# Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

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

- Steam appid: 70400
- Developer: EasyGameStation
- Publisher: Carpe Fulgur LLC
- Released: 2010 · Genre: RPG · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.3k to $2.0k per month (mid $1.6k)
- Opportunity score: $3.5k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 500.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $2.1M
- Review sentiment: 96% positive across 7509 reviews (6668 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 15.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- No developer announcement on record, ever
- Studio inactive: no public activity across 2 tracked titles
- Last build shipped 14.2 years ago
- Store page localized in only 2 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 3 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.6 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.0k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.6k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.6k |

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

11, 14, 15, 7, 24, 30, 17, 28, 16, 19, 17, 42, 21, 24, 13, 8, 27, 23, 10, 15, 15, 12, 14, 26

## Estimated acquisition range

$39.5k to $79.1k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $19.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2010 shop-management RPG hybrid where players run an item shop by day and dungeon-crawl for inventory by night, with surprising depth beneath its chibi aesthetic.

Recettear has generated $2.15M lifetime on 500k units and still earns $1,647/mo despite no developer support in 170 months. The 96% positive rate and 15 reviews/mo signal durable, word-of-mouth appeal in a niche that values charm and mechanical surprise. However, publisher Carpe Fulgur is inactive and the game faces real delisting risk; acquisition or a publishing refresh could unlock this quiet franchise before IP rights become unrecoverable.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (other): Publisher Carpe Fulgur LLC (localization house, not developer) is dormant; chain of custody and update permissions may be unclear or require legal reconstruction.
- Risk (tech): 14-year-old engine and codebase; modernization cost for console/mobile ports or even Steam Deck certification unknown.
- Risk (market): Genre (management hybrid) is crowded post-2015; sequel or spiritual successor would compete with established franchises like Spiritfarer and Dave the Diver.

What players are asking for:
- Console ports (Switch, PlayStation, Xbox mentioned in forum threads)
- Sequel or prequel with expanded shop mechanics and character roster
- Cosmetic DLC (shop themes, character skins) to fund ongoing support
- Clarity on delisting risk and long-term availability

Suggested first moves:
1. Conduct IP and publishing-rights audit with Carpe Fulgur and original developer EasyGameStation (likely based in Japan; confirm trademark and source-code access).
2. Commission a porting feasibility study (Unreal 5 or Unity rebuild vs. engine wrapper) to estimate cost and timeline for Switch and PlayStation 5.
3. Soft-test community appetite via Discord/Reddit AMA: ask players what format (sequel, remaster, DLC) they'd fund via Kickstarter, and gauge interest in a $25-30 remaster price.

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/70400
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.