Life is Strange: Before the Storm Steam key art
Life is Strange: Before the Storm cover art

Steam revenue analysis

Life is Strange: Before the Storm Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Deck Nine · Square Enix

$10.6MEst. Gross Revenue

1,118,790 estimated sales, 93% positive reviews, and $7,479,769.68 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Action93% Positive$16.99

Revenue Overview

$10.6M

Gross Revenue

$7.5M

Developer Revenue

1,118,790

Est. Copies Sold

$1.2M

Revenue / Year (avg. 9 yr)

$7.1MLow estimate
$10.6MBest estimate
$21.3MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$10,639,693
− Steam Platform Fee(29.7%)
−$3,159,923
Developer Revenue
$7,479,770

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 70.3%($7,479,770)Steam: 29.7%($3,159,923)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$159,923
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)—

More context in the Steam game revenue hub or in the Steam revenue calculator.

How we estimate this

93%positive
37,293Total Reviews
34,682positive (93%)
2,611negative (7%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    37,293 reviews and a 93% positive rating are used as the starting point because Steam review counts correlate strongly with paid ownership.

  2. 2

    Apply a calibrated Boxleiter multiplier

    For Life is Strange: Before the Storm, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×30 and show a wider range from ×20 to ×60 to reflect uncertainty.

  3. 3

    Use a realistic realized sale price instead of only list price

    Rather than relying only on the current price of $17, we estimate a realized average sale price of $10 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 29.7%. That turns an estimated $10,639,693 in gross revenue into roughly $7,479,770 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$9.51

List price $16.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×30

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

29.7%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for Life is Strange: Before the Storm use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x30 and a calibrated average sale price of $10 instead of a flat 30x/0.75 model. Factors like age, price tier, discount history, genre, and review profile all affect the true reviews-to-sales ratio.

Platform Comparison

Hypothetical: What would the developer earn at the same gross revenue?

Steam

Gross revenue baseline: $10,639,693

To developer

$7,479,770

To developer: 70.3%

$7,479,770

Platform fee: 29.7%

$3,159,923

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $10,639,693

To developer

$9,482,930

To developer: 89.1%

$9,482,930

Platform fee: 10.9%

$1,156,763

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 10.9%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $10,639,693

To developer

$7,447,785

To developer: 70.0%

$7,447,785

Platform fee: 30.0%

$3,191,908

* Actual sales on Epic and GOG are not estimated. Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales volumes.

Genre Market Position

Top 33% by revenue in Action
33%

Top 33% of Action games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

2,141

Top Games Tracked

$6M

Median (tracked top games)

$20.8M

Mean (tracked top games)

Life is Strange: Before the Storm ranks in the top 33% of 2141 tracked action top-sellers.

Baseline: HelpfulCalculator's curated set of top-grossing Steam games, not the entire Steam catalog. Niche genres may have small samples.

Playtime & Engagement

10.6h avg9.7h median

10.6h

Average Playtime

9.7h

Median Playtime

1.7h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

Life is Strange: Before the Storm keeps players engaged for an average of 10.6 hours – solid engagement for a action game.

Current Activity16% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperDeck Nine
PublisherSquare Enix
Release DateAugust 30, 2017
Years on Market9 years
Current Price$16.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$9.51
GenreAction
Peak Players35
SteamSpy Owners2,000,000 .. 5,000,000
SteamView on Store

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has Life is Strange: Before the Storm earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate Life is Strange: Before the Storm's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $10,639,693.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $7,093,129
  • Calibrated midpoint (x30): $10,639,693
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $21,279,386

The actual revenue may vary due to regional pricing, seasonal discounts, and refund rates.

How many copies has Life is Strange: Before the Storm sold on Steam?

With 37,293 Steam reviews and a 93% positive rating, we estimate Life is Strange: Before the Storm has sold between 745,860 and 2,237,580 copies, with a best estimate of 1,118,790.

This is based on the Boxleiter method, which uses the observation that roughly 1 in every 20 to 60 buyers leaves a Steam review. For the midpoint we do not assume a universal 30x value; we use a calibrated multiplier of x30 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Deck Nine earn from Life is Strange: Before the Storm?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 29.7%, Deck Nine keeps an estimated $7,479,770 from Life is Strange: Before the Storm's gross revenue of $10,639,693.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $10,639,693
  • Steam's Fee (29.7%): -$3,159,923
  • Developer Revenue: $7,479,770

Note: This doesn't account for publisher shares, taxes, or development costs.

What percentage does Steam take from Life is Strange: Before the Storm?

Steam uses a tiered revenue sharing model that reduces the platform's cut as a game earns more:

  • First $10 million: 30% to Steam, 70% to developer
  • $10M to $50M: 25% to Steam, 75% to developer
  • Above $50M: 20% to Steam, 80% to developer

For Life is Strange: Before the Storm, with an estimated gross revenue of $10,639,693, this results in an effective rate of 29.7%. Steam keeps approximately $3,159,923 and Deck Nine receives $7,479,770.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for Life is Strange: Before the Storm?

These estimates use the Boxleiter method, a widely-used industry approach that estimates game sales from the number of Steam reviews.

Factors that affect accuracy:

  • Review-to-purchase ratio varies by genre
  • Discount history - games with frequent deep sales may have higher ratios
  • Regional pricing - different prices in different markets are not captured
  • Refunds - Steam's return policy means some counted sales were refunded
  • Bundled sales - keys sold through third-party bundles may not generate reviews

We provide a confidence range ($7,093,129 to $21,279,386) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x30) and a calibrated ASP of $10.

What would Life is Strange: Before the Storm earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If Life is Strange: Before the Storm generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Deck Nine would keep approximately $9,482,930 - that's $2,003,160 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $1,156,763. Epic charges 0% on the first $1 million in annual per-app revenue and then 12% on the remaining amount. On GOG (30% cut), the developer would earn approximately $7,447,785.

Note: This is a hypothetical comparison. Actual sales volumes differ significantly between platforms, and Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales.

How long do players spend in Life is Strange: Before the Storm?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 10.6 hours in Life is Strange: Before the Storm, with a median playtime of 9.7 hours. This indicates solid player engagement.