# Late Shift

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

- Steam appid: 584980
- Developer: CtrlMovie
- Publisher: Wales Interactive
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $14.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.2k to $3.3k per month (mid $2.8k)
- Opportunity score: $3.6k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 426.4k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.4M
- Review sentiment: 86% positive across 9249 reviews (7753 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 34.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 6 months ago
- Last build shipped 35 months ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 10 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 | $5.0k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $4.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.9k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.8k |

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

37, 30, 15, 22, 26, 31, 14, 23, 11, 54, 35, 47, 16, 40, 23, 19, 25, 29, 48, 32, 14, 39, 37, 35

## Estimated acquisition range

$66.1k to $132.1k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $33.0k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 90-minute FMV thriller with seven branching endings and player-driven narrative choices, set in a London heist scenario.

Late Shift has generated $1.37M lifetime revenue from 426K units at a modest $14.99 price point, with 85.7% positive reviews and steady residual income of $2,752/mo. The core FMV demographic remains engaged (34 reviews/mo, 6 months running), but replay friction and subtitle defects are limiting replayability and word-of-mouth. For a publisher or acquirer with FMV experience, this is a dormant back-catalog title with proven IP stability and modest uplift potential through technical fixes and seasonal promotional pushes; not a growth story, but reliable floor revenue from an established fan base.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (tech): Subtitle accuracy and audio-level defaults are cited as friction points by multiple players, creating perception of polish deficit relative to production budget.
- Risk (market): FMV genre remains niche; elasticity of 1.51 suggests price sensitivity, and the 76% max historical discount (versus current 0% discount) implies heavy reliance on periodic sales rather than sustained full-price demand.
- Risk (other): Chapter-skip and fast-forward features are absent, deterring repeat playthroughs for achievement hunting; low replay friction is a known barrier in narrative-branching titles.

What players are asking for:
- Chapter select or ability to skip/fast-forward already-viewed scenes to ease replay for alternate endings
- Subtitle accuracy audit and audio mixing rebalance (music/dialogue levels)
- Character backstory or world-building depth to offset short runtime and increase narrative stickiness

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit subtitle file accuracy and audio mix against source footage; prioritize dialogue clarity fixes and menu-level volume presets for speech to reduce friction on first plays and word-of-mouth damage.
2. Implement chapter-select UI to allow players to replay branch paths without full-sequence re-watches; this low-cost feature is the single largest lever for increasing per-user playtime and achievement completion.
3. Run seasonal promotional cycles (3-4 per year, 20-30% discount windows) timed to story/narrative holidays (heist, crime, thriller cultural moments) to sustain velocity; current residual floor of $2,752/mo is solid if cost of capital is low and discount strategy is disciplined.

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/584980
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.