Button City 2018 Financial Model
Media/Gaming Startup Financials (Free Excel Download)
Indie narrative adventure game about cute animal kids saving their local arcade, targeting console and PC.
professionals from Deloitte
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About this model
Button City is a low-poly, single-player narrative adventure about animal children protecting their local arcade. Its diorama worlds combine exploration, side quests, puzzles, colourful characters, and arcade mini-games around Fennel, a young fox, in a nostalgic coming-of-age story.
The 2018 concept targets three to four hours of core gameplay plus additional mini-games. It is framed as a premium, single-purchase release rather than a subscription or free-to-play game, with Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC/Mac named as target platforms; mobile and AR were extended targets.
The only cited prior release is the 2015 casual mobile game Sky Pets, with no performance data. A model should use a title-level P&L: development budget, launch unit sales by platform, store fees, marketing, and a sales-decay curve. No DLC, in-app purchase, or publishing economics are disclosed.
A turnkey financial model
Live formulas, no hardcoded values
Outputs are driven by live formulas, so the workbook updates from its assumptions instead of relying on hardcoded results.
All assumptions in one tab
Inputs are clearly marked in the Assumptions tab and separated from calculations, making it clear what to change and what to leave intact.
Statements always balancing
For integrated-statement models, the balance sheet, cash flow, and supporting schedules tie through properly.
Distinct schedules for clarity
Debt, working capital, taxes, and cash flow can get messy quickly. We group calculations in clear schedules, not across disconnected tabs.
No hidden macros or external links
There are no unexplained external workbook links or macros to undermine auditability or portability.
Changes flow through the model
Update a key driver and see the impact carry through the forecast, financing, and return outputs. We never use hardcoded numbers in formulas.
About Button City 2018
buttoncitygame.com
How to build a detailed financial model for Button City 2018
A complete walkthrough of the business, drivers, and assumptions behind the downloadable Button City 2018 model - distilled from its pitch deck and publicly available information.
Product & value proposition
Low-poly single-player narrative adventure game mixing exploration, puzzles, and arcade mini-games.
Key features:
- Cute, low-poly art style
- Diorama levels with unique world navigation
- Explorable levels with side quests and puzzles
- Mini-games within an in-game arcade (Button City)
- Colorful cast of characters (protagonist: Fennel, a young fox)
- Nostalgic coming-of-age friendship story
Target content scope: 3–4 hours of core gameplay + additional mini-games.
Revenue model
- Implied: premium single-purchase title (no subscription, DLC, or F2P mentioned).
- Target platforms: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC/Mac; extended targets: Mobile, AR.
Traction & metrics
Prior release: casual mobile game "Sky Pets" (2015). No performance data given.
Competition / moat
Implicit differentiators (from product description): low-poly aesthetic, animal characters, nostalgia-focused narrative.
Team & funding ask / use of funds
Team:
- Shandiin Woodward - lead website designer at Meow Wolf (interactive art installation, Santa Fe); co-founder of Albuquerque Game Developers Guild (501c3).
- Ryan Woodward - software developer at Ideum (museum touch screen interactives); co-founder of Albuquerque Game Developers Guild.
- Together: creators of "Sky Pets" (mobile game, 2015).
- Two-person married couple studio.
Funding ask / use of funds:
- Requested support for: development costs, dev kits, porting, QA, marketing, hiring a musician and sound designer.
- No explicit dollar ask stated in text.
Budget slide - all values redacted in the deck (shown as $XX,XXX / $XXX,XXX.XX placeholders):
- Average Monthly Burn Rate: redacted
- Highest Monthly Burn Rate: redacted
- Event Costs: redacted
- Projected budget (21 months): redacted
- Development runway assumed: 21 months
Recommended financial model
- Archetype + why: Indie game development budget + launch P&L model. This is a pre-revenue studio seeking development funding for a single premium title. The appropriate model is a game dev cost build + launch economics model - not a recurring-revenue SaaS or marketplace model. It should cover: (a) development cost runway by month through launch, (b) launch revenue projections by platform across unit sales scenarios, and (c) a simple post-launch P&L rolling up to breakeven/ROI.
- Forecast horizon & granularity:
- Pre-launch: Monthly, from funding close through target launch (Early 2020). Given a 21-month projected budget and a 2018 deck date, this implies launch ~mid-to-late 2020.
- Post-launch: Quarterly for 2 years post-release.
- Key drivers & assumptions:
- Development period: 21 months from funding close.
- Average monthly burn rate:.
- Peak monthly burn (hiring musician/sound designer):.
- Event costs (conventions, press):.
- Total development budget:.
- Launch platforms: Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC/Mac; modeled separately or blended.
- Unit price per platform:.
- Platform revenue share:.
- Unit sales at launch:.
- Sales decay curve post-launch:.
- COGS:.
- Porting costs per additional platform:.
- QA costs:.
- Marketing spend:.
- Scenarios (Base / Bull / Bear - which variables flex):
- Bear: Launches on PC/Mac only; 5,000 units LTM; no porting.
- Base: Launches on PC/Mac + Switch + PS4; 20,000–30,000 units LTM; minor DLC upsell.
- Bull: All 4 primary platforms + mobile; 75,000+ units; sequel/licensing optionality.
- Primary flex variables: unit sales volume, platform mix, price point, porting costs.
- Required sheets / outputs:
- Assumptions - all inputs clearly labeled and tagged.
- Development Cost Schedule - monthly burn × 21 months, headcount additions, event costs.
- Revenue Model - units sold by platform × net price per platform, by quarter post-launch.
- P&L Summary - total dev cost vs. cumulative revenue; breakeven month; ROI on investment.
- Scenario Toggle - Base/Bull/Bear switcher driving revenue sheet.
- Cash Flow - simplified: funding inflow, monthly burn (pre-launch), revenue (post-launch), net cash position.
Frequently asked
Is the Button City 2018 financial model free?+
Yes. The Button City 2018 model is a free Excel (.xlsx) download with live formulas. Sign up with your email and the workbook is yours to keep, review, and edit.
What's included in the model?+
A 5-year monthly forecast with P&L, cash flow and runway, valuation (exit multiple plus a DCF cross-check), MOIC/IRR returns, and unit economics, with live formulas throughout.
How was this model built?+
It was built from Button City 2018's pitch deck and publicly available information, then structured to investment-banking standards as a fully editable Excel model.
Can I change the assumptions?+
Yes. You can change assumptions and the live formulas will recalculate in the downloadable Excel model.
Have more financial modelling questions? Contact us
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Narrative adventure game about saving a local arcade, featuring three embedded mini-games, built by indie studio Subliminal Gaming LLC.
