# Nine Parchments

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

- Steam appid: 471550
- Developer: Frozenbyte
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.6k to $2.4k per month (mid $2.0k)
- Opportunity score: $4.2k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 225.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $970.6k
- Review sentiment: 77% positive across 4730 reviews (4107 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 18.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 7.0 years
- Studio active elsewhere (11 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 8.3 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 11 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.2 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.1k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.0k |

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

29, 22, 23, 20, 24, 17, 21, 25, 21, 27, 24, 21, 31, 12, 12, 18, 24, 21, 12, 22, 12, 19, 21, 25

## Estimated acquisition range

$47.7k to $95.4k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $23.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Nine Parchments is a fast-paced cooperative action-roguelike from Frozenbyte that emphasizes spell-building, local and online multiplayer, and high difficulty.

This 2017 title quietly generates $1.99k/mo despite zero marketing presence for seven years, driven by dedicated co-op players and recent Switch-to-PC migration. The 77% positive rating and strong replay value suggest dormant demand; revival via a content update, console port refresh, or bundling into a roguelike collection could unlock meaningful upside without major development lift. Best suited for a mid-market publisher seeking low-risk catalog play or an indie studio looking to co-market alongside similar titles.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (market): Roguelike/co-op action market is saturated; title lacks franchise recognition or recent player acquisition channels.
- Risk (other): Community feedback highlights arbitrary spell/character unlock systems and difficulty tuning as friction points; rebalancing may require design risk.
- Risk (multiplayer): Online player base unknown; revival campaign must validate matchmaking health before committing to live-service support.

What players are asking for:
- Character and spell unlock system rebalance or progression clarity
- Difficulty tuning for mid-tier play (acknowledged as punishing even on easiest)
- Cross-platform play or Switch/console feature parity

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit live multiplayer infrastructure and current DAU/MAU to justify live-ops investment; if player base is <200/day, treat as single-player revival.
2. Commission a light content pass (2-3 new spells, character cosmetics, difficulty preset) priced at $4.99-$9.99 to re-engage Switch owners and signal activity to dormant wishlists.
3. Evaluate console port refresh (PS5/Xbox Series X) with cross-save; recent Switch players express willingness to repurchase, signaling elasticity in that channel.

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/471550
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.