The Long Dark Steam key art
The Long Dark cover art

Steam revenue analysis

The Long Dark Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Hinterland Studio Inc.

$37.1MEst. Gross Revenue

3,377,250 estimated sales, 90% positive reviews, and $27,336,983.13 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Adventure90% Positive$19.99

Revenue Overview

$37.1M

Gross Revenue

$27.3M

Developer Revenue

3,377,250

Est. Copies Sold

$4.1M

Revenue / Year (avg. 9 yr)

$24.7MLow estimate
$37.1MBest estimate
$74.2MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$37,115,978
− Steam Platform Fee(26.4%)
−$9,778,994
Developer Revenue
$27,336,983

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 73.7%($27,336,983)Steam: 26.4%($9,778,994)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$6,778,994
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)—

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

How we estimate this

90%positive
112,575Total Reviews
101,318positive (90%)
11,257negative (10%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    112,575 reviews and a 90% 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 The Long Dark, 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 $20, we estimate a realized average sale price of $11 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 26.4%. That turns an estimated $37,115,978 in gross revenue into roughly $27,336,983 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$10.99

List price $19.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×30

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

26.4%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for The Long Dark 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 $11 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: $37,115,978

To developer

$27,336,983

To developer: 73.7%

$27,336,983

Platform fee: 26.3%

$9,778,994

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $37,115,978

To developer

$32,782,060

To developer: 88.3%

$32,782,060

Platform fee: 11.7%

$4,333,917

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 11.7%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $37,115,978

To developer

$25,981,184

To developer: 70.0%

$25,981,184

Platform fee: 30.0%

$11,134,793

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

Genre Market Position

Top 11% by revenue in Adventure
11%

Top 11% of Adventure games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

116

Top Games Tracked

$5.8M

Median (tracked top games)

$23.2M

Mean (tracked top games)

The Long Dark ranks in the top 11% of 116 tracked adventure top-sellers, with estimated revenue 6× this group's median.

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

Playtime & Engagement

34h avg6.2h median

34h

Average Playtime

6.2h

Median Playtime

11.3h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

A median playtime of 6.2h and average of 34h suggest a dedicated core community playing this adventure game well beyond the typical player.

Current Activity33% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperHinterland Studio Inc.
PublisherHinterland Studio Inc.
Release DateJuly 31, 2017
Years on Market9 years
Current Price$19.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$10.99
GenreAdventure
Peak Players2,575
SteamSpy Owners2,000,000 .. 5,000,000
SteamView on Store

Features

Single-playerSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam Trading CardsSteam CloudRemote Play on TVFamily Sharing

Related Games

Want to estimate revenue for a different game?

Try our interactive Steam Revenue Calculator for custom scenarios.

Open Steam Revenue Calculator →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much has The Long Dark earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate The Long Dark's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $37,115,978.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $24,743,985
  • Calibrated midpoint (x30): $37,115,978
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $74,231,955

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

How many copies has The Long Dark sold on Steam?

With 112,575 Steam reviews and a 90% positive rating, we estimate The Long Dark has sold between 2,251,500 and 6,754,500 copies, with a best estimate of 3,377,250.

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 Hinterland Studio Inc. earn from The Long Dark?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 26.4%, Hinterland Studio Inc. keeps an estimated $27,336,983 from The Long Dark's gross revenue of $37,115,978.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $37,115,978
  • Steam's Fee (26.4%): -$9,778,994
  • Developer Revenue: $27,336,983

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

What percentage does Steam take from The Long Dark?

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 The Long Dark, with an estimated gross revenue of $37,115,978, this results in an effective rate of 26.4%. Steam keeps approximately $9,778,994 and Hinterland Studio Inc. receives $27,336,983.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for The Long Dark?

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 ($24,743,985 to $74,231,955) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x30) and a calibrated ASP of $11.

What would The Long Dark earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If The Long Dark generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Hinterland Studio Inc. would keep approximately $32,782,060 - that's $5,445,077 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $4,333,917. 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 $25,981,184.

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 The Long Dark?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 34 hours in The Long Dark, with a median playtime of 6.2 hours. The large gap between average and median suggests a dedicated core community playing well beyond the typical player.