# Her Story

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

- Steam appid: 368370
- Developer: Sam Barlow
- Released: 2015 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.7k to $2.5k per month (mid $2.1k)
- Opportunity score: $4.3k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 542.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.2M
- Review sentiment: 89% positive across 10387 reviews (8345 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 38.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 5.2 years
- Studio active elsewhere (3 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 9.9 years ago
- Store page localized in only 2 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 11 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 | $3.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.0k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.1k |

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

43, 39, 35, 66, 91, 61, 29, 43, 57, 54, 54, 73, 45, 36, 38, 28, 44, 105, 47, 40, 36, 35, 35, 38

## Estimated acquisition range

$49.6k to $99.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $24.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Her Story is a narrative-driven detective game where players search an interview database out of chronological order to reconstruct a woman's story.

Her Story remains a quiet earner at $2,067/mo residual, having accumulated $1.16M net lifetime on 542K units since 2015. The title pioneered a specific genre (database-search narrative) with durable 89% positive sentiment and steady 38.5 reviews/mo, signaling sustained organic discovery among indie game enthusiasts and curators. For publishers seeking low-maintenance narrative catalog assets or developers exploring IP acquisition in the experimental-game space, this represents a proven, self-sustaining property with minimal live-service overhead. The main constraint is developer Sam Barlow's tight control and limited promotional appetite (11 discounts in 12 months, max 90% off), suggesting the creator values the game's indie positioning over growth.

- Most realistic play: watch
- Risk (market): Genre is polarizing; players accustomed to traditional puzzle-adventure games report tedium and narrative payoff fatigue, limiting addressable market expansion.
- Risk (other): Developer has remained sole publisher and shows no public interest in licensing, remake, or sequel; acquisition would require direct negotiation with Barlow.
- Risk (tech): UI/UX friction noted in reviews (closing mechanics, database search fatigue); modernization would be necessary for console or mobile ports.

What players are asking for:
- Clearer narrative payoff or consequence system at game end
- Streamlined database search to reduce random-word frustration
- Console or mobile port availability

Suggested first moves:
1. Request direct outreach to Sam Barlow to gauge interest in licensing, publishing support, or full acquisition; his 62.5-month dev silence suggests low bandwidth for new partnership discussions.
2. Model a console/mobile port with UX improvements (streamlined search, optional narrative-hint system) to test if $2,067/mo monthly residual scales on new platforms.
3. Monitor for any announcement of Barlow's unreleased titles (studio has 3 titles total); acquisition of his next IP may be more feasible if bundled with Her Story catalog rights.

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/368370
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.