Info about Annihilated:

Official game description:
**Annihilated is a story-driven roguelite RPG about a journey through the depths with a broken hero — and what they have to answer for.**
You will play as the last survivor of the rescue party sent after the hero's party, who went missing deep in a cursed dungeon. When you finally reach the party members, you find:
The Hero who lost the ability to speak.
The Mage who lost the gift of magic.
The Warrior who lost his mighty body.
… and the Priest who lost ██.
You can only carry one of them out. Choose your partner, and escape together.
**■ Explore, fight, and lean on your partner**
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Choose your route, then fight in turn-based card battles. Every item you carry becomes a card with a limited number of uses, and enemies show you their next move before they act. Your partner fights beside you: the Hero shrugs off death, and the Priest heals like no one else.
**■ Weapons hit hardest the moment they break**
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You get new gear by taking it from your enemies. Stagger a foe, then land a weapon's final use to trigger a Fatal Strike, which kills the enemy instantly and steals its equipment. Every weapon is at its strongest on its last use, so it often pays to shatter them on purpose, even when supplies run thin.
**■ Bad roll? Spend a Curse and make it never have happened**
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Every shattered item leaves behind a Curse, and Curses let you Defy fate. Rolled the worst possible result? Spend a Curse, and it never happened. If you die, you retry from the floor where you fell. Stored Curses can be forged into the items you need, and the rest becomes experience. Every death makes the next run stronger.
**■ Two of you, alone in the dark. What grows between you?**  
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Every conversation pulls you deeper into who your partner really is: their secrets, and what actually happened to the party. Whether trust, doubt, or dependence grows between you depends on how you feel, and so does the ending. Each route is a complete story of its own.
**■ Features**
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*   200,000+ words of branching story, across 4 routes with multiple endings, about 6 hours each
*   Two battle styles: the timing-based or the probability-based. Either one takes you to the end
*   100+ weapons and items to steal, break, and turn into Curses
*   400+ hand-drawn illustrations
**■ The party you're rescuing**
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The Hero still has the will to save the world, but only two words to say it with: "Yes" and "No." Somehow, the conversation works.
The Mage lost her magic but not her knowledge. She wonders what she is worth without it.
The Warrior's soul now lives in an adorable doll but he seems delighted about it. "Am I not super cute?!"
The Priest heals like no one else but he recently converted to something called the Great One. His sanity is zero.
**Streaming & Video Guidelines**
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*   Feel free to stream this game, record your gameplay, and make videos!
*   Monetization is fine too, whether you're an individual or a company!
*   If you add a link to the store page in your video description, we'll cry tears of joy!

Release date: Nov 9, 2026

Categories: Roguelite, Card-based Combat, Turn-based RPG, Multiple Endings, Story-driven, Dungeon Crawler, Weapon Durability System, Branching Narrative


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: 5.0h
  - Session length: 4.0h
  - Endgame: 24.0h
  - Reasoning: storyCompletion is set to 5 hours because multiple reviews describe a single character route taking roughly 3 to 6 hours, with one report averaging 5 hours per route after finishing two routes. gameCompletion is set to 20 hours because one review explicitly estimates that all routes together would take nearly 20 hours. sessionLength is set to 4 hours based on a reviewer describing a four-hour overnight play session, while acknowledging other reports of longer sessions. endgame is set to 24 hours because one reviewer reports spending roughly 24 hours using duplicate saves to reach all Mage endings.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Story-Driven Route Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: To see emotional character arcs and how choices shape different story endings.
    - Playstyle: Plays routes while weighing moral choices and seeking true-ending and epilogue payoffs.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Roguelite Mechanics Tryhard (buy)
    - Motivation: To master responsive combat and overcome difficult runs for mechanical satisfaction.
    - Playstyle: Optimizes runs, adapts input modes, and pushes through long fights even when story rewards are unclear.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: tryhard
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Indie Presentation Connoisseur (buy)
    - Motivation: To discover polished indie experiences and appreciate writing, art, music, and completion content.
    - Playstyle: Evaluates a first run against other indies and looks for post-clear gallery and presentation details.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: One Turn Kill
  - Blind First-Run Mystery Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: To unravel the story mystery through blind first-run discovery.
    - Playstyle: Chooses a route that preserves narrative mystery and actively deciphers what is happening.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Overall Positive Gameplay (weight 0.37): Many reviewers describe the game as fun and very good overall. Gameplay is generally well-received.
- Engaging Story (weight 0.34): Players frequently praise the story as interesting, exciting, and well-made. It is a central highlight of the game.
- Sweet Mage Route (weight 0.33): The mage route is frequently described as sweet, enjoyable, and satisfying, with a tsundere character.
- Unique Art Style (weight 0.32): The art style is consistently praised as unique, appealing, and distinctive, contributing to the game's charm.
- Vivid Characters (weight 0.29): Characters are described as vivid, lifelike, and interesting, with rich writing that enhances the narrative.
- Fun Combat System (weight 0.25): The combat is considered fun, solid, and rewarding, becoming more enjoyable as players progress. It adds significant value to the experience.
- High Replayability (weight 0.21): The game offers lots of replay potential and is designed for multiple playthroughs with different partners.
- Adored Mage Character (weight 0.17): The mage character, particularly the mage girl, is a favorite among players, described as cute and appealing.
- Excellent Music (weight 0.17): Music is highly praised as excellent and very good, complementing the art to create an unbeatable experience.
- Masterpiece Quality (weight 0.16): Some players consider the game a masterpiece or wonderful work, with magnificent gameplay.
- Good Pacing (weight 0.12): Story pacing is considered good and great by reviewers, keeping the narrative engaging.
- Sweet Story (weight 0.12): The story is also described as sweet, adding a heartwarming element to the overall experience.
- Substantial Content Volume (weight 0.12): The game has a lot of content, providing a satisfying and substantial experience for players.
- Challenging Combat (weight 0.11): Combat is noted as difficult at first but becomes fun once players get accustomed to it.

Common complaints:
- Poor English translation (weight 0.62): Many players report that the English translation is inaccurate, stilted, and sometimes nonsensical due to AI translation without proofreading, with specific examples like 'cannot be fatal' and 'life destroy'.
- UI readability and clutter (weight 0.53): The UI often makes text hard to read and becomes cluttered with pop-ups and overlapping elements, obscuring important information during combat.
- Combat difficulty and balance (weight 0.46): Combat is difficult at first and has balance issues: mid-game difficulty spikes, elite enemies stronger than bosses, and late-game HP trading.
- Repetitive events and story (weight 0.39): The event pool is shallow and repeats the same few events, and the story feels rushed with repetitive content across playthroughs.
- No gallery or encyclopedia (weight 0.35): After clearing the game, there is no gallery, appreciation mode, or encyclopedia to view CGs, item info, and enemy info, forcing players to replay to see content.
- Weapon durability and resource loss (weight 0.35): Weapons break permanently and are lost on death, and limited weapon cards can dwindle, making resource management punishing.
- Saving issues and bugs (weight 0.34): Several critical bugs affect saving: after certain events the save system breaks, autosave freezes or becomes empty, and long play sessions cannot save, threatening progress.
- Story rushed and unsatisfying (weight 0.3): The story feels rushed, lacks transitions, and has an unsatisfying ending with unexplained elements like the evil god and the curse's source.
- Lack of meta progression (weight 0.21): There is basically no meta progression outside runs, and no New Game+ mode; replaying requires starting from scratch, reducing motivation.
- QTE and judgment problems (weight 0.21): The QTE judgment is frustrating: only one chance, fast marker, unclear hitboxes, and overlapping UI make timing checks feel bad.
- Weak Warrior and Mage (weight 0.2): Warrior is weak and barely capable of using most weapons; Mage is weak early game and relies too heavily on luck.
- Card effects hard to understand (weight 0.2): Some card descriptions and item effects are unclear, with ambiguous terms like 'absorb damage' and 'endure block'.
- Curse and death snowball (weight 0.16): Dying resets curse to 0 and loses equipment, while curses are needed for upgrades and healing, creating a death spiral that can lead to dead saves.
- Visual shift bug (weight 0.16): After defeating a boss, character images shift upwards, making faces invisible and affecting credits CG and story images.
- No hotkeys for row swap (weight 0.12): There are no hotkeys for swapping front and back rows, and clicking to swap is often blocked by the enemy status bar.
- Mage route endings unsatisfying (weight 0.11): The Mage route endings are unsatisfying, with one making the protagonist seem like a clown and another feeling rushed.
- Short run length (weight 0.11): The run length is too short for a roguelite, and gameplay flaws are masked during the first playthrough.
- Frequent forced saves (weight 0.07): Save screens appear very frequently, and forced saves after rests and events are bothersome.
- No skip for non-key dialogue (weight 0.07): Only a dialogue speed-up option exists; there is no skip for non-key dialogues, making replay tedious.

Gameplay feedback:
- Multiple routes and endings (weight 0.97): The game features multiple character routes and story branches leading to different endings, encouraging replay. Reviewers highlight the hero route, mage route, priest route, and branching narratives.
- Card-based combat system (weight 0.46): Combat uses a hand of cards that can run out, emphasizing resource management and strategic play. The dark-themed card battles are a core gameplay mechanic.
- Choices affect story branches (weight 0.33): Players make key choices, such as initial character selection, that significantly change the story direction and lead to different outcomes. These decisions impact the branching narrative.
- Resource management in combat (weight 0.32): Combat emphasizes careful management of resources like cards and weapon durability, requiring players to survive high-damage attacks. Managing weapon usage and conservation is crucial.
- Traditional RPG battles (weight 0.28): Combat resembles traditional turn-based RPG battles with command-based systems rather than fast-paced roguelike action. Reviewers note it leans toward classic RPG mechanics.
- Roguelite elements are present (weight 0.27): The game incorporates roguelite elements such as death returning players to the start of the current floor while retaining levels. However, these elements are considered shallow by some.
- Weapon stealing and breaking (weight 0.27): Players can break normal weapons and use the protagonist's ability to steal new weapons from enemies, including bosses. This adds a layer of resource management and strategy.
- Save and retry features (weight 0.24): The game includes autosave and manual saving, allowing players to retry from checkpoints or before boss fights. This reduces frustration and supports experimentation.
- Designed for multiple playthroughs (weight 0.21): The game's structure with multiple routes and endings encourages replay, and it is not intended as a single-playthrough experience. A first playthrough takes roughly 4-5 hours.
- Four playable character routes (weight 0.21): There are four playable characters or routes, each with their own stories and endings. This structure provides varied experiences.
- Final boss requires strategy (weight 0.2): The final boss fight requires special handling or strategy, and players can save before it. This indicates a challenging climax to the game.
- Story-driven RPG with strategic combat (weight 0.12): The game is a story-driven RPG with strong story presentation and strategic combat elements. Reviewers highlight the narrative focus combined with tactical battles.
- QTE-based combat (weight 0.12): Combat involves quick time events (QTEs) as a mechanic, adding timing-based interactions to battles. This is a notable feature according to some reviewers.
- Low overall difficulty (weight 0.11): The game is not too difficult, with a low overall difficulty that makes it accessible. This is mentioned by multiple reviewers.
- Dungeon escape with chosen characters (weight 0.11): Players choose one weakened hero party member to escape the dungeon with, affecting the party composition. This choice adds a strategic element to dungeon runs.
- Character-specific abilities in combat (weight 0.11): The soldier can shield while the mage attacks, and the protagonist supports the mage, highlighting character-specific roles in combat. This emphasizes team synergy.

Performance notes:
No performancepoints

Recommendations:
- Strongly recommended overall (weight 0.57): Many reviewers give strong, enthusiastic recommendations for the game, often with high scores or full marks. They encourage others to buy and play it right away, especially if the visuals or setting appeal.
- Try the demo first (weight 0.22): Several reviewers suggest trying the demo if unsure, then buying if it clicks. Buying is also recommended if the demo seems like a good fit.
- Worth playing (weight 0.22): Reviewers find the game worth playing and continuing, and worth buying for the amount of playtime. The price matches the volume, though some find it a bit expensive but acceptable.
- Enjoyable story and setting (weight 0.18): Recommended for players who enjoy this kind of story, dark fantasy, Cthulhu, gamebooks, and Wizardry. Also recommended for those interested in art and story.
- Recommended for everyone (weight 0.15): Some reviewers recommend the game for everyone to play and for at least one playthrough. It is also recommended for fans of One Turn Kill.
- Guide wait recommendation (weight 0.1): Some suggest waiting until full-story and all-endings guides are available before playing. Story-focused players may also benefit from guides.
- Avoid if hate retries (weight 0.1): The game is not recommended for players who hate continues and refuse to retry. Those seeking a high-difficulty experience with tough resource management may enjoy it.
- Fun combat and characters (weight 0.1): Recommended for players who enjoy fun combat and fun characters with replay potential. The game offers responsive mechanics and a solid narrative.
- Casual light galgame (weight 0.1): The game can be treated as a light galgame to play casually. It is also recommended for those not good at roguelites.
- Play hero first (weight 0.1): Suggest playing hero first to learn mechanics and equipment. Since there is no carryover after clearing and one route takes about 10 hours, choose the hero that interests you.
- Price matches content (weight 0.09): The price matches the volume, and the game is worth buying for the amount of playtime. Some find it slightly expensive but acceptable.
- Recommended despite flaws (weight 0.09): Recommended despite minor flaws. However, it is not recommended for multiple playthroughs as it is fun but may not sustain replay.
- Use default combat mode (weight 0.05): A reviewer strongly recommends choosing the default combat mode, which is reaction-based. This mode is suggested for the best experience.
- Try if like RPGs (weight 0.05): If you like RPGs, give it a try. The game may appeal to RPG enthusiasts.
- Roguelike expectations (weight 0.05): Players looking for a roguelike should lower their expectations. The game is not a pure roguelike.
- Price caution (weight 0.05): Not recommended to buy at a price above forty. This suggests waiting for a sale or discount.
- Art and card gameplay (weight 0.05): Recommended for players drawn to the hand-drawn art or the unique card gameplay. The visual style and mechanics are highlights.
- Try priest route (weight 0.04): One reviewer suggests trying the priest route. This may offer a distinct experience.
- Item hoarders may like (weight 0.04): Recommended for players who hoard items like elixirs or silver swords in Fire Emblem. The resource management may appeal to them.
- Must buy and play together (weight 0.04): A reviewer says it is a must buy and to play together. This suggests a strong recommendation for co-op or shared experience.

Other player notes:
- Approximately 25 hours total gameplay (weight 0.53): A single playthrough takes about 4-5 hours, and completing all four routes takes around 25 hours. Some reviewers report 15-24 hours for all routes, with considerable time needed to view all scenarios.
- Demo available with progress carryover (weight 0.5): A demo version was released, providing several hours of gameplay (e.g., 6 hours), and save data can be inherited into the full game. The full version also improves visuals, UI, and removes forced QTE mini-games from the demo.
- Story-driven experience with dark atmosphere (weight 0.35): The game is described as story-driven, with a plot following a rescued hero party cursed in a dungeon and a dark country setting. The main draw is the characters and story, with atmosphere changing based on chosen partner.
- Pricing perceived as slightly high (weight 0.29): Some reviewers find the price a bit high for the amount of content or length, while others consider it reasonable or good value for the time spent. The launch price was over 60 (currency unspecified).
- Four main characters with unique scenarios (weight 0.21): The game features four main characters: a hero who can only say yes/no, a warrior in a doll body who cannot exert power, a mage without magic, and a priest who lost faith. Each has a distinct scenario and storyline.
- Comparisons to other games and media (weight 0.21): Reviewers compare the game to One Turn Kill, Slay the Spire, Fire Emblem, Splatoon's Order Tower DLC, Hades, and Korean web novels. It is also considered simpler than another game '命途'.
- RPG and combat elements with roguelike style (weight 0.2): The game combines dungeon crawler and visual novel elements, with roguelike-style single-run equipment and combat. RNG plays a significant role outside combat, and combat is more RPG-focused than typical text novels.
- Mage route most popular and has hidden ending (weight 0.19): Steam achievement statistics show the mage ending is reached by about half as many players as the escape ending, indicating the mage route is popular. The mage route has three endings, including a hidden one.
- Indie title with dedicated development (weight 0.17): The game is a small-scale indie title but is described as a very dedicated work, with substantial content volume. One reviewer considers it their personal indie GOTY.
- Quality-of-life features: saving and auto-save (weight 0.16): The game supports saving at any time and has auto-save, so players do not need to start over from scratch after defeat. Repeated deaths can lower boss stats and give a curse, ensuring the game is completable.
- Character and party selection mechanics (weight 0.11): The game features a party selection mechanic and character-specific routes, allowing players to choose which character to focus on. This ties into the multiple routes and endings structure.
- Fan localization patch available (weight 0.09): A Korean fan localization patch exists and was updated to work with a game update on November 11 at 5 AM. Some feedback focuses on this patch rather than the game itself.
- Optional QTE circumvention setting (weight 0.06): The game includes an optional setting to circumvent QTEs, making it more accessible to players who prefer to avoid quick-time events.
- No New Game+ carryover (weight 0.06): There is no carryover after clearing the game, meaning players must start fresh for each playthrough. This is noted alongside the multiple playthrough structure.
- Resolution settings improve text readability (weight 0.05): Increasing resolution and image quality in settings improves text readability, which is helpful given the game's text-heavy nature.
- Multiple language support (weight 0.04): The game supports multiple languages in-game, including English, though no Russian localization is available.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.12): Players are frustrated by strict save systems that force replays, especially at the mage branch, and by punishing mechanics such as QTEs, resource rationing, and boss healing to full HP. Technical issues including softlocks, UI bugs, and translation errors further compound the difficulty.
- Disappointment (weight 0.11): The game's endings feel rushed and unrewarding, with unresolved plot threads and a lack of epilogue. The absence of a gallery or New Game+ reduces replay value, and translation quality deteriorates, detracting from the overall experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players enjoy the fun combat, strategic weapon management, and the variety of cards that integrate well with the story. The appealing art style, charming characters, and excellent music contribute to an overall enjoyable experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.08): Satisfaction stems from the well-written story, satisfying endings, and the joy of discovering powerful strategies and class fantasies. The fast, fun gameplay and high-quality art and music also contribute to a fulfilling experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement is driven by the unique QTE and card combat design, the intriguing story, and the desire to explore other routes and party members. The novel mechanics and intense narrative keep players engaged and eager for more.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Amusement arises from absurd bugs, funny translation errors that make weapons seem unable to crit, and heartwarming gag-like passages. These quirky moments lighten the experience despite other issues.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Admiration is felt for the gorgeous pixel art, outstanding music, and excellent character writing, including the charm of supporting characters. The weapon breaking system and story depth also earn praise.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Enthusiasm is fueled by addictive gameplay, rich character writing, and a compelling narrative that makes players want to continue exploring other routes. The balance of card battles and character-driven story keeps the experience engaging.
- Affection (weight 0.02): Affection centers on the mage character's cuteness and the romance with her, as well as the hero's endearing traits. The warm interactions and character quirks foster a sense of fondness.
- Delight (weight 0.02): Delight comes from discovering a hidden gem, the sweet mage route, and heartwarming conversation scenes. The removal of forced QTE mini-games from the demo also adds to the pleasant surprise.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arises from unclear attack hitboxes, unlock conditions, and combat mechanics, compounded by translation problems that make some effects incomprehensible. Players struggle to understand core systems initially.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Interest is sparked by the engaging story and characters with special gimmicks, making players want to pursue all endings. The narrative's connections between characters further heighten curiosity.
- Immersion (weight 0.02): Immersion is achieved through the gripping story of mutual redemption, detailed visuals, and strong presentation that draws players into the world. The narrative and character interactions make the experience deeply engaging.
- Amazement (weight 0.02): Amazement is evoked by the mage route's climax, described as one of the most beautiful stories, and by the insane story twist. Weapon affixes enabling 1000+ damage and one-turn kills also leave players in awe.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance stems from frequent forced save screens, background changes when loading saves, and weapon descriptions that don't fit language conventions. These small interruptions detract from the experience.
- Fear (weight 0.02): Fear is caused by the save bug making players afraid to continue, and by heavy elements like the male ghost in the monk route. The dread of losing progress or encountering disturbing content weighs on players.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from the story being unexpectedly good and more solid than anticipated, as well as the hero outshining the player character. The game's simplicity compared to expectations also catches players off guard.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.01): Dissatisfaction arises from late-game combat devolving into pure HP trading and unbalanced control modes with a snowballing death system. These issues make the combat feel less strategic and more frustrating.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation is felt for the game's emphasis on strategy and resource management, well-designed weapon durability, and random event systems. The beautiful art and deep character dilemmas add to the overall value.
- Worry (weight 0.01): Worry stems from concerns that the game might feel repetitive on subsequent playthroughs and that poor translation could hinder enjoyment of the story. These uncertainties cast a shadow over future engagement.}