# CLANNAD

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

- Steam appid: 324160
- Developer: VisualArts/Key
- Publisher: Sekai Project
- Released: 2015 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $44.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $13.8k to $20.6k per month (mid $17.2k)
- Opportunity score: $31.8k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 639.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $6.2M
- Review sentiment: 98% positive across 10897 reviews (9837 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 71.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 13 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 5.3 years ago
- Store page localized in only 2 language(s)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $31.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $27.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $24.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $17.2k |

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

84, 67, 65, 61, 102, 112, 84, 121, 89, 104, 75, 97, 72, 43, 79, 71, 91, 76, 61, 72, 59, 69, 64, 102

## Estimated acquisition range

$412.9k to $825.9k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $206.5k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- german: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- russian: 3% (game NOT localized in this language)
- schinese: 71%
- brazilian: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- french: 0% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 21%
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- spanish: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

CLANNAD is a landmark 2015 visual novel from Key about interconnected stories of love, family and loss across multiple character routes.

CLANNAD remains one of Steam's highest-rated and most-played visual novels (98.4% positive, 639k lifetime units, $6.2M lifetime net) with stable residual revenue of $17.2k/mo despite zero discounting in 63+ months and the studio transitioning to fading status. The title has no platform presence risk, diversified Chinese/Russian/Japanese review volume, and community passion remains intense; however, the $31.8k/mo opportunity gap and absence of developer activity for 13+ months suggest underexploited localization, merchandising, and streaming rights potential. Best play is licensing or co-publishing expansion rather than acquisition of the Steam title itself.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Risk (tech): Visual rendering issues reported in reviews (screen blur/wateriness) may stem from aging engine or poor high-DPI support, risking review decay if unpatched.
- Risk (market): Copyright claims on streaming (one 4-hour session flagged 15 strikes) may suppress organic content creator amplification and limit discoverability.
- Risk (other): Developer (VisualArts/Key) is in fading studio status with 9 total titles; publisher is Sekai Project; rights fragmentation and long dormancy (13+ months since last dev post) may complicate rapid revival or localization.

What players are asking for:
- Streaming copyright clarification and DMCA protection for content creators
- High-DPI and modern display rendering fixes (blur/wateriness bug)
- Additional localization (Russian gap is 8%, Chinese reviews dominate at 6,735)
- Official merchandise and physical media releases

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit and clarify streaming copyright licensing with Sekai Project; explore DMCA-safe streaming tier or content creator partnership program to unlock organic marketing.
2. Engage VisualArts/Key on Russian and Simplified Chinese full localization to close 8% gap and capitalize on existing 7k+ Chinese reviews.
3. Assess merchandising, mobile port, and visual remake opportunities under sub-license; $17.2k/mo residual on a 63-month-old title suggests pricing power and franchise extensibility.

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/324160
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.