# SteamWorld Heist

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

- Steam appid: 322190
- Developer: Image & Form Games
- Released: 2016 · Genre: RPG · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.4k to $2.0k per month (mid $1.7k)
- Opportunity score: $3.2k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 274.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $883.2k
- Review sentiment: 94% positive across 6224 reviews (4217 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 21.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 9.0 years ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 12 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) | $2.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.7k |

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

77, 37, 63, 31, 75, 40, 23, 23, 16, 21, 27, 47, 27, 16, 30, 20, 39, 26, 23, 29, 17, 16, 20, 22

## Estimated acquisition range

$40.9k to $81.8k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $20.5k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

SteamWorld Heist is a turn-based tactical RPG featuring cowboys and robots with a novel ricocheting-shot mechanic, built on the indie SteamWorld franchise.

Heist sits dormant but stable: $1.7k/mo residual revenue on 93.9% positive reviews, lifetime $883k from 274k units, and zero discount activity in the past two weeks suggests organic, word-of-mouth demand remains intact. The ricocheting-aim system and franchise loyalty indicate strong core appeal, but low developer posting cadence (14 months) and fading studio status point to deprioritization. This is an acquisition candidate for a publisher seeking to revive a quality tactical-RPG IP with proven shelf-life and an engaged if small community, or a licensing play for SteamWorld franchise consolidation.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Tactical RPG genre has become crowded since 2016; revival would require fresh differentiation (e.g., co-op, expanded campaign, or cross-platform play) to justify marketing spend and re-engage lapsed players.
- Risk (other): Hat-grind achievement system flagged in player reviews as frustrating (1/100 spawn rates); content tweaks may be needed to reduce friction for new or returning players.
- Risk (other): Developer Image & Form Games is in 'fading' status with only 5 titles and no dev posts in 14 months, signaling low bandwidth for post-acquisition support; buyer must plan for internal content roadmap.

What players are asking for:
- Reduce hat-achievement grind (randomization currently too punishing)
- Balance difficulty spikes in campaign randomization (some missions feel impossible with certain team compositions)
- Expand campaign length and mission variety (players replaying suggest appetite for more content)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit hat-achievement drop rates and player retention curve around Weeks 8-12; calculate cost of rebalancing against churn reduction and word-of-mouth uplift.
2. Map SteamWorld IP portfolio (Dig, Dig 2, Heist, Heist 2 if exists, other titles) to identify franchise-bundling opportunities or console/mobile porting synergies under unified publishing.
3. Commission a 30-day community survey via Steam and Discord to rank priorities: QoL updates (balance, UI), DLC (new missions, cosmetics, co-op), or sequel greenlight signal.

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/322190
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.