Relicta

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 135 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Relicta Game Cover
Beautiful, challenging and frustrating in equal measure, Relicta is a game you should pick up if you want an exercise for your brain.
Starting at $0.70Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Epic Games Store Get on PS Store

Relicta is a single-player action game with a compelling story and outstanding graphics. As a stranded physicist on a derelict Moon base, you must solve physics-based puzzles by creatively combining magnetism and gravity. With complex puzzles and an engaging narrative, Relicta offers a unique and challenging experience for players.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 135 reviews
story37 positive mentions
grinding14 negative mentions
  • The game features challenging and clever puzzles that require creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Visually stunning environments and well-implemented physics create an immersive experience.
  • The story, while simple, is engaging and complemented by good voice acting, adding depth to the gameplay.
  • Some puzzles can become overly complex and tedious, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
  • The game suffers from a lack of clear guidance, making it difficult for players to understand certain mechanics.
  • There are technical issues, such as invisible walls and inconsistent physics, that can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • story114 mentions

    The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-integrated with the gameplay, while others criticize it as thin, formulaic, or poorly executed. Many reviewers note that the narrative can feel disconnected from the puzzle-solving elements, and some express frustration with tedious dialogue and lackluster character development. Overall, while there are moments of intrigue and humor, the story often struggles to maintain player interest and coherence throughout the game.

    • “The story was the most enjoyable aspect of the game for me, and I liked the world-building and lore; it did not just exist as a backdrop or justification for the puzzles.”
    • “The story is captivating and really pushed me through the puzzles as I was eager to get to the next part and the one after that.”
    • “Relicta is an enjoyable puzzle platformer with some interesting mechanics and a fun storyline.”
    • “The story is atrocious, as if written by a neglected toddler.”
    • “The story was so unbelievably bad I have to go write a negative review just to complain about this story writing.”
    • “However, overall the story of the game feels half-baked.”
  • gameplay74 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a mix of interesting puzzle mechanics, primarily revolving around manipulating cubes and utilizing magnetism and gravity, which gradually increase in complexity throughout the game. While the puzzles are generally well-designed and engaging, some players find the visual clutter and occasional poor design choices detract from the experience, leading to frustration with certain mechanics and level navigation. Overall, the game offers a solid puzzle-solving experience, though it may not fully capitalize on its potential due to repetitive mechanics and a lack of clarity in some areas.

    • “The puzzles at the beginning of the game are fairly simple and do a good job of conveying puzzle mechanics.”
    • “Even if the puzzles are based around the same core mechanics, each new level presents a new variation that keeps you thinking.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics, as well as the physics, are a solid and fun experience.”
    • “The environments are littered with translucent walls as a gameplay element, which is really ugly, and not-quite-invisible walls above every wall, edge, or elevated surface you are not supposed to be able to get across because it would invalidate the puzzles, which is just poor design.”
    • “The gameplay is fair, but there's nothing wrong with it mechanically speaking. However, the base mechanics are sadly not varied enough to ever really make the puzzles challenging or elevate them above 'mildly difficult at times'.”
    • “The game throws a couple of unique puzzle mechanics at you in the beginning and then proceeds to reuse them literally hundreds of times over.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and solid performance, particularly due to the use of Unreal Engine, which enhances the visual experience. However, some players note that the increasing visual clutter and reliance on graphic settings can negatively impact gameplay mechanics, leading to inconsistencies in physics. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, they are often seen as the game's strongest aspect amidst average gameplay elements.

    • “The graphics are next level!”
    • “Great puzzle game that forces you to use your brain, surrounded with stunning visuals and landscapes.”
    • “This game runs beautifully, and the visuals are quite good.”
    • “The visual clutter gets progressively worse in each area, as a new color of holographic light is added for the new mechanic.”
    • “But what makes things worse is that this game's physics engine is actually affected by our graphic settings.”
    • “Decent graphics and atmosphere mean nothing when the mechanics are so poorly made.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, primarily due to overly complex and repetitive puzzles that require numerous retries and convoluted navigation. The enjoyment of solving puzzles diminishes as the game progresses, with many feeling that the effort to complete them outweighs the satisfaction of success. Additionally, issues like poor checkpointing and the need to backtrack contribute to an overall sense of monotony and frustration.

    • “The design of Relicta makes this ramping complexity extremely tedious.”
    • “The puzzles become more and more tedious as you progress through increasingly convoluted and confusing map designs, that just serve to drag out the game and ultimately overstay their welcome.”
    • “Ultimately solving the puzzles doesn't feel rewarding in the end; more so, they offer a sense of relief from the tedium of not having to do them again, until the game serves up another more tedious puzzle.”
  • music13 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking and repetitive, particularly during puzzle-solving segments. While a few noted that the orchestrated soundtrack and background audio were well-produced, others suggested that the game could benefit from more variety or even the omission of music altogether to enhance the atmosphere. Overall, the music does not seem to significantly contribute to the immersive experience, leaving some players feeling disconnected.

    • “An orchestrated soundtrack, a ton of puzzles - maybe a few too many - and great voice actors make the game worth playing, even if it stretches a bit thin in the last few hours.”
    • “Audio is great, and background music is well produced.”
    • “Finally a truly awesome puzzle game, mixed with an interesting setting, beautiful looks and fitting soundtracks!”
    • “What I mean is that music does a lot to create the atmosphere, and I felt like I didn't connect with the atmosphere, and when I thought more about it, I realized it was the music.”
    • “The music, however, is... actually kinda lacking and samey, particularly during puzzle solving.”
    • “I get it — too dramatic, and players will feel distracted, but a little variety would be nice (either that, or omit the music entirely, like in The Witness, and parts of Portal and Portal 2).”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    Reviews indicate a mixed reception regarding the game's atmosphere, with some players appreciating the surrounding scenery and lore, while others feel that the music fails to create a meaningful connection. Criticism also arises regarding the lack of depth in environmental design, suggesting that the atmosphere may not be fully realized despite decent graphics. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a combination of strong visual elements and weak audio integration, impacting player immersion.

    • “The surrounding scenery gives a nice atmosphere.”
    • “The Turing Test: narrative and atmosphere.”
    • “Pretty good atmosphere, setting, and lore.”
    • “What I mean is that music does a lot to create the atmosphere, and I felt like I didn't connect with the atmosphere. When I thought more about it, I realized it was the music.”
    • “If you notice the clouds (atmosphere) and water body in the game, then you might just notice the dev never really did any research prior to their design; they just use the word 'terraformed' to justify everything.”
    • “Decent graphics and atmosphere mean nothing when the mechanics are so poorly made.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the funny writing and lighthearted dialogue, while others find it misplaced or inconsistent, particularly with anachronistic references. While the story and puzzles are often described as cheesy or ridiculous, there are moments of genuine humor that resonate well, especially towards the end. Overall, the voice acting and balance between serious and funny elements contribute positively to the comedic experience.

    • “The writing is pretty funny; I'm very happy that a puzzle game lets the scientists say 'fuck'.”
    • “The story was decent and kind of funny at times.”
    • “It even has some really funny moments and two endings that you can choose from.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its strong optimization, delivering smooth gameplay and high performance without bugs, even on older hardware. While some users note that indie studios often struggle with Unreal Engine's demands, this title stands out with solid graphics and a polished experience, achieving 60fps at ultra settings on a GTX 960.

    • “Smooth gameplay and performance; haven't encountered any bugs.”
    • “Visually, the game looks amazing and is really well optimized.”
    • “It's been really optimized, 60fps at 1920x1080 in ultra settings with a NVIDIA GTX 960 (which is a 4-year-old video card!)”
    • “Firstly, I don't know why, but whenever an indie or even AA studio gets their hands on the Unreal Engine, they manage to make it hog way more performance than it's worth.”
    • “Solid graphics and performance, although it's a cliché story of an alien entity found on the moon, there's a mystery to it, and it is presented by a solid voice cast.”
    • “Also, it's been really optimized; 60fps at 1920x1080 in ultra settings with a NVIDIA GTX 960 (which is a 4-year-old video card)!”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, players report that the game runs smoothly with no significant glitches or bugs, providing an enjoyable experience. However, some users have noted issues with buggy physics and poor terraforming that can affect gameplay. Despite these concerns, the visuals and puzzle design are praised, contributing to a generally stable performance.

    • “The game runs smoothly without any noticeable glitches or crashes.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or stutters.”
    • “The performance is impressive, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.”
    • “Oh yeah right... the buggy physics setting, blame it on bad terraforming!”
    • “The environment and graphics look great, play is smooth without any glitches or bugs, and the puzzles are wonderful (some are very hard and some are very easy and the rest fall somewhere in-between)...but they are all fair and logical.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the emotional impact of the game is lacking, with players finding the story uninspiring and the puzzles mediocre, leading to a disinterest in completing the game despite its appealing sci-fi setting.

    • “I have no interest in finishing the game with such mediocre and inconsistent puzzles and a boring story, whose only positive attribute can be the space and sci-fi setting, which can at least be said to be respectable.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game lacks significant replayability, as it does not offer uniquely designed puzzles that encourage creative thinking, making it less appealing for players seeking a challenging experience to revisit.

    • “If you're looking for a puzzler with replayability, where you have to utilize creative thinking and the puzzles are all uniquely designed, then look far, far elsewhere.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return; the lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel tedious.”
    • “The game offers minimal changes in subsequent playthroughs, which makes it hard to justify going through it again.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

74% average critic score

Buy Relicta

Videos

Similar Games

Game News