# 9-nine-:Episode 1

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

- Steam appid: 976390
- Developer: PALETTE
- Publisher: Sekai Project
- Released: 2019 · Genre: Casual · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.8k to $2.6k per month (mid $2.2k)
- Opportunity score: $4.6k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 75.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $325.7k
- Review sentiment: 95% positive across 1994 reviews (1895 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 20.5 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 5.5 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 7.7 years ago
- Store page localized in only 3 language(s)
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 7 sales in the last 12 months
- Proven demand elasticity: x1.7 review velocity during past deep sales

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $4.0k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $3.5k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $3.1k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $2.2k |

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

29, 30, 15, 17, 52, 51, 28, 34, 21, 27, 24, 69, 39, 18, 28, 35, 30, 39, 20, 11, 9, 16, 14, 53

## Estimated acquisition range

$52.9k to $105.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $26.4k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

9-nine- Episode 1 is a visual novel with romance, mystery, and slice-of-life elements, published by Sekai Project in 2019 as part of a four-episode series.

This title sits in a quiet but stable corner of Steam's visual novel catalog, generating $2.2k/mo in residual revenue on $19.99 pricing with a 95% positive ratio and steady 20+ reviews per month. The franchise appears designed for episodic monetization across four paid installments, and player sentiment suggests later episodes improved significantly over this opening chapter. For a publishing partner or visual novel specialist, the low-friction catalog position and demonstrated series completion rate merit evaluation as a candidate for modest localization refresh, bundle promotion, or regional pricing optimization.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (market): Episode-gated structure creates friction; players hesitate to commit to $40 across four titles despite acknowledging later episodes are stronger.
- Risk (other): Developer (PALETTE) shows no public activity in 66 months; unknown if studio can support patches, localization work, or community engagement.
- Risk (tech): Steam censorship bypass noted in reviews; full version requires external patch, creating compliance and user-experience friction.

What players are asking for:
- Bundle discount across all four episodes to reduce per-episode entry cost and friction
- Restored or uncensored content on Steam platform without requiring external patch
- Post-purchase clarity on story pacing and when narrative payoff occurs (players note slow opening)

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit full four-episode catalog performance (units, revenue, discount velocity) to model bundle economics and identify if repackaging (e.g., season pass, discounted multi-buy) could lift conversion without cannibalizing existing players.
2. Investigate Steam content restoration: quantify cost/risk of licensing or technical fixes to remove patch dependency and improve new-player onboarding.
3. Contact Sekai Project to establish current developer capability and interest in localization, regional pricing, or marketing lift; assess whether PALETTE dormancy requires publisher-led support.

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/976390
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.