Mystery of the Malign

Gameplay Supremacy · 2025 · $13.99 · Adventure · deal grade B

Measured on 2026-09-29 21:49 UTC, 6 days ago. The whole catalog is re-measured daily; a game that just launched can move fast between passes.

• Estimated net residual revenue: $176 to $264 per month
• Opportunity: $418 per month at x1.90 dormancy
• Estimated lifetime owners: 3.1k
• 94% positive across 82 reviews · 1.9 reviews/month

Why it's flagged

• Developer silent for 12 months
• Studio quiet across its whole catalog
• Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
• Last discounted 8 months ago, 1 sales in the last 12 months

Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Note written 2026-09-22; the live figures above take precedence over any numbers in it.

A solo-developer detective adventure with deductive puzzle design, spiritual successor to Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes and Return of the Obra Dinn.

Mystery of the Malign occupies a narrow but genuine niche: the hand-crafted, logic-heavy detective game. The 93% positive rate and concentrated playtime (median 13.6 hours) signal a title that delivers exactly what its small audience seeks. Current residuals of $220/mo suggest dormancy rather than failure, and the solo-dev pedigree plus Eastern-European setting create distinctive IP with potential for franchise expansion. Best suited for a studio interested in reviving indie detective properties or a publisher seeking catalog depth in the adventure category. Most realistic play: revival.

• Risk: Solo developer may create knowledge transfer and maintenance friction if a new team assumes stewardship.
• Risk: Detective game segment is narrow and crowded with established franchises (Obra Dinn, Golden Idol, Sherlock Holmes); differentiation rests on execution, not genre novelty.
• Risk: Player feedback indicates incomplete narrative arc and some UX friction (obscure puzzle solutions, unclear mechanics), suggesting scope constraints that may have stalled development.

This case as Markdown · Estimates carry ±30-50% error per title.