Annihilated Mage Route: Her Story and How to Play It

Pick the Mage when the game tells you that you can only carry one broken party member out of the dungeon — that choice is the entire entry into her route. In the demo available as of 2026-11-04, she is one of the partners you can play all the way through the first boss, The Outcast, per the official Annihilated Steam page.

Who the Mage is on her route

The Mage was found with a massive spike through her heart, and she has lost the gift of magic. What she kept is her knowledge — the official Steam page describes her as wondering what she is worth without her power. Shacknews' Steam Next Fest preview notes she was "barely surviving" when the rescue party found the Hero's group playing cards in the dungeon, out of drive and hope. Her route is one of four complete, separate stories, each roughly six hours long with multiple endings, so conversations along the way decide whether trust, doubt, or dependence grows between the two of you — and the ending changes with it.

How playing with her works

• Escape runs through a roguelite-style map of random event rooms, treasure chests, and enemy encounters, with a boss at the end of each section.
• Battles are turn-based card fights: every item you carry is a card with limited uses, and enemies telegraph their next move.
• Your partner fights beside you; the Mage's route also got dedicated support in the October 29 demo update, which fixed her battle animations and added effects when she uses staff-type items, alongside sprites for formation changes.
• Two battle styles exist — timing-based and probability-based — and either one reaches the end.

Playing the Mage route today

1. Download the demo

   The demo is live on the game's Steam page and includes all four partners.

2. Choose the Mage

   When asked who you can only carry out, select her to lock in her route.

3. Fight to The Outcast

   Progress through the dungeon's event rooms and encounters until you reach the first boss.

4. Save on clearing

   Saving when you clear the demo carries your progress into the full release on November 10, 2026.

The full 200,000+ word version expands all four routes with multiple endings; only the demo slice of her story is playable before November 10. Her complete route dialogue, scenes, and ending conditions are not confirmable until launch.

Next steps

• See the Annihilated characters overview to compare the Mage with the Hero, Warrior, and Priest before choosing.
• The Annihilated endings page tracks how choices shape each partner's conclusion.

FAQ

Is the Mage route in the demo?

Yes. All four partners in the full game are playable in the demo, through the first boss fight against The Outcast.

How do I start the mage route?

Choose the Mage at the point where the game says you can only rescue one broken party member from the dungeon.

What is the Mage's partner mechanic?

She fights beside you in the card battles like every partner; the demo's recent update specifically touched her battle animations and staff-type item effects.

When can I play her full story?

The full version launches November 10, 2026, at $16.99 USD, with a 10% discount for the first two weeks.

Check note: details above come from the official Annihilated Steam store page (its announcements dated up to 2026-11-02) and Shacknews' February 2026 Steam Next Fest preview of the demo. The Mage's full-route story beats and ending conditions remain unconfirmed until the full game releases on November 10, 2026.