# Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality

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

- Steam appid: 518920
- Developer: Bossa Studios
- Released: 2016 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.2k to $1.8k per month (mid $1.5k)
- Opportunity score: $3.1k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 61.3k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $263.4k
- Review sentiment: 58% positive across 1257 reviews (943 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 13.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 4.5 years
- Studio active elsewhere (6 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 4.5 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.7 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.7k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.1k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.5k |

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

8, 2, 3, 6, 18, 16, 7, 22, 4, 12, 8, 8, 11, 11, 10, 15, 10, 12, 4, 14, 23, 13, 16, 13

## Estimated acquisition range

$35.7k to $71.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $17.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A VR surgical-comedy game from 2016 that applies the Surgeon Simulator franchise to virtual reality with mixed technical results.

Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality earned $263k lifetime on modest sales (61k units) and still generates $1.5k/mo residual revenue despite significant VR compatibility issues and a 58% positive rating. The title remains a logical franchise extension and owns recognizable IP, but requires substantial technical remediation to recover value. Best suited for a publisher with VR platform expertise and tolerance for a 12-18 month stabilization window.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (tech): Frequent crash reports on SteamVR and Oculus platforms, particularly with Quest 2 via Virtual Desktop; controls described as unresponsive for core gameplay actions.
- Risk (tech): No developer posts in 54 months; codebase likely untouched through multiple VR API generational shifts, Unity/Unreal updates, and OS changes.
- Risk (market): VR market skewed toward shorter engagement; 1-10h median playtime in reviews suggests limited depth or replayability despite $19.99 price point.
- Risk (other): Cartoon aesthetic and simplified simulation depth position it below AAA VR competitors; niche comedy appeal is not broad enough to absorb QA/port costs.

What players are asking for:
- Reliable SteamVR and Oculus Native compatibility (no Virtual Desktop workarounds)
- More levels and procedural variety
- Responsive, intuitive VR controls for surgical interactions
- Completion of cosmetic feedback loops (proper patient closure animations)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit VR runtime compatibility against current SteamVR, OpenXR, and Oculus SDK; prioritize crash reproduction and fix on Quest 2 / Virtual Desktop path.
2. Commission external QA on control schemes across 3-4 major headsets; benchmark against contemporary VR surgery/simulation UX standards (e.g., Thrill of the Fight, Pavlov Surgery modes).
3. Establish developer roadmap for 6-8 new procedures and difficulty tiers; validate content volume against $19.99 perceived value in user feedback before re-release push.

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/518920
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.