# Mad Father

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

- Steam appid: 483980
- Developer: sen
- Publisher: PLAYISM
- Released: 2016 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $3.2k to $4.8k per month (mid $4.0k)
- Opportunity score: $7.4k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 400.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $860.9k
- Review sentiment: 97% positive across 6726 reviews (6168 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 74.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 22 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 3.5 years ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 6 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.5 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $7.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $6.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $5.7k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $4.0k |

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

116, 91, 66, 53, 94, 95, 68, 72, 91, 89, 81, 81, 85, 65, 73, 39, 97, 80, 51, 100, 54, 83, 57, 104

## Estimated acquisition range

$96.4k to $192.8k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $48.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A psychological horror adventure game built on RPG Maker, centered on a daughter uncovering her father's dark experiments.

Mad Father remains a high-quality, long-tail earner pulling $4,017/mo residual revenue on minimal ongoing investment, eight years post-launch. The 97% positive rating, consistent monthly reviews (75/mo average), and passionate niche community signal durable appeal within indie horror enthusiasts and RPG Maker veterans. For a publisher or studio seeking proven catalog revenue or IP revival opportunities, this title offers low-risk margin and a clear platform for expanded canon (sequels, spin-offs, or multimedia adaptation).

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Developer sen is in fading status with only 2 titles in catalog; no new content or support in 22 months signals studio distraction or resource constraints.
- Risk (tech): Built on Wolf RPG Editor engine; engine support and modding ecosystem are narrower than Unity or Unreal, limiting derivative or localization scalability.
- Risk (other): Minimal price elasticity testing (8% key-reseller share, no discount in 0.4 months) suggests the title has found equilibrium; major repricing or bundling campaigns carry execution risk.

What players are asking for:
- Sequel or new canon content from sen exploring the Mad Father universe
- Localization expansion beyond current 6 languages (especially Asia-Pacific regions showing engagement)
- Clarification on story mysteries and alternative endings hinted at in main playthrough

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit sen's IP ownership and publishing rights with PLAYISM to determine acquisition feasibility (studio fading status suggests openness to outright purchase or licensing deal).
2. Analyze lifetime_net_mid_usd ($860k) against development cost and current monthly burn ($4k residual) to model 2-3 year ownership IRR under dormant versus light-support scenarios.
3. Map community demand for sequel or expanded universe content; validate willingness-to-pay through Discord/Reddit sentiment analysis and consider episodic or spin-off greenlight if acquisition proceeds.

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/483980
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.