# Sky Force Reloaded

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

- Steam appid: 667600
- Developer: Infinite Dreams
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Action · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $945 to $1.4k per month (mid $1.2k)
- Opportunity score: $2.5k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 146.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $315.5k
- Review sentiment: 93% positive across 2753 reviews (2671 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 22.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 5.1 years
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 2 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 7.8 years ago

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $1.9k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $1.7k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.2k |

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

12, 21, 14, 13, 20, 21, 14, 22, 23, 62, 43, 17, 14, 16, 22, 16, 13, 29, 30, 18, 13, 18, 31, 22

## Estimated acquisition range

$28.3k to $56.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $14.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Sky Force Reloaded is a 2017 vertical scrolling shoot-em-up with progression-based gameplay, boss battles, and co-op multiplayer.

This title generates $1,181/mo residual revenue from a stable 146k lifetime unit base and maintains 92.9% positive sentiment despite zero marketing for 5 years. The developer appears inactive (60+ months since last post), but player reviews highlight an addictive gameplay loop, robust card/plane upgrade systems, and strong replayability across difficulty tiers. For a small indie publisher or live-ops specialist, acquiring the IP and reactivating seasonal events or a mobile port could unlock dormant monetization; for a shmup enthusiast label, the brand has loyal, long-session players willing to spend.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (tech): 93 months since last build; engine maintenance and platform compliance (64-bit, newer OS SDKs, anti-cheat updates) may require non-trivial work before relisting or porting.
- Risk (market): Genre is niche; shmup audience is small and fragmented across arcade, roguelike, and bullet-hell subcategories; mainstream growth is structurally limited.
- Risk (other): Zero discounting history and no key distribution suggest pricing lock or rights complexity; verify IP chain and any outstanding royalties before commitment.

What players are asking for:
- More levels and mission variety beyond the core 12-13 stages
- Rebalancing of upgrade grind/progression curve to reduce early-game repetition
- New game modes or seasonal events to refresh long-term engagement

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit IP chain, developer agreements, and any escrowed assets (source, art, audio masters); confirm clean rights to publish, port, and monetize.
2. Model a low-cost content refresh: seasonal events, 3-5 new missions, and a cosmetic battle pass targeting the 2,100-unit-per-month existing base to test if $200-300/mo uplift is achievable.
3. Evaluate mobile port feasibility on iOS/Android as a parallel revenue stream; shmups perform well in Asia, and the review language diversity (Chinese, English) hints at geographic opportunity.

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/667600
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.