# WORLD OF HORROR

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

- Steam appid: 913740
- Developer: panstasz
- Publisher: Ysbryd Games
- Released: 2023 · Genre: Indie · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $2.7k to $4.0k per month (mid $3.4k)
- Opportunity score: $4.4k/month at x1.30 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 286.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $1.4M
- Review sentiment: 90% positive across 9825 reviews (8964 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 27.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 6 months ago
- Last build shipped 34 months ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 7 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $6.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $5.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $4.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $3.4k |

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

61, 41, 64, 63, 45, 43, 43, 46, 36, 31, 66, 70, 35, 36, 44, 40, 28, 27, 24, 35, 29, 22, 26, 26

## Estimated acquisition range

$80.7k to $161.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $40.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A roguelike board-game RPG with Junji Ito-inspired horror aesthetic and character-driven runs, released in 2023 by solo developer panstasz.

World of Horror has generated $1.43M lifetime on modest 287k units, maintains 89.6% positive reviews, and still earns $3.4k/mo residual revenue despite being entirely inactive post-launch. The community sentiment splits sharply: core players love the art and replay loop, but wider audiences cite UI friction, controller jank, and stalled promised updates as turnoffs. For a publisher or acquirer, the IP and art direction are the real assets; the game's dormant state reflects a solo-dev capacity ceiling, not market rejection.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (tech): Controller support is notoriously buggy (no deadzone support per reviews); UI/UX issues remain unfixed for years and may repel console ports or mobile adaptation.
- Risk (market): Negative reviews cluster around 'broken promises' and stalled content updates; rebuilding trust after 5+ months of dev silence requires visible, substantial new content or feature parity across platforms.
- Risk (other): Solo developer capacity severely constrains update velocity and post-launch support; acquisition or publishing deal would need to include dedicated live-ops or engineering support.

What players are asking for:
- Regular content updates and expansion of the game world beyond current scope
- Proper gamepad / controller implementation with deadzone configuration
- Story mode or narrative framing (current design is pure procedural board-game)
- UI/UX overhaul to reduce menu complexity and improve options-menu save persistence

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit the codebase for quick-win fixes (controller deadzone, options-menu save bug, UI responsiveness) to restore faith with lapsed players and unblock console/handheld ports.
2. Commission 2-3 thematic content drops (new character classes, map tiers, or story vignettes) over next 6 months to prove momentum and differentiate from 'stalled' narrative.
3. Evaluate Steam Deck compatibility and native console porting; reviews confirm playability on Deck, but lack of cloud saves and gamepad friction are porting blockers.

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/913740
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.