Relic Runners Board Game First Impressions
Relic Runners is a great-looking game by “Days of Wonder” which is not a rarity…
But how does it play?
In Relic Runners, each player takes on the role of a character keen to exploit and acquire relics that have been unearthed in a long lost part of the jungle. Each would-be archaeologist has a colorful past — retired university professor, former army captain, etc. — and wants to be the first to get their hands on the precious loot to earn the most victory points.
Players must navigate a series of paths in order to visit temples. The archaeologists are restricted in their movement by their access to rations, but thankfully they can place markers on paths to allow them to travel for free in future turns. The players also have a toolkit that can be upgraded in three particular ways to break the rules in some way or offer them an advantage as they move around.
Each time a player visits a temple, he takes a token. Initially the temples offer up victory points or some form of in-game bonus. When the final token is taken, a relic is placed there to be collected. The players earn large victory points for collecting relics of different types (set collection) and players can also earn bonus points for creating long routes and traveling along these to collect relics.
Gameplay
That description tells you everything. It reminded me of “Im Reich der Jadegöttin” due to the semi-restricted movement and the point of the game is to collect relics.
You move and lay paths but you can move over one unexplored path. At the beginning or the end of your journey once per turn, you explore temples to gain points and abilities.
As the temples are explored and they start to vanish, the Relics are left behind. These are worth huge points. The only way to get one is to travel from a Relic to a location of another same colour Relic. Thematically confusing…
Each player also has a player board which has various abilities. These include moving paths on the board or gaining rations (Rations are used to perform actions)
Relic Runners Summary
I thought it was ‘OK’. Not one I would be too fussed to play again. It’s just a point-to-point movement game with the bonus of having Days of Wonder production quality. Would rather spend my time playing something else.
Update September 2022
This game was an absolute stinker and one I think back on really poorly. Add this to another game from Days of Wonder, Yamatai which was another massive stinker and it started to put me off this publisher. My only good game is Five Tribes and that is in my sale pile as I write. I don’t dislike it, just my tastes and requirements for what I like to replay changed a lot over lockdown.
But Relic Runners left me feeling really frustrated which is the one and the only thing I can remember. That and the great components but they alone can not make a bad game enjoyable.
Jesta ThaRogue
