Annulus

Annulus

Released Apr 2026

Annulus is a unique dark fantasy tactical game! You will play the role of the head of a mercenary regiment, constantly collect and cultivate resources such as mercenaries and weapons with unique attributes, and create their own mercenary regiment. Survival and glory, the battle is endless!

68% positive · 508 reviews
Not yet
Released, ongoing live service game
High confidence
Live Service
Not yet
Released, ongoing live service game
High confidence
Live Service

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Evaluation

Annulus is a free-to-play dark fantasy tactical game that launched globally on April 8, 2026 across Steam, Google Play, and the App Store. Since launch, the developer NIRVANA has maintained a consistent and active live service operation, deploying new limited-time character banners on roughly a two-week rotation alongside seasonal events, new gameplay modes, and regular bug fixes. The pattern is unmistakable: a new banner cycle launched July 29, 2026 featuring "Wyvern King" Tados and "Blackmasked" Ibori, which ran through August 12; immediately followed by a new maintenance update on August 12 introducing "Wasteland Spearguard" Chuti and "Trickster" Locke, with events scheduled through September 9, 2026. Growth progression events for these characters extend even further, running through October 11, 2026. A new Asia server (AP-Turfotung) was also opened on May 20, 2026, showing active infrastructure expansion. This rotating content model — new characters, timed recruitment events, limited exchange shops, and sign-in campaigns — is the defining structure of a live service game designed to receive ongoing content indefinitely. The store description's phrase "the battle is endless!" reflects this design intent. There is no indication of a wind-down or any defined endpoint for content delivery.
Evidence
August 12, 2026 maintenance update introduces new limited-time character banners (Wasteland Spearguard Chuti and Trickster Locke), timed recruitment events through August 26, a new Green Pool War event through September 6, and further events extending into September and October 2026.
news post · Aug 11, 2026 source content planned
high
July 29, 2026 live update introduces new limited-time banners for Wyvern King Tados and Blackmasked Ibori, continuing the established two-week banner rotation cycle.
news post · Jul 28, 2026 source content shipped
high

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
NIRVANA
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player

About this game

    Annulus is a dark-fantasy tactical strategy game, inspired by medieval knightly warfare. Blending dark fantasy elements with an epic, grand-scale worldbuilding approach—and powered by the stunning visual capabilities of Unreal—it delivers a breathtaking visual experience.

    In the game, you take on the role of a mercenary captain, collecting and training mercenaries, weapons, and various resources, each with their own unique traits. Build your own mercenary legion and battle across the turbulent continent of Novisess—for survival, for glory, and to break free from the fate imposed by the world’s rules. the battle is endless!

    Inspired by the gritty, hard-edged warfare of the medieval era and infused with classic Lovecraftian visual elements, the game delivers a distinct dark-fantasy tactical experience. Built with Unreal Engine and enhanced by cinematic narrative CGs, it presents a sweeping, dramatic storyline that immerses players in an age of clashing steel, turmoil, and shadowed darkness.

    As mercenaries level up and advance, their forms, attributes, and skills evolve accordingly. Several main characters even gain entirely new forms—shaped by their narrative backgrounds—featuring striking designs and powerful visual impact. These evolutions unlock more elaborate skill effects, while their exclusive “character auras” further challenge players to master formation strategy and maximize overall team strength.

    Across the turbulent continent of Novisess, the three major races—Orcs, Elves, and Humans—have given rise to countless uniquely designed mercenaries. Through flexible combinations of inscriptions, classes, weapon skills, and more, players can develop a variety of specialized playstyles such as collision, knockback, tanking, decay, and others. Recruit and train distinctive mercenaries, then adapt your unit compositions and skill synergies to meet different battlefield needs and secure victory.

    Players will encounter a variety of combat effects triggered by random weather and elemental interactions. Terrain, day–night cycles, vegetation, and other environmental details directly influence mercenary performance on the battlefield. Meanwhile, the “Contamination Value” system adds impactful buffs and debuffs, enhancing immersion and unpredictability—putting players’ tactical decision-making to an entirely new test.

    Beyond the grand and far-reaching main storyline, the game offers a web of intricate side tales. Every choice you make can shift the direction of the narrative—and may even trigger entirely new “battle events,” deepening the medieval fantasy immersion.The world map is filled with exploration points where you can dispatch your squads: venture into eerie forests, traverse treacherous mountain passes, and overcome life-or-death trials. Countless rare resources across the continent await the fearless mercenaries who dare to claim them.

    From grand, atmospheric environments to realistic weather effects and subtle lighting across every map, the visuals have undergone multiple rounds of refinement to bring a rich medieval world to life.

    All in-game music, sound effects, and voiceovers are originally composed and produced by a professional audio team. Every detail has been carefully polished so you can fully immerse yourself in your journey across Noviseth and enjoy the best gameplay experience possible.

Instructions:Portions of this game's artwork and narrative text were created with assistance from generative AI tools including Midjourney and GPT. AI-generated content served as preliminary drafts only and underwent comprehensive manual revision, refinement, and copyright verification by the development team to ensure compliance with platform policies and freedom from infringement. The game contains no real-time AI-generated content; all assets presented to players are pre-generated final versions that have been reviewed and approved.

Last evaluated Aug 19, 2026
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