# SteamWorld Dig 2

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

- Steam appid: 571310
- Developer: Image & Form Games
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $4.7k to $7.1k per month (mid $5.9k)
- Opportunity score: $10.9k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 312.0k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.3M
- Review sentiment: 96% positive across 9082 reviews (5673 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 55.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 9.1 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $10.7k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $9.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $8.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $5.9k |

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

56, 34, 80, 32, 71, 62, 38, 42, 34, 63, 177, 280, 106, 70, 113, 67, 76, 85, 80, 68, 57, 50, 44, 31

## Estimated acquisition range

$141.8k to $283.6k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $70.9k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A mining-focused metroidvania where a steam-bot protagonist digs through underground caverns, solves puzzles, and upgrades tools to progress through a hand-crafted map.

SteamWorld Dig 2 sits in a rare zone: a profitable indie title with 95% positive reviews and $1.34M lifetime revenue, yet generating only $5.9K/mo residually and showing no sales momentum in the past 12 months. The game has outgrown its core audience but retains strong word-of-mouth (55 reviews/mo). For a publisher or platform seeking catalog depth in the action-adventure space, this is a proven evergreen with mechanical clarity and franchise stability, though its quiet studio status and age (108 months) suggest the developer has moved on.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Metroidvania genre is now oversaturated; the game competes against Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge, and dozens of newer releases with comparable depth and lower price points.
- Risk (other): Developer (Image & Form Games) posted 14 months ago; with only 5 titles on their account and fading studio status, revival support or live updates are unlikely without external investment.
- Risk (tech): Built on an engine stack that is now 9+ years old; modernization for console ports or VR would require substantial rework.

What players are asking for:
- Larger scale world or longer campaign (players note it feels like a 'vertical slice' of a bigger game)
- Improved air-swing combat mechanics (pickaxe cannot be wielded mid-air, limiting combat fluidity)
- More cosmetic or mechanical depth in progression (upgrade trees feel finite once fully explored)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit IP rights and anthology potential: confirm whether Image & Form would license the SteamWorld IP to a larger publisher for a port, remake, or spinoff (e.g., console bundles, VR adaptation).
2. Model pricing and bundling scenarios: test if bundling Dig 2 with the original game or a planned third title could revive monthly sales from current $5.9K/mo baseline.
3. Engage developer on post-launch support: a modest content drop (new biome, cosmetics, accessibility features) could unlock a second cohort of reviews and organic discovery without full sequel investment.

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/571310
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.