# Hurtworld

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

- Steam appid: 393420
- Developer: Bankroll Studios
- Released: 2019 · Genre: Action · List price: $24.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.0k to $1.5k per month (mid $1.3k)
- Opportunity score: $2.7k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 945.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $5.1M
- Review sentiment: 76% positive across 30970 reviews (23640 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 9.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 3.5 years
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 1 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 3.5 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 3 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $1.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.3k |

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

17, 10, 19, 24, 25, 29, 19, 18, 15, 11, 17, 22, 18, 16, 22, 10, 15, 20, 12, 9, 8, 11, 6, 11

## Estimated acquisition range

$30.6k to $61.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $15.3k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Hurtworld is a multiplayer survival shooter launched in early access in 2019, positioning itself as an alternative to Rust with crafting, base-building, and PvP mechanics.

Hurtworld generated $5.1M lifetime net revenue across 945k units, sustaining $1.3k/mo residually despite developer dormancy for 42 months. The survival-sandbox genre remains viable (Rust, Valheim prove category strength), but the game's modest contemporary review velocity (9.5/mo) and lack of post-launch support signal a catalog candidate rather than a revival play. A publishing partner with live-service expertise could unlock deferred monetization (cosmetics, battle pass) or a studio acquisition could inherit a functioning codebase and established player nucleus.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (multiplayer): Server infrastructure must be maintained or migrated; player base attrition will accelerate if uptime falters or matchmaking degrades.
- Risk (market): Survival-PvP genre is crowded; Rust, DayZ, and Valheim dominate mindshare; repositioning as a niche (hardcore, role-play, modding-friendly) is necessary to avoid cannibalization.
- Risk (tech): 41+ month dev gap raises questions about engine version, security patches, and backend stability; audit required before acquiring server assets.

What players are asking for:
- Regular content updates and balance patches to keep progression fresh
- Server stability and anti-cheat improvements
- Cosmetic shop and cosmetics-driven monetization
- Clear roadmap and communication from developers

Suggested first moves:
1. Conduct technical audit of server architecture, anti-cheat backend, and database integrity; confirm cost of infrastructure handoff.
2. Survey remaining active players (Discord, in-game surveys) on retention triggers and preferred monetization models (cosmetics vs. battle pass vs. cosmetics + paid cosmetics).
3. Benchmark against comparable dormant titles (e.g., Miscreated, Dystopia) to model revival ROI and identify niche positioning (e.g., hardcore survival, modding ecosystem, hardcore PvP) that differentiates from Rust.

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/393420
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.