Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope

Yacht Club Games · 2019 · $14.99 · Action · deal grade B

Measured on 2026-10-05 09:55 UTC. 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: $707 per month at x1.60 dormancy
• Estimated lifetime owners: 37.0k
• 94% positive across 1012 reviews · 5.5 reviews/month

Why it's flagged

• Developer silent for 5.7 years
• Studio active elsewhere (4 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
• Last discounted 0 months ago, 4 sales in the last 12 months

Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Note written 2026-08-25; the live figures above take precedence over any numbers in it.

Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope is a retro-style 2D platformer from 2014 (Steam port 2019) that uses a shovel as both weapon and mobility tool.

A quiet performer on Steam with 94% positive sentiment, $625/mo residual revenue, and a tight 6.9-hour median playtime that appeals to indie platformer enthusiasts. The franchise has proven IP legs through multiple spin-offs and ports, but this core title shows dormant engagement (7-review average per month, 1 concurrent player) and modest monetization relative to its cult status. Interesting primarily as a back-catalog anchor for a larger Yacht Club acquisition or as a test case for revival mechanics (DLC, cosmetics, seasonal events) that have worked elsewhere in the genre. Most realistic play: watch.

• Risk: Shovel Knight is a 10-year-old platformer in a crowded indie market; standalone title appeal has plateaued despite high sentiment scores.
• Risk: 66+ months since last code update and zero developer posts in a year suggest minimal ongoing support or roadmap momentum.
• Risk: Only 8.7% of keys come from third-party resellers, meaning most acquisition value is tied to Steam's direct audience rather than arbitrage-friendly key distribution.

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