# Children of Morta

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

- Steam appid: 330020
- Developer: Dead Mage
- Publisher: 11 bit studios
- Released: 2019 · Genre: Action · List price: $21.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $9.7k to $14.6k per month (mid $12.2k)
- Opportunity score: $22.5k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 723.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $3.4M
- Review sentiment: 88% positive across 23084 reviews (18078 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 102.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 23 months
- Studio active elsewhere (3 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 4.5 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 8 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 | $22.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $19.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $17.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $12.2k |

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

152, 145, 101, 84, 110, 142, 109, 155, 122, 80, 136, 146, 166, 166, 158, 127, 141, 147, 79, 155, 63, 136, 71, 113

## Estimated acquisition range

$291.6k to $583.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $145.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2019 pixel-art roguelite action game centered on the Bergson family with narrative framing, couch co-op, and character-driven progression.

Children of Morta has generated $3.4M lifetime net revenue on 723K units sold, with an 88% positive rating and consistent monthly reviews (103/mo avg). It currently earns $12.2K/mo residual revenue despite zero active developer support for 23 months. The title is strongest in couch co-op and narrative appeal but suffers from combat balance complaints and design inconsistency. For publishers seeking evergreen indie catalog depth or revival-campaign candidates, this represents stable, low-friction back-catalog revenue with modest IP extension upside.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (tech): Combat balance and UI bugs (stuck tooltips, HUD occlusion) persist despite 54 months post-launch; no patch cadence signals may limit polish-focused acquisition appeal.
- Risk (market): Roguelite genre saturation and player fatigue with 'heartfelt narrative' positioning; niche couch co-op audience limits console/streaming crossover potential.
- Risk (other): Developer Dead Mage operates only 2 titles and shows no public activity for 23 months; ownership clarity and post-acquisition support continuity unclear.

What players are asking for:
- Balance adjustments to early-game difficulty and late-game scaling (8, 14)
- Quality-of-life fixes: UI/HUD polish, enemy occlusion, tooltip stickiness (16)
- Solo-mode viability; acknowledge co-op design bias and rebalance single-player challenges (15)
- Expanded endgame or roguelike mode depth to sustain 50+ hour players (18)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit 11 bit studios' ongoing IP stewardship: confirm publishing deal terms, rights reversion clauses, and Dead Mage contact status; assess likelihood of IP consolidation into a larger portfolio.
2. Model revival scenario (balance patch + marketing push): re-engage couch co-op and family-game communities (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Store seasonal campaigns); benchmark against similar-scale indie roguelites to estimate uplift ceiling.
3. Evaluate mod/community tool support and free seasonal cosmetic roadmap as low-cost engagement levers; review Steam Deck and controller-support optimization to capture handheld resurgence.

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/330020
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.