# YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world

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

- Steam appid: 912450
- Developer: MAGES. Inc.
- Publisher: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
- Released: 2019 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $49.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.1k to $1.7k per month (mid $1.4k)
- Opportunity score: $3.0k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 14.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $159.0k
- Review sentiment: 79% positive across 383 reviews (370 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 5.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 6.2 years
- Studio active elsewhere (31 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 7.0 years ago
- Store page localized in only 2 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 9 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.3 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.0k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.4k |

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

1, 4, 3, 7, 2, 4, 8, 4, 9, 7, 5, 4, 4, 3, 6, 10, 3, 5, 5, 2, 5, 5, 9, 6

## Estimated acquisition range

$34.4k to $68.8k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $17.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

YU-NO is a 2019 remake of a 1996 PC98 visual novel about time travel and branching timelines, developed by MAGES. Inc. and published by Spike Chunsoft.

This title occupies a quiet but stable niche: 78.8% positive reviews, $1.4k/mo residual revenue, and a franchise with proven anime adaptation (2020). The 14.8k lifetime sales and $159k lifetime net suggest a cult following rather than mainstream pickup, but the low review velocity (5.3/mo) and 85% max discount history indicate the core audience is saturated. Opportunity lies in licensing the IP for sequel/spin-off development, or acquiring the catalog slot for a publisher looking to bundle dormant prestige VN titles in regional markets or subscription platforms.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Risk (market): Visual novel genre remains niche on Steam; genre-wide discoverability is weak and player acquisition costs high for non-cult titles.
- Risk (tech): Remake built on aging engine (83+ months old); future platform support (console, mobile) would require porting investment.
- Risk (other): Developer MAGES. Inc. is active across 14 titles; catalog acquisition unlikely unless bundled; single-title licensing may be complex.

What players are asking for:
- Console ports (Switch, PS, Xbox mentioned in forum threads)
- Mobile version or cloud play support
- Localization to additional languages beyond Japanese/English

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit Spike Chunsoft's licensing terms and IP ownership clarity; establish whether the 1996 original, anime adaptation, and 2019 remake are all controlled by same entity or split across rights holders.
2. Model console/mobile port ROI; $3k/mo opportunity headroom plus existing 78% positive sentiment suggests viable B2 revenue on secondary platforms if porting cost remains under $200-300k.
3. Explore bundle/subscription placement with regional publishers (especially in Japan and Korea where visual novel demand is stronger); current $49.99 price point and low velocity imply better unit economics through volume deals than organic Steam sales.

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/912450
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.