LISA: The Painful Steam key art
LISA: The Painful cover art

Steam revenue analysis

LISA: The Painful Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Dingaling Productions · Serenity Forge

$4.9MEst. Gross Revenue

510,755 estimated sales, 96% positive reviews, and $3,432,273.60 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Adventure96% Positive$19.99

Revenue Overview

$4.9M

Gross Revenue

$3.4M

Developer Revenue

510,755

Est. Copies Sold

$408.6K

Revenue / Year (avg. 12 yr)

$2.8MLow estimate
$4.9MBest estimate
$8.4MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$4,903,248
− Steam Platform Fee(30.0%)
−$1,470,974
Developer Revenue
$3,432,274

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 70.0%($3,432,274)Steam: 30.0%($1,470,974)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$1,470,974
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)—
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)—

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

How we estimate this

96%positive
14,593Total Reviews
14,009positive (96%)
584negative (4%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    14,593 reviews and a 96% 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 LISA: The Painful, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×35 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 $20, 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 30.0%. That turns an estimated $4,903,248 in gross revenue into roughly $3,432,274 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$9.60

List price $19.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×35

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

30.0%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for LISA: The Painful use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x35 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: $4,903,248

To developer

$3,432,274

To developer: 70.0%

$3,432,274

Platform fee: 30.0%

$1,470,974

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $4,903,248

To developer

$4,434,858

To developer: 90.4%

$4,434,858

Platform fee: 9.6%

$468,390

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 9.6%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $4,903,248

To developer

$3,432,274

To developer: 70.0%

$3,432,274

Platform fee: 30.0%

$1,470,974

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

Genre Market Position

Top 59% by revenue in Adventure
59%

Top 59% of Adventure games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

116

Top Games Tracked

$5.8M

Median (tracked top games)

$23.2M

Mean (tracked top games)

LISA: The Painful ranks in the top 59% of 116 tracked adventure 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

9.4h avg5.8h median

9.4h

Average Playtime

5.8h

Median Playtime

LISA: The Painful keeps players engaged for an average of 9.4 hours – solid engagement for a adventure game.

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperDingaling Productions
PublisherSerenity Forge
Release DateDecember 14, 2014
Years on Market12 years
Current Price$19.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$9.60
GenreAdventure
Peak Players23
SteamSpy Owners500,000 .. 1,000,000
SteamView on Store

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has LISA: The Painful earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate LISA: The Painful's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $4,903,248.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $2,801,856
  • Calibrated midpoint (x35): $4,903,248
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $8,405,568

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

How many copies has LISA: The Painful sold on Steam?

With 14,593 Steam reviews and a 96% positive rating, we estimate LISA: The Painful has sold between 291,860 and 875,580 copies, with a best estimate of 510,755.

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 x35 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Dingaling Productions earn from LISA: The Painful?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 30.0%, Dingaling Productions keeps an estimated $3,432,274 from LISA: The Painful's gross revenue of $4,903,248.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $4,903,248
  • Steam's Fee (30.0%): -$1,470,974
  • Developer Revenue: $3,432,274

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

What percentage does Steam take from LISA: The Painful?

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 LISA: The Painful, with an estimated gross revenue of $4,903,248, this results in an effective rate of 30.0%. Steam keeps approximately $1,470,974 and Dingaling Productions receives $3,432,274.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for LISA: The Painful?

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 ($2,801,856 to $8,405,568) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x35) and a calibrated ASP of $10.

What would LISA: The Painful earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If LISA: The Painful generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Dingaling Productions would keep approximately $4,434,858 - that's $1,002,585 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $468,390. 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 $3,432,274.

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 LISA: The Painful?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 9.4 hours in LISA: The Painful, with a median playtime of 5.8 hours. This indicates solid player engagement.