# CHANGE: A Homeless Survival Experience

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

- Steam appid: 926140
- Developer: Delve Interactive
- Released: 2020 · Genre: Adventure · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.6k to $2.4k per month (mid $2.0k)
- Opportunity score: $2.7k/month at x1.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 77.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $333.5k
- Review sentiment: 91% positive across 2839 reviews (2587 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 18.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 14 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 14 months ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 11 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 | $3.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.1k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.8k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.0k |

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

18, 15, 16, 18, 34, 26, 18, 39, 14, 24, 22, 24, 14, 11, 21, 22, 17, 23, 8, 20, 28, 18, 17, 19

## Estimated acquisition range

$47.3k to $94.5k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $23.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A roguelike survival game that simulates homelessness in the United States, balancing resource management with systemic critique.

CHANGE has quietly built a devoted cult audience: 90.8% positive reception, 226-hour playthroughs, and a design that weaponizes its bugs as thematic commentary. At $2k/mo residual revenue on $333k lifetime net, the game is underfunded relative to its emotional impact and replayability. Best play is a publishing or education/advocacy partnership that amplifies the title's cultural mission rather than a straight acquisition.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Single-studio title from a fading team with no post-launch communication for 14+ months; sustained growth unlikely without external support and marketing.
- Risk (other): Subject matter (homelessness, systemic failure) limits mainstream appeal and may complicate platform partnerships or sponsorship; cultural positioning is a feature, not a liability, but requires intentional framing.
- Risk (tech): Community interprets bugs as intentional design, but unpatched issues may indicate technical debt; clarity on stability is required before revival investment.

What players are asking for:
- Co-op or multiplayer mode to share the experience
- More happiness/wellbeing mechanics and progression paths
- Clearer narrative and ending explanation
- Quality-of-life fixes and balance tuning (starvation, resource scarcity)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit codebase to separate intentional thematic bugs from technical debt; communicate findings publicly to rebuild dev trust and clarify vision.
2. Explore partnerships with homelessness advocacy organizations, universities, and educational nonprofits to expand reach beyond Steam and create secondary revenue streams.
3. Develop a modest content roadmap (co-op mode, expanded endings, new scenarios) and publish it; even small updates could re-engage the dormant audience and reset the 14-month communication gap.

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/926140
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.