Relics of the Arcane
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Relics of the Arcane

4 players · 2v2 · 1v3 · or every player for themselves

Call your ally. Face all three. Or trust no one.

Learn it in an evening. Study it for years. Relics of the Arcane is an uncompromising tactical trick-taking game of hidden partnerships, lone challenges against three opponents, and Master Games where every player fights for themselves. Every card is information. Every declaration raises the stakes. Mana is never reset. Read the table, conceal your plan — and face your fate.

Enter the circleDiscover the game↓

In development · Coming to Kickstarter

Relic XX from the current prototype
Death, the final relic from the current prototype
Relic XIX from the current prototype

Prototype artwork · Final product may vary

4Players2- and 3-player versions planned
2v2 / 1v3 / 1v1v1v1Game formats
1BoxNovice Game & Master Game included
14+Age

At the table · A tactical trick-taking game

Four players. Hidden alliances. Every trick counts.

Choose the game for the round, play your cards and win or lose Mana. Depending on the game, you play with a hidden partner, alone against three, or every player for themselves.

  • 4 players
  • Cards & Mana stones
  • Changing alliances
Four illustrated Arcanists around a circular table, with Relic cards and blue, turquoise and violet Mana stones
An illustrated glimpse into the Circle

  1. Choose the game

    During the Manifestation, your declarations determine the round objective, alliances and Mana at stake.

  2. Play your cards

    Read your opponents, choose when to play your strongest cards and pursue the round objective.

  3. Win or lose Mana

    Mana stones show your current total. After round scoring, your gains and losses carry into the next round.

First look · Concept presentation

The entire ritual. United in one box.

Four arcane houses, powerful relics and mana — your wager, your life force and the measure of every victory. This first presentation brings the intended world and components of Relics of the Arcane together for the first time.

  • 54 cards
  • 22 relics
  • 4 arcane houses
  • Mana stones
Relics of the Arcane box, rulebook, house cards, mana stones, counters and card deck
Concept presentation · Packaging, artwork and components may still change before production.

From Novice to Master

One game. One box.

Begin with the Novice Game. Discover the added possibilities of the Master Game when your group is ready. Your Relics of the Arcane box contains everything for both.

Both included in your box
The shared Relics of the Arcane box with its cards and Mana stones
Relics of the Arcane

One shared deck. Mana stones. Everything for your journey from Novice to Master.

Concept presentation · Components may change before production

The recommended starting point

Start tonight. Discover more with every game.

Secret alliances, shifting partnerships and daring lone challenges bring excitement to your very first game night. The rules are approachable, and every game reveals new possibilities: read your opponents, spot opportunities and win the decisive trick together.

  • Secret alliances
  • Two versus two or one versus three
  • Mana as wager and life force
  • Every round demands new decisions

For your first game night. And countless nights after.

Included in your Relics of the Arcane box

From the arcane archive

Eight relics revealed. Fourteen remain sealed.

Twenty-two illustrated relics form an unforgiving hierarchy. The archive has released only eight of them — enough to glimpse its power, but not enough to know every secret.

Artwork shown is from the current prototype and may still evolve before production.

Hover over a relic to reveal its archive entry. Click or tap to open it.

14 relics remain sealed

The rest of the archive is not ready to answer.

More names, ranks and forbidden stories will be revealed as the Kickstarter campaign approaches.

The four arcane houses

Four houses. Four traditions. One hierarchy each.

Every house contains eight cards. Meet its Archmage and Oracle — the remaining ranks stay hidden until the circle opens.

Two representative cards from each house are shown from the current prototype.

A first glimpse into every tradition

House of Flame

Impulse · Force · Appetite

House of Flame · Archmage
Archmage
House of Flame · Oracle
Oracle
6 more cards

House of Moon

Secrecy · Doubt · Foresight

House of Moon · Archmage
Archmage
House of Moon · Oracle
Oracle
6 more cards

House of Sun

Order · Pride · Revelation

House of Sun · Archmage
Archmage
House of Sun · Oracle
Oracle
6 more cards

House of Forest

Patience · Memory · Growth

House of Forest · Archmage
Archmage
House of Forest · Oracle
Oracle
6 more cards

Sandbox · Unofficial ideas

Game modes & new possibilities.

The full circle starts with four players and your choice of the Novice Game or Master Game. This Sandbox explores alternative ideas alongside those games.

Discover the Novice Game & Master Game
Private game nightSandbox · 18+

Play with money

Poker chips represent Mana, with a fixed money value agreed before play. A variant for a private circle of adults who want to put a monetary stake behind their Mana.

Mana, buy-ins & rebuys
Example: 100 Mana = €10

1 Mana = €0.10 · A chip worth 10 represents 10 Mana.

  • After a round is fully settled, a player with no Mana may buy back in before the next round.
  • The other players keep their current chips. Repeated rebuys use the same agreed exchange rate.
Unofficial variant in development. The standard game's end condition stays unchanged.
Two playersComing soon

The two-player variant

A dedicated way to bring Relics of the Arcane to a circle of two. Rules and details will follow.

Three playersComing soon

The three-player variant

One fewer seat, a new way to play. A dedicated three-player variant is planned; rules and details will follow.

Public eventsComing soon

ELO & organised play

A Sandbox concept for an ELO rating system at public events. Details of ratings, recorded results and participation will follow.

The Watcher, emblem of Relics of the Arcane

The circle is forming

Be there when the campaign awakens.

Join the launch list for the Kickstarter announcement, development milestones, playtest news and the first look at the final edition.

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Questions from beyond the circle

Before you enter

Your Relics of the Arcane box contains everything for both the Novice Game and the Master Game. Start with the approachable Novice Game, then explore the Master Game when your group wants more possibilities. Both offer a complete playing experience with the components in the same box.

No. Relics of the Arcane is a complete standalone game. Everyone plays from one shared deck; there are no booster packs or cards to collect.

Secret two-versus-two partnerships and daring one-versus-three declarations are central to the design. The current edition is built for four players. Under Game modes, two- and three-player ideas are presented as unofficial Sandbox concepts with a Coming soon status.

The launch date will be announced once the rules, blind playtests, production specifications and campaign plan are ready.