# Gordian Quest

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

- Steam appid: 981430
- Developer: Mixed Realms Pte Ltd
- Released: 2022 · 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: $3.3k/month at x1.65 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 167.9k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $837.0k
- Review sentiment: 89% positive across 6019 reviews (5248 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 15.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 18 months
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 36 months ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 10 sales in the last 12 months

## 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)

16, 18, 22, 27, 28, 19, 17, 20, 18, 13, 15, 16, 23, 12, 12, 17, 8, 12, 8, 11, 16, 27, 15, 18

## Estimated acquisition range

$47.4k to $94.7k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $23.7k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Gordian Quest is a roguelike deckbuilder with fantasy RPG progression, talent trees, and equipment crafting across multi-character parties.

A quietly profitable indie title earning $1,973/mo residually on $837k lifetime revenue and 168k units sold. The 88.6% positive rating and strong replay value signal product-market fit in the roguelike deckbuilder space, but uneven difficulty balance, onboarding friction, and missing accessibility features are capping growth. For publishers or studios seeking a proven catalog asset with clear optimization paths, this represents low-risk revenue and a platform for live-service tuning.

- Most realistic play: acquisition
- Risk (market): Roguelike deckbuilder category is crowded (Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Inscryption, Backpack Hero); differentiation rests on party mechanics and equipment systems, which reviews suggest feel underdeveloped.
- Risk (tech): Difficulty balance flagged by multiple reviewers as broken (trivial offense vs. defense scaling); rebalancing may require extensive tuning and testing to avoid alienating existing players.
- Risk (other): Onboarding and UI cited as barriers to player retention; poor tutorials may suppress organic growth and conversion from free/discounted trials.

What players are asking for:
- Difficulty and balance tuning, especially offense/defense scaling across encounters
- Overhaul of onboarding and tutorial clarity to ease new-player ramp
- UI/UX improvements for readability and accessibility
- Expansion or removal of "bloat" mini-games (campfire, exploration) that feel disconnected from core deckbuilding loop

Suggested first moves:
1. Conduct balance audit: map offense/defense scaling across encounters and difficulty tiers; prioritize changes that restore challenge without breaking core loop.
2. Redesign onboarding: test new tutorial flows with external cohorts; measure completion rate and early retention (day 1, day 7) before and after.
3. Roadmap mini-game refactor or sunset: gather player cohort feedback on campfire and exploration systems; decide whether to deepen or remove to reclaim development focus.

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/981430
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.