# Night in the Woods

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

- Steam appid: 481510
- Developer: Infinite Fall
- Publisher: Finji
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $10.0k to $15.0k per month (mid $12.5k)
- Opportunity score: $26.3k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 972.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $4.2M
- Review sentiment: 95% positive across 20195 reviews (17686 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 116.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 4.9 years
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 1 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 5.8 years ago
- Store page localized in only 2 language(s)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $22.8k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $19.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $17.9k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $12.5k |

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

116, 123, 197, 210, 192, 184, 120, 148, 81, 136, 116, 177, 119, 108, 148, 160, 156, 176, 128, 143, 109, 100, 82, 138

## Estimated acquisition range

$300.8k to $601.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $150.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2017 narrative adventure about a college dropout returning to her rust-belt hometown, blending slice-of-life storytelling with atmospheric exploration and indie charm.

Night in the Woods has quietly generated $4.2M lifetime revenue from 972K units on a single title, maintaining 94.8% positive reviews and earning $12.5K/mo residual with minimal marketing spend. The 59-month dev silence and zero discounting suggest the title is stable and self-sustaining rather than actively managed. For publishers seeking mid-catalog acquisitions with proven audience retention and minimal technical debt, this is a textbook indie evergreen; for revival-minded teams, the 2017 release date and strong emotional resonance among Gen-Z players create opportunity for modern platform expansion (console ports, remasters, merchandise tie-ins) without cannibalizing existing sales.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Residual revenue of $12.5K/mo is modest for a $4M+ lifetime title; acquisition ROI depends entirely on cost of purchase and whether buyer can unlock new channels or media.
- Risk (tech): Built on custom engine at 69 months old; cross-platform deployment or modernization may require re-engineering if buyer lacks original dev expertise.
- Risk (other): Developer studio marked inactive; acquisition includes no active development resource, only IP and code.

What players are asking for:
- Console versions (Switch, PlayStation ports mentioned in YouTube commentary)
- Sequel or expanded universe content
- Merchandise and physical releases
- Behind-the-scenes dev commentary or director's cut

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit source code and asset pipeline with original Infinite Fall developers (if available for consulting); assess lift for Switch/console port given genre and art style are console-native strengths.
2. Analyze player sentiment by cohort (new vs. returning) and geography to prioritize platform expansion; 116 reviews/mo suggests ongoing discovery; consider regional console releases first.
3. Evaluate licensing opportunity for graphic novel, tabletop game, or animated series adaptation; existing fanbase and narrative depth reduce adaptation risk relative to indie game IP plays.

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/481510
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.