# Crying Suns

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

- Steam appid: 873940
- Developer: Alt Shift
- Released: 2019 · Genre: Indie · List price: $24.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.4k to $2.1k per month (mid $1.8k)
- Opportunity score: $2.7k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 125.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $675.1k
- Review sentiment: 86% positive across 4541 reviews (3142 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 13.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 1 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 3.2 years ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 7 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.4 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.8k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.8k |

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

8, 45, 20, 17, 17, 19, 16, 19, 12, 8, 11, 7, 16, 12, 18, 14, 17, 15, 7, 10, 12, 25, 11, 15

## Estimated acquisition range

$43.0k to $85.9k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $21.5k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Indie roguelike space deck-builder where you command a fleet across a procedural noir galaxy, balancing resource management and tactical combat.

Crying Suns has generated $675k lifetime on 126k units and maintains $1.79k/mo residual revenue with 86% positive reviews, yet registers minimal mainstream visibility and low recent sales velocity. The game's core mechanic (FTL-adjacent but more polished) and active developer signal a quiet, durable performer that could unlock value through targeted revival marketing, console ports, or thematic licensing tie-ins to sci-fi IP.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (market): Genre saturation in deck-building roguelikes means discoverability remains structurally constrained even with marketing spend.
- Risk (tech): 38+ months since build with no reported engine overhaul; mobile or console version feasibility unknown.
- Risk (other): Single-title indie studio with developer recently active (1.1 months ago) but no announced sequel or expansion roadmap.

What players are asking for:
- Quality-of-life UI refinements and difficulty balancing feedback
- Console versions (Switch, PlayStation mentioned in forums)
- Expanded narrative/story campaign beyond procedural runs

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit console feasibility (Switch port could unlock 20-40% incremental revenue in indie roguelike category based on genre benchmarks).
2. Analyze seasonal discount elasticity (current 1.39x suggests aggressive saleperiods during Q4 2024 or themed events could recover velocity at acceptable margin).
3. Contact developer for licensing or co-publishing partnership to fund narrative expansion or cross-promotion with sci-fi streaming content.

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/873940
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.