/mo residual income with minimal marketing or updates. The core mechanic (asymmetric multiplayer via role rotation) remains mechanically fresh and critically underexplored in the market. Best opportunity lies in revival via online matchmaking or a spiritual successor IP, rather than acquisition of the dormant title; the developer (Powerhoof, 2 titles, operating) may be open to publishing partnership if online infrastructure can be funded externally.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (multiplayer): Local-only design severely limits addressable market on modern platforms; Steam Remote Play adoption is niche.
- Risk (tech): Build is 55 months old; no developer posts in 71 months suggests infrastructure and engine may require overhaul for online rollout.
- Risk (market): Asymmetric multiplayer genre has proven difficult to monetize and market at scale; 15.5 reviews/mo indicates low ongoing visibility.

What players are asking for:
- Online multiplayer / matchmaking system
- More bosses and content depth
- Revival or sequel with modern features

Suggested first moves:
1. Reach out to Powerhoof directly to gauge appetite for external funding of an online backend; retention curves and 298h+ players suggest monetizable reactivation potential if matchmaking is added.
2. Conduct cohort analysis on Remote Play adoption among Crawl's 308k units to quantify untapped addressable market for online rollout.
3. Explore IP licensing or spiritual-successor development with a studio experienced in asymmetric multiplayer (Among Us, Decentraland-style gameplay) to sidestep negotiating with an inactive dev while capturing the mechanics.

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/293780
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.