Annihilated Demo Guide: What It Covers and Keeps
What the Annihilated demo includes, how far it goes, whether the save carries over, and the fastest way to clear The Outcast before launch.
Quick answer: The Annihilated demo is a free separate Steam app that runs from the opening dungeon to the first boss, The Outcast. All four partners are playable, clearing it unlocks an exclusive teaser, and a cleared save is expected to carry into the full game on November 10, 2026.
The demo is not a vertical slice with a random ending. It is the opening chapter, cut at a boss, which makes it useful for three things:
- Testing whether you prefer the timing cursor or the probability wheel.
- Learning the Fatal Strike timing before the full game asks you to rely on it.
- Locking in a save that should skip the opening once the full release unlocks.
How do you install the Annihilated demo?
The demo has its own store page and app ID (4099940), separate from the main game (2638080). Search "Annihilated Demo" in the Steam client, or open the demo page from the main store page's demo section, then press the green install button.
Do not install the full game to play the demo. They are separate entries, and the demo does not require ownership of the base game. If the demo page shows a countdown or a wishlist button instead of install, restart Steam; the demo returned on October 23, 2026 and has been live since.
The download is small by RPG standards because the demo only contains the first dungeon section. You can finish it in one sitting.
How far does the demo go?
The demo ends with The Outcast, the first major boss. Everything before that is the real opening: the rescue party's descent, the first encounters with Goblins and Kobolds, the introduction of item cards and Curses, and the moment you choose which of the four survivors to carry.
The four partners are all available in the demo:
| Partner | What they lose | Demo role |
|---|---|---|
| Hero | The ability to speak beyond yes and no | Frontline damage, shrugs off fatal hits |
| Mage | Magic, but keeps the knowledge | Utility, enemy and trap callouts |
| Warrior | Their body, now inside a doll | Aggressive melee, dark comedy |
| Priest | Their faith, now follows the Great One | Strongest healing, unsettling dialogue |
You cannot see the route-specific content in the demo. The demo shows the shared opening and the boss; the branching material is in the full game, where each route runs about six hours.
Does the demo save carry over to the full game?
The store states that save data from the demo is expected to carry over. Treat that as a strong intention rather than an ironclad promise: the wording is softer than a guarantee, and launch-day imports sometimes need a patch.
Practical steps:
- Clear The Outcast before November 10.
- Save after the boss and after the teaser, not before the fight.
- Keep the demo installed until you confirm the full game sees the save.
- If the import prompt does not appear, start a new run rather than deleting the demo folder.
Even if the import fails, the demo's real value is mechanical practice. The opening hour of the full game teaches the same systems.
How do you beat The Outcast in the demo?
The Outcast is a stagger check. Its health bar is large, and its stagger gauge is the actual target. Chip damage without filling that gauge drags the fight out until your item cards break on their own schedule.
The loop that works:
- Let the boss telegraph. "Swings the iron sword" tells you a heavy hit is coming, so this is the turn to heal or guard, not to greed.
- Build stagger with multi-hit and heavy cards. Every point of stagger matters more than a point of chip damage.
- Hold one weapon's final use. When the gauge breaks, that last use triggers a Fatal Strike, which kills outright and lets you seize equipment.
- Spend Curses only if a party member is about to die. Defy fate is a safety net, not a damage button.
The demo's October update reworked combat, UI and music, and a first attempt that ends in a wipe is still normal. Death sends you back to the floor you fell on, not to the title screen.
A weapon is strongest on its last use. If a card has one use left and a destruction effect, spending it on a staggered enemy is usually better than saving it for a rainy day.
Official source: Annihilated demo on Steam ↗
What does clearing the demo unlock?
Beating The Outcast plays an exclusive teaser for the full game. It is short, it is not in the release build, and it is the only demo-specific story content. If you skip the boss, you skip the teaser.
The teaser is worth seeing before launch because it frames the choice at the end of the opening: four survivors, one exit, and no way to carry everyone. The full game's routes branch from that decision.
Which battle style should you test in the demo?
The demo lets you play both styles: timing-based, where a cursor or swing meter decides the result, and probability-based, where the Dead or Alive wheel decides success or failure.
Test both against The Outcast rather than in the tutorial. The boss is long enough that an uncomfortable style becomes obvious. Timing players tend to notice the cursor speed modifier on weapons; probability players notice how often the wheel's blue sectors actually land.
Both styles can finish the game, so there is no wrong answer. The wrong answer is picking the style that looks more "competitive" and then dreading every fight.
Is the demo worth playing if you already pre-ordered?
Yes, for the save import and the teaser. The mechanical practice is a bonus. If you only have an hour, play to the first boss and stop; the route choice is the part that matters, and the demo deliberately does not resolve it.
For the launch timetable and price, see the release date page→; for the demo's final fight, use the Outcast boss guide→.
FAQ
Is the Annihilated demo free?
Yes. It is a free standalone Steam app and does not require the base game.
How long is the Annihilated demo?
It covers the opening dungeon through the first boss. That is roughly one play session, though the exact length depends on how often you wipe to The Outcast.
Can I play the demo after the full game launches?
The demo page has stayed live since October 23, 2026 and there is no announced removal date. Even so, download it before launch if you want the teaser, because demo pages are sometimes retired after release.
Does the demo include all four routes?
No. It includes the shared opening and all four partners as party members, but the route split happens after the demo's cut-off.