Quick Look: Relics of Rajavihara
Designer: Joe Slack
Artists: Tristam Rossin
Publisher: Crazy Like a Box
Year Published: 2020
No. of Players: 1
Ages: 12+
Playing Time: 1-20 Minutes
Find more info on BoardGameGeek.com
Relics of Rajavihara is a clever and engaging solo, campaign-style game featuring 50 unique puzzles broken up into 5 distinct floors of increasing difficulty. Collect gems, block your nemesis, and unlock new challenging gameplay elements as you advance through the 5 floors of an ancient temple!
The setup for this game is extremely simple. Each floor consists of 10 puzzle cards, a reference card, and an advancement card that is revealed once all 10 puzzles are completed. Each puzzle card illustrates the starting pattern you must create with the components you have previously unlocked. Floor #1 provides you with a few handfuls of wooden crates, a green gem, and two meeples (i.e. your player token and your nemesis). Once the necessary components are correctly arranged, you are ready to play!
In an effort to respect the hidden nature of some gameplay elements, I'll speak in general terms about the various ways Relics of Rajavihara manages to perfectly expand upon its existing mechanisms in a way that feels natural and accessible.
Actions
The primary actions taken by a player include: (a) the movement of your meeple and (b) the pushing of various objects unlocked on each floor. Your player meeple may move any number of spaces but can only climb obstacles one step above or below its current elevation. Pushing objects (e.g. crates) requires the positioning of your meeple directly behind them. When attempting to push against a stack of objects, only the object directly in front of your meeple moves forward, assuming that the space to which it is being pushed is unoccupied. This causes all remaining objects in the stack to drop straight down into their current position. You must carefully plan your meeple movement and pushing of objects in an effort to complete each puzzle card.
Puzzle Card Objectives
The objective of most puzzle cards is to manipulate objects in a way that allows your meeple to retrieve a gem; however, a select few puzzle cards require you to drop a crate on your nemesis or eliminate unlocked objects from the board.
The objective of most puzzle cards is to manipulate objects in a way that allows your meeple to retrieve a gem; however, a select few puzzle cards require you to drop a crate on your nemesis or eliminate unlocked objects from the board.
Discoverable Components & Mechanisms
Each floor provides you with a new set of components (i.e. cube-shaped objects with specific rules for movement and interactions with previously discovered components). The manner in which crates and other discoverable objects move and interact is the heart of this game's charm. The complexity of each new element keeps the game engaging and promises endless combinations of interactions. In my efforts to complete various puzzles more than once (to ensure that I hadn't cheated), I sometimes discovered alternative solutions!
Final Thoughts:
Relics of Rajavihara is an excellent puzzle-style game. Although my experience with the game is limited to its prototype form, I believe this game will have considerable table presence once it reaches final production. The 50 puzzles included in the copy I received provided several hours of entertainment. There were many puzzles with which I asked my wife for help; thus, I believe this game could work as a cooperative experience. Given the nature of the game board and hefty component count, this game also provides an excellent opportunity for DIY gamers to create new puzzles and challenges for themselves once they have mastered the puzzles and mechanisms included in the box. Check out the Kickstarter for Relics of Rajavihara, launching on July 7th, 2020!
Recommended for Players Who Enjoy:
Quodd Heroes & Ricochet Robots.
 | Shawn C. Hilliard, Ed.D. is a school psychologist, graphic designer, and board game enthusiast from Delaware. Shawn runs a board game design summer camp for kids and often shares his love for the hobby with family, friends, students, and fellow educators. In his free time, Shawn also creates custom laser-cut projects and blogs about various board games, movies, and comics he encounters each month. |
