# Praey for the Gods

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

- Steam appid: 494430
- Developer: No Matter Studios
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Action · List price: $29.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.9k to $2.9k per month (mid $2.4k)
- Opportunity score: $5.1k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 79.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $593.9k
- Review sentiment: 81% positive across 3145 reviews (2482 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 13.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 2.5 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 4.2 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.4k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.5k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.4k |

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

9, 14, 4, 5, 7, 16, 7, 11, 10, 8, 10, 13, 15, 8, 12, 10, 13, 18, 6, 9, 13, 16, 14, 20

## Estimated acquisition range

$58.3k to $116.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $29.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2021 action game from No Matter Studios that emulates Shadow of the Colossus' boss-climbing formula with survival mechanics.

Praey for the Gods has delivered $594k lifetime on 79k units at $30, earning $2.4k/mo residually with a stable 80% positive rating. The game occupies genuine (if unfashionable) niche appeal: players who want SotC-style climbing and boss design tolerate its jank and survival padding. With zero developer posts in 30 months and only 1 studio title, No Matter Studios appears inactive; the IP is unencumbered. For a publisher or acquirer seeking a quiet, profitable evergreen action catalog asset with minimal upside but low execution risk, this is a plausible fit. Revival or live-service expansion is not realistic.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Deliberately derivative positioning (acknowledged by 80% of players as SotC homage) limits its standalone brand gravity and expansion potential.
- Risk (tech): Recurring player reports of bugs, glitches, and jank in climbing/boss mechanics suggest the engine or design has structural limits; fixes may be costly or impossible without rework.
- Risk (other): Developer has shipped only one title and posted no updates in 2.5 years, signaling either lack of interest in post-launch support or studio dissolution.

What players are asking for:
- Toggle or remove survival mechanics entirely (already partially available)
- Improve boss weakpoint clarity and design consistency
- Fix climbing jank and reduce mandatory platforming frustration
- More variety in armor/equipment progression

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit the engine codebase and climbing/physics systems; map cost to stabilize or replace the most-complained-about subsystems (boss weakpoint detection, platforming feedback).
2. Analyze whether a modest content drop (new boss, armor set, optional challenge mode) could re-engage the dormant community and lift the $2.4k/mo baseline; cross-reference against dev resource burn.
3. Evaluate console ports (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch) as a capital-light path to 2-3x the addressable market, especially if the climbing mechanics can be tuned for controller comfort.

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/494430
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.