# Mark of the Ninja: Remastered

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

- Steam appid: 860950
- Developer: Klei Entertainment
- Released: 2018 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $3.7k to $5.5k per month (mid $4.6k)
- Opportunity score: $9.6k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 328.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.4M
- Review sentiment: 96% positive across 6924 reviews (6562 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 42.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 7.6 years
- Studio active elsewhere (11 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 5.8 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 7 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 | $8.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $7.2k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $6.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $4.6k |

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

64, 85, 40, 47, 63, 69, 40, 64, 49, 27, 69, 84, 60, 44, 48, 132, 62, 56, 46, 37, 43, 28, 53, 49

## Estimated acquisition range

$110.0k to $220.0k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $55.0k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

2D stealth-action game where players master ninja movement and tactical tool use across hand-crafted levels, remastered from the 2012 original.

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered holds $4.6k/mo in residual revenue with 96% positive reviews and consistent monthly engagement (42 reviews/mo), suggesting durable appeal despite sparse developer communication (91 months quiet). The title is a proven cult classic with strong IP ownership under Klei, modest but healthy discount velocity (7 promotions in 12 months), and low platform saturation in its niche. Acquisition or revival investment could unlock value through deck optimization, localization expansion, or licensing to adjacent media.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Documented Steam Deck crashes every 15-30 minutes represent material friction point for a growing platform segment and likely suppress sales velocity.
- Risk (market): Long build-quiet period (69 months) without developer post (91 months) suggests resource constraints or deprioritization; unclear whether codebase is actively maintained.
- Risk (other): Control/pacing perception in early game may deter new players; onboarding friction visible even in positive reviews.

What players are asking for:
- Fix Steam Deck / controller stability and performance
- Confirm ongoing patch support and roadmap clarity
- Improve early-game tutorial and control responsiveness feel

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit codebase and Proton/native Deck support; prioritize crash fix and performance pass if acquisition proceeds.
2. Conduct IP/rights review with Klei; evaluate publishing deal, full acquisition, or IP licensing to film/narrative partners (narrative-heavy stealth games have streaming appeal).
3. A/B test discounting strategy against residual baseline; current 70% max discount and 7 promotions/year suggest room to test seasonal or bundle play to unlock dormant catalog.

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/860950
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.