Game Guides

How to start playing

Lara Croft: Relic Run is a free-to-play runner for Android and iOS. Lara runs forward automatically; your job is to steer her around obstacles, shoot during combat sections and collect what the route offers. The first Jungle Temple levels act as a tutorial, introducing one idea at a time: lane changes, jumps, slides, wall runs and then shooting.

Treat the first few levels as practice rather than a race. The campaign map keeps track of what you have cleared, so there is no penalty for replaying a level to get comfortable. Once the basics feel natural, read the full Beginner's Guide for a structured plan through your first 20 levels.

Understanding the controls

Everything is done with swipes and taps on the touch screen:

• Swipe up to jump over low obstacles, gaps and floor traps.
• Swipe down to slide under beams, overhangs and high traps.
• Swipe left or right to move between lanes and to take turns where the path bends.
• Swipe toward a wall to start a wall run. From the middle lane this takes two swipes; from the outer lane on that side, one.
• Tap enemies, projectiles and crates during combat sections to shoot them. The Dual SMGs also support tap-and-hold.

Short, firm flicks in a clear direction tend to register more reliably than slow drags. If Lara does something you did not intend, the usual cause is a diagonal swipe that the game read as the wrong direction.

Movement basics

Most of the run happens on a three-lane path. The middle lane gives you the most options because you can dodge either way, so return to it after a dodge unless the route clearly needs a side. Parkour moves such as wall runs, swings and leaps are triggered contextually by your swipes when the environment allows them.

Some parkour moves open secret paths. Each region has an achievement for finding one, which confirms they are a real part of the level design. Our secrets guide covers how to spot them.

Running and survival

Hitting a deadly obstacle ends the run unless you spend a Resurrection Ankh, which continues from a checkpoint. Minor collisions make Lara stumble instead, which costs time and control; the Steel Toe Inserts gear item shortens stumbles. As a run continues, obstacles and traps become more frequent and harder, so long runs reward consistent habits over flashy play.

The three habits that matter most are looking further ahead, making one clean input per obstacle and resetting to the middle lane. The Obstacles & Survival guide expands each one.

Avoiding obstacles

Community documentation lists swinging beams, floor spikes, spike walls, rolling balls and sawblades as the core trap types, and each region adds its own hazards: pendulums in the Jungle Temple, smashable pottery, windows and doors in the Desert Ruins, and icicles, large bells and ice barriers in the Mountain Pass.

Ask one question per trap: over, under or around? Low traps are jumped, high traps are slid under and anything filling a lane is sidestepped. Swinging traps add a timing element: commit when the gap opens, not when you first see the trap.

Collecting rewards

Coins appear in lines along the route and are the main currency for gear, weapons and upgrades. Power-ups appear on the route too, including the Coin Magnet, Score Multiplier and Clue Booster. Coin crates in combat pay out extra coins. Gems are the premium currency; you can earn them from achievements and other in-game rewards.

Never risk a run for a single coin line. A coin that requires a lane change into an unknown obstacle is not worth the run. The Coin Magnet and Coin Trails upgrades raise income safely.

Understanding relics

Relics are collected on even-numbered campaign levels. Clues scattered along the route fill a meter in the top-left corner; when it is full, a Relic appears, and collecting it completes the level. Each region contains 20 relics, and relics unlock pages of Lara's journal that tell the story. See the relic guide for the full list and a progress checklist.

Using weapons

Lara always carries her Dual Pistols, which have unlimited ammo. You can also equip a secondary weapon: the Crossbow, Shotgun, Dual SMGs, Assault Rifle, Grenade Launcher or Minigun. Secondary weapons deal more damage but use limited ammunition. Each weapon can be upgraded through ten levels. The weapon guide explains each one in detail.

Combat basics

In combat sections Lara keeps running, but you don't need to dodge obstacles; instead, you tap to shoot. Enemies throw projectiles, and you can shoot those out of the air. A health bar appears only during combat; if it empties, the run ends. Kevlar Vests absorb damage, and a Medipack heals 50% when Lara is about to fall in combat.

1. Shoot incoming projectiles before they reach Lara.
2. Shoot explosive barrels when enemies are near them.
3. Focus fire on one enemy at a time instead of spreading taps around.
4. Collect health or ammo from crates when it is safe.

Game progression

The campaign has 120 levels: 40 in the Jungle Temple, 40 in the Desert Ruins and 40 in the Mountain Pass. Odd-numbered levels give you objectives and a star rating; even-numbered levels are relic hunts. Store items unlock as you progress, and a 2016 update made it possible to unlock items earlier than their original level requirement. An endless mode is available for high-score runs. The walkthroughs cover each region.

Upgrades explained

There are three kinds of things to spend on: permanent upgrades (Clue Booster, Coin Magnet, Powerups, Coin Trails, Ammo Cache), weapon and outfit levels, and consumables such as Resurrection Ankhs, Head Starts, Kevlar Vests, Extra Clips and Medipacks. Permanent upgrades help every future run; consumables help one run. Our upgrade guide explains each item and a sensible order.

Common beginner mistakes

1. Watching Lara instead of the path ahead. By the time a trap is next to her, it is too late.
2. Double swiping. Two quick swipes move two lanes, often into the obstacle you were avoiding.
3. Chasing every coin. Coins are plentiful; runs are not.
4. Shooting enemies while projectiles fly in. Clear the threat to Lara first.
5. Spending Ankhs on bad runs. Save them for relic levels with a nearly full meter.
6. Upgrading everything a little. Focused upgrades help sooner.
7. Ignoring the secondary weapon. The pistols alone make bosses long and risky.
8. Skipping objective text. Odd levels have specific goals; read them before starting.
9. Playing tired. Mistakes cluster when focus drops; stop after a string of early deaths.
10. Forgetting there is no cloud save. The Play listing says Cloud Save is not supported; check the publisher's FAQ before changing devices.

Advanced gameplay advice

Once you can finish levels reliably, start optimising. Plan each run around one goal, such as a relic, an objective star, an achievement or a distance record, instead of trying to do everything at once. Match your outfit to that goal: Bomber Pilot for relic levels, Biker for vehicle-heavy scoring, Stealth Suit for combat-heavy runs and an upgraded Standard outfit for base score. Learn which secondary weapon fits each boss, and keep a small stock of Ankhs for the runs that matter.

Continue with the advanced tips, the boss guides and the achievement strategies.