Relicta

Lore & Background

Relicta was the debut game of Mighty Polygon, an independent studio based in Valencia, Spain, developed over approximately three years by a core team of five people. The project grew from an earlier prototype called Pine Away, which the studio had intended to develop commercially before concluding it was not viable; elements of its puzzle design were retained and expanded into Relicta. The game was developed using Unreal Engine 4, and the team recorded dialogue in English rather than Spanish because the cost of producing multiple voice tracks required selecting the language with the widest international reach. The Nintendo Switch version required reducing and optimizing graphical assets to maintain a stable frame rate in both handheld and docked modes.

Reader's Guide

Relicta received mixed or average reviews for its PC and PlayStation 4 versions and generally favorable reviews for its Xbox One version, with critics generally praising its central physics mechanics, puzzle design and varied environments, while criticizing its narrative presentation, repetition and uneven difficulty. The magnetism and gravity mechanics were regarded as the game's strongest feature, with reviewers praising the variety of interactions developed from the central system and the visual contrast between different biomes. However, critics noted that dense scenery sometimes made puzzle elements difficult to identify, and the absence of checkpoints within individual tracks was criticized. Some reviewers found the narrative sequences interrupted gameplay and that certain puzzle structures became repetitive, while others cited bugs and imprecise interactions as preventing the game from fully realizing its mechanics. The game's length and abrupt increase in difficulty were also noted as drawbacks.

Did You Know?

• Relicta was developed by a core team of five people over approximately three years.
• The game's central system emerged from experiments in combining magnetism and gravity.
• The Nintendo Switch version included two additional missions, Aegir Gig and Ice Queen.
• The game's dialogue was recorded in English rather than Spanish due to cost considerations.