Puzzle games are typically set up in a relaxed or strange environment that doesn’t focus on pushing the player forward as quickly as possible, but it seems that Mighty Polygon and Deep Silver are doing just that with Relicta. In an environment that appears to show intense moments and a protagonist occasionally undergoing controlled panic, this puzzle game is going to be one to push players.

I’ve played my fair share of puzzle games and often they will have a quick moment or a single puzzle that is set up to be solved under stress, but it doesn’t last long. This announcement trailer, on the other hand, appears to show off some time-sensitivity elements as destruction and conflict arise. The question will be, are players ready for a nerve-racking puzzle-solving experience?

I could be wrong and it may just be the way that they present the game, but if it is going to be pressured fueled puzzles then it is going to be one that will be hard to pull off. Keeping in mind the balance between challenging the players, gradual difficulty increase, and not leaving players in a position that solving the puzzle requires a skill or accuracy that’s simply aggravating to pull off, they have their work cut out for them.

Either way, this sci-fi puzzler is set to send players to the moon sometime in 2020. It will release on PC via Steam, Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. What do you think of the rather intense announcement trailer for Relicta?