NIKKE Fading Affection minigame is the branching text adventure introduced with the fourth-anniversary MARIA-n event on October 29, 2026. You explore old SILVERGUNPROJECT records, make choices that alter the story and collect memories that unlock new decisions on future runs.
You don’t need a combat squad. The story moves through decisions, and your HP, food and corrosion values can change with each one. A choice that looks like a dead end on your first run can become the way forward after you earn a new memory.
How to start the NIKKE Fading Affection minigame
Open MARIA-n from the NIKKE Lobby and tap Fading Affection on the event map, or use the Minigame tab. Press START, select Maria’s Record and choose an area. You can reopen the tutorial from the bottom of the title menu.
The NIKKE Fading Affection minigame has three routes, released on the event’s schedule. Maria’s Record is the first. You can play it repeatedly, so there is no reason to save attempts while the remaining routes are locked.
Choices and locked branches in the NIKKE Fading Affection minigame
A choice can change the next scene, your stats or the ending. If an option is locked, tap it to read the unlock hint. Some need a memory from another branch; others depend on the character’s current condition. Follow the hint, then return to the decision.
Death Endings still count as progress. A failed run can add a memory to your collection, which then unlocks a choice you couldn’t take before. Explore an unfinished branch, collect what it offers and revisit the locked option.
HP, food and corrosion: what each stat does
| Stat | Effect |
|---|---|
| HP | Health rises or falls after decisions. Reaching zero ends the run in death. |
| Food | A supply needed for certain story choices, including giving food to another character. |
| Corrosion | Increases or decreases through decisions; reaching its threshold causes a corrupted state. |
In the NIKKE Fading Affection minigame, check the three values before choosing. A food-dependent choice won’t be available if you’ve already spent the food. HP reaching zero kills the character, while corrosion reaching its threshold puts them into the corroded state.
How memories work in Maria’s Record
Major events can leave memories stored in NIMPH. Tap the Memories icon during a run to see what you’ve collected. Those memories stay in the collection and can satisfy requirements on other branches.
Maria’s Record contains 19 memories. Hunter and Cat are both found in the commercial building: avoid its trap to earn Hunter, then share food with the cat to receive Cat. That memory opens a later choice in the route towards the lake. The complete 19-memory checklist shows each slot and its associated ending or branch.
How to replay choices and endings
Use Back to return to an earlier choice. The results of any decisions you undo are cancelled as well. That makes it useful for testing a different answer without playing the opening scenes again.
There is no attempt limit, and completed endings can be watched again through Recollection. That means you can start another run when a new memory opens a route instead of waiting for a daily reset.
Watch the icons beside each decision. One marks a choice you’ve visited that still has branches to explore; another marks a choice whose branches are complete. Pick the unfinished branches when looking for a new ending.
NIKKE Fading Affection minigame: Endings and hidden routes
Maria’s Record has 15 endings: 12 Death Endings, one 504 Error, one True Ending and one Hidden Ending. The count belongs to this record alone, not the other two routes in the NIKKE Fading Affection minigame.
The lake is locked when you begin Maria’s Path. Earn Cat, Storage and Collapsing Ceiling to open the choices leading to the Path memory. That opens the lake route. After your first visit, the lake becomes a direct starting location. Follow the lake unlock walkthrough for the sequence.
If you hit a locked choice in the NIKKE Fading Affection minigame, note its required memory and explore a different branch. Once you’ve earned it, return with Back or start again from an area you’ve already reached. That is how the routes gradually open up.
When does the NIKKE Fading Affection minigame end?
Fading Affection ends at 04:59 KST on November 19, 2026, which is 7:59 PM GMT on Wednesday, November 18 in the UK. The minigame runs alongside MARIA-n’s Story I, Story II and Challenge Stages.
Our MARIA-n event guide covers those story activities, Lost Relics and the SSR Selection Box. The anniversary guide covers free pulls, login rewards and banners.
Related Guides
Official publisher source: Level Infinite’s fourth-anniversary announcement.
