# Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

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

- Steam appid: 469610
- Developer: Owlchemy Labs
- Publisher: Adult Swim Games
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $29.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.8k to $2.8k per month (mid $2.3k)
- Opportunity score: $4.9k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 124.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $803.0k
- Review sentiment: 75% positive across 2485 reviews (2265 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 14.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 9.3 years
- Studio active elsewhere (3 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 8.9 years ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.6k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.3k |

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

13, 6, 4, 7, 13, 9, 12, 10, 8, 6, 17, 12, 9, 6, 5, 8, 7, 17, 15, 19, 16, 8, 10, 18

## Estimated acquisition range

$55.4k to $110.9k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $27.7k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A VR adventure comedy game set in the Rick and Morty universe, developed by Owlchemy Labs and published by Adult Swim Games in 2017.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality remains quietly profitable at $2,310/mo residual revenue on a seven-year-old title, driven by the show's sustained cultural footprint and the VR audience's limited licensed-IP options. However, technical decay on modern systems is actively blocking new players, and the absence of developer engagement for 112 months signals dormancy. This is a licensing play: Adult Swim likely retains publishing rights but Cartoon Network owns the underlying IP. A technical remediation partner could unlock a fast revenue recovery with minimal creative risk.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): Cartoon Network (Warner Bros. Discovery) controls Rick and Morty IP; licensing agreement with Adult Swim and Owlchemy Labs determines renewal and modification rights.
- Risk (tech): Multiple player reports of launch failures and crashes on modern hardware despite the game's positive 74.8% rating; OpenSSL initialization workarounds in user reviews suggest unfixed engine-level compatibility issues.
- Risk (market): VR audience and Rick and Morty cultural relevance remain strong, but PC VR installed base and show audience overlap may not support price recovery above current $29.99 list.

What players are asking for:
- Fix launch crashes and white-screen failures on modern systems (OpenSSL ia32cap issues mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Expand campaign story length and replay value beyond current sandbox focus
- Clarify compatibility with current VR headsets and Windows versions

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit licensing agreement with Cartoon Network and Adult Swim to confirm modification and patching rights; confirm whether Owlchemy Labs retains technical stewardship or if Adult Swim must commission updates.
2. Commission a technical review of OpenSSL and engine compatibility issues; a point release targeting Windows 10/11 and current VR runtimes (SteamVR, OpenXR) could restore 30-50% of blocked installs.
3. If licensing costs are recoverable, launch a "Technical Revival" campaign: patch, restore to Featured visibility, and advertise to Rick and Morty subreddit and VR forums; model $5,000-8,000/mo recovery within 6 months post-launch.

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/469610
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.