Before you join the galaxy
A few questions before you begin.
If you are wondering what kind of game this is, whether you need a download, or why everyone keeps talking about shards, here are the straight answers.
The short version
What new commanders usually want to know.
This is the quick tour. When you want to know what to build first or whether a fleet can carry a bad decision, the guide goes deeper.
What kind of game is Relica Wars?
It is a browser strategy game set in a battered science-fiction galaxy. You build an economy, keep the lights on, research what you can, watch your rivals, and decide when it is time to send ships.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Open it in a modern desktop or mobile browser and play there. There is no separate client waiting to take up space on your machine.
Is Relica Wars free to play?
Yes. The game is free to play in the browser. Access may be limited during the beta or between rounds, and the homepage will tell you what is happening.
What is a revolution?
Think of a revolution as the next turn of the galaxy. Queues move forward, production happens, research progresses, and the choices you made earlier start to have consequences.
What commander roles can I choose?
You can lean into the economy, the military, research, or reconnaissance. None of them plays exactly the same, so pick the one that sounds like the way you want to spend the round.
Can I fight other players?
Yes, although the galaxy gives you plenty of reasons to think before you attack. There are player battles, missiles, defensive planning, and planet-wide wars, alongside the machine threat.
How do the AI opponents work?
Talos runs the machine side of the galaxy. Its commanders grow, make plans, and apply pressure, but they still have to live within the same rules, resources, protections, and cooldowns as the rest of the game.
What are Relica Shards?
Nobody agrees on what the shards were made for. They are ancient artefacts left behind by Relica, and they sit at the centre of both the game's mystery and the struggle between its worlds.
Where can I learn the detailed mechanics?
Start with the public Relica Wars Guide. It takes you from your first few moves through resources, power, research, ships, combat, recon, markets, councils, and planet wars.
How do I know whether the game is available?
The homepage carries the current signal. It will tell you whether commanders can enter normally, need a beta invitation, are waiting for launch, or are between rounds.
Ready for the useful details?
The guide is where the practical advice begins: first moves, economy, research, combat, councils, markets, and planet wars.