Chess Ultra

Ripstone · 2017 · $12.99 · Action · deal grade B

Measured on 2026-09-23 13:31 UTC, 12 days ago. The whole catalog is re-measured daily; a game that just launched can move fast between passes.

Estimated net residual revenue: $353 to $530 per month
Opportunity: $596 per month at x1.35 dormancy
Estimated lifetime owners: 101.0k
75% positive across 2318 reviews · 6.3 reviews/month

Why it's flagged

Developer silent for 18 months
Studio quiet across its whole catalog
Last discounted 0 months ago, 11 sales in the last 12 months
Proven demand elasticity: x1.8 review velocity during past deep sales

Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Note written 2026-08-24; the live figures above take precedence over any numbers in it.

Chess Ultra is a feature-rich digital chess platform with 3D graphics, multiple game modes, and AI opponents, released in 2017 by Ripstone.

Chess Ultra shows steady residual revenue ($716/mo mid-estimate) from a niche but engaged player base, though the developer is fading and active community support has ceased. The 74.7% positive rating and high median playtime (8h) suggest solid product-market fit among casual and intermediate players. Opportunity exists primarily through licensing the IP to a larger publisher with chess/esports ambitions, or acquiring the title at low cost for a portfolio strategy, though the lack of recent developer engagement and inactive studio present integration and support challenges. Most realistic play: licensing.

Risk: Developer studio is in fading status with no documented engagement in 17+ months, creating uncertainty around future maintenance, server stability, and DLC support.
Risk: Chess gaming market is fragmented; competitors include free and freemium titles (Chess.com, Lichess) with larger player networks, limiting growth ceiling.
Risk: Title is 6+ years old with no reported engine updates or platform modernization, risking deprecation on new OS/hardware and loss of accessibility features.

This case as Markdown · Estimates carry ±30-50% error per title.