Double Edge Games has officially launched Relic Arena on Steam, and it’s already making a strong first impression. Released on May 7 as a free-to-play title, this chaotic new autobattler comes from Dota 2 veterans SUNSfan and Jenkins—and it plays like a surreal joke that somehow turned into a surprisingly solid game. Just a day after release, Relic Arena had pulled in roughly 150 user reviews with an 87% positive rating, suggesting players are embracing its wild approach.
At its core, Relic Arena is still an autobattler: fights happen automatically, and your real job is to make smart decisions in the downtime between rounds. The big difference is how you build power. Instead of spending resources to buy units like most games in the genre, Relic Arena gives you units for free and shifts the entire strategy to relics. Gold is used exclusively to purchase bizarre artifacts that add new abilities, effects, and upgrade paths.
The design choice that really sends things into meme-level territory is that any relic can be equipped on any unit. That single rule opens the door to ridiculous combinations and unexpected strategies. One match might have you using a bowling ball to flatten entire lines of enemies. The next could involve a Tesla radio that triggers natural disasters like tornadoes and blizzards. And if you want pure defensive chaos, even something like a Kevlar suit can change how a unit survives by moving it into what’s basically a bulletproof bunker. The result is an autobattler where experimentation feels like the main event, and every run has the potential to spiral into something wonderfully unhinged.
Relic Arena also refuses to stick to standard fantasy leaders. Instead of predictable heroes, the game throws historical figures and internet legends into the same arena. Karl Marx can influence the economy, Vlad the Impaler brings vampire-style twists, Leonardo da Vinci opens up additional upgrade tiers, and Harambe shows up with an enthusiasm for bananas. It’s the kind of lineup that sounds impossible on paper, but it fits perfectly with the game’s “anything goes” relic system.
Another standout feature is how relic upgrades work. Buying duplicates of the same relic doesn’t just stack minor bonuses—it evolves the item into stronger forms over time. Keep investing and you’ll unlock “Super Upgrades,” and later, even more extreme “Juicy Upgrades,” which the developers say are powerful enough to swing an entire match on their own. This makes long-term planning and reroll decisions feel especially important, because you’re not just collecting tools—you’re building toward game-changing transformations.
Even with all its absurd humor, Relic Arena seems built for players who enjoy quick, repeatable sessions and like discovering broken combinations. If you’ve been looking for a new free-to-play autobattler that leans into creative builds, strange synergies, and nonstop “what did I just witness?” moments, this one is already shaping up as a standout. Steam Deck compatibility is currently listed as unknown, but the early reception shows the game is off to a strong start.
