# Sable

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

- Steam appid: 757310
- Developer: Shedworks
- Publisher: Raw Fury
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $24.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $5.7k to $8.6k per month (mid $7.2k)
- Opportunity score: $10.7k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 170.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.1M
- Review sentiment: 86% positive across 6423 reviews (5315 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 46.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 2 months ago
- Last build shipped 3.7 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 11 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.2 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $13.0k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $11.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $10.2k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $7.2k |

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

47, 46, 49, 37, 59, 47, 38, 42, 35, 56, 53, 57, 53, 34, 39, 39, 60, 55, 37, 44, 62, 40, 38, 55

## Estimated acquisition range

$172.0k to $343.9k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $86.0k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A meditative open-world exploration game set in a desert planet, inspired by Moebius art and structured around a coming-of-age motorcycle journey.

Sable maintains a devoted but quiet playerbase and generates $7,165/mo in residual revenue with minimal promotional spend, suggesting strong word-of-mouth staying power in a durable niche (cozy, art-driven exploration). The title faces a bifurcated reception: core fans celebrate its atmosphere and worldbuilding (86% positive), but recurring complaints about polish, collision detection, audio bugs, and clunky locomotion mechanics have calcified since launch. A well-targeted optimization pass or narrative expansion could reactivate dormant interest; alternatively, the IP itself is a strong acquisition target for publishers seeking established aesthetic brand equity.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Audio and collision bugs have persisted 44+ months post-launch; players report screen freezes, texture pop-in, and audio distortion during core verbs (gliding, climbing, bike riding) that undermine the core loop.
- Risk (market): Entry friction is high: multiple reviewers note the first hour is 'difficult to get into' before the game opens up, which may suppress trial conversion despite strong retention among those who persist.
- Risk (other): Studio has shipped only one title (Sable); Shedworks' capacity for live support or large post-launch content is untested.

What players are asking for:
- Technical polish: fix audio cutouts, screen glitches, and collision/climbing detection inconsistencies
- Improved tutorial or onboarding to flatten the entry curve and reduce early abandonment
- Performance optimization, especially for gliding sequences
- Expanded quests or narrative DLC exploring the lore hinted at in main game

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission a focused technical audit of audio, collision, and rendering systems; a lean hotfix campaign targeting the top 3-5 bugs could unlock positive re-review momentum and justify a discount campaign.
2. Analyze tutorial funnel data and user session drops in the first 90 minutes; prototype a guided or optional narrative framing that eases players into the exploration mindset without sacrificing freedom.
3. Evaluate the economics of a small narrative DLC (2-4 hours) or art book bundled with a 10-15% discount: at $7,165/mo residual and 46 reviews/month, even modest churn recovery could yield 20-30% revenue lift with minimal content spend.

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/757310
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.