Hey there, fellow achievement hunters! So you’ve been playing Relic Guardian and realized there’s a ton of hidden stuff scattered across every level, right? Look, I get it – you’re not trying to spend hours clicking every random tree and rock hoping something happens. That’s exactly why I put this guide together after spending way too many late nights hunting down every secret myself.
Before We Dive In: What You’re Actually Looking For
The devs absolutely stuffed this game with secrets, and honestly? It’s kind of ridiculous how much they hid. We’re talking Easter eggs, pop culture references, and hidden achievements everywhere. Sometimes you’ll find stuff that makes you go “wait, is that a Dark Souls reference?” and yeah, it probably is.
Here’s what you’ll be hunting:
- Achievement spots – Usually marked by something that looks… off. Like, you know when something just doesn’t fit? That’s your cue.
- Money secrets – Because who doesn’t want free coins? I’m always broke in tower defense games, so these are clutch.
- Interactive objects – Honestly, if it looks even slightly weird, click it. I’ve learned this the hard way.
Alright, let’s get into it!
Chapter 1: Getting Your Feet Wet
Level 1-1: The Basics (Or, Click Everything You See)
Right off the bat, the game teaches you its most important lesson: click everything. Like, literally everything. See that ball and chain just chilling in the lake? Yeah, click it. Boom – 50 coins and your first achievement, “Give Me a Reward.” The game’s already making fun of you, and we’re only on level one.
But here’s the cool part that I almost missed: there’s this little blue wisp floating around the tree on the left. It’s super easy to miss if you’re focused on the action, but catching it gets you the “Wisp on the Tree” achievement. Also, do yourself a favor and annoy those platypus bears in the bottom right. I won’t spoil it, but you won’t regret it. Trust me on this one.
Level 1-2: Things Get Weird Fast
Okay, this is where the game really shows its personality. First up, there’s a portal – click it and high-five the hand that pops out. If you’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll know exactly what this references. Dark Urge players, we see you, and we’re judging you (affectionately).
Now about those sheep… they explode. Yeah, you read that right. It’s as weird as it sounds. Click them until they go boom – most of them just give you a few coins. But one of them? One of them is evil, and when you explode that particular sheep, you get the “Sheep are Demons” achievement plus a nasty surprise enemy spawns. So maybe have your defenses ready before you start your sheep genocide.
Pro tip: There’s a frog that shoots lasers when you click it. Yes, really. It’s the “Shoop da whoop” meme, and it never gets old. Also, that mermaid isn’t quite what you’d expect. Click her if you dare – I laughed way too hard at this one.
Level 1-3: Easy Money (Finally!)
This one’s pretty straightforward, which is nice after the chaos of 1-2. See that rock in the top middle pond? Click it. Then keep clicking. You’ll rack up 150 coins and snag the “Ancient Technology” achievement. I appreciate when games just give you free money without making you work too hard for it.
The frog in the bottom right also coughs up 10 coins if you’re patient enough to click it a few times. It’s not much, but hey, every bit helps.
Level 1-4: Stone Collecting (No Achievements, But Still Cool)
No achievements here, which is honestly a relief after all that clicking. But there’s this really cool mechanic – you can collect all three stones and toss them in the pond circles to wake up a statue that absolutely wrecks enemies. Like, this thing hits HARD.
The third stone is hidden in the bottom pillar, but you gotta wait for the miner chickens to dig it out. Yeah, miner chickens. This game is something else.
Level 1-5: Embrace the Flame
Dark Souls and Elden Ring fans, this one’s specifically for you. Click that tree on the overpass and give in to the frenzied flame for the “Ashen One” achievement. May chaos take the world! I felt way too pleased with myself when I got this one.
Oh, and you can spend coins to summon a giant barbarian from those villages. He’s pretty useful if you’re struggling.
Chapter 2: Industrial Secrets
Level 2-1: Creepy Clown Vibes (Thanks, I Hate It)
Remember the movie IT? Well, there’s a paper boat floating around, and when I first saw it, I was like “oh no, they didn’t…” But they did. Click it, pop the red balloon, and get the “You’ll Float Too” achievement along with some cash. Pennywise would be proud. I’m just mildly traumatized.
Heads up: Those goblins on the right? They’re sleeping. Don’t wake them unless you’re ready for a fight. I learned this the hard way on my first playthrough, and it did NOT go well.
Level 2-2: Time Travel Madness (This Level Is PACKED)
Okay, buckle up because this level has like three different achievements. First, plug that leak with the traffic cone for 50 coins and the “Traffic Cone” achievement. Simple enough.
But the real gem here is the time machine. Click it, then spam-click Okabe – he’s from Steins;Gate, which is an amazing anime if you haven’t seen it. Keep clicking until Makise and Mayuri show up with him. That’s your “Perfect Timeline” achievement right there, and honestly, it made me want to rewatch the series.
Oh, and here’s the dark one: watch the left channel throughout the battle. When you spot a goblin baby floating down in a cradle, click it for “The Legend Cut Short.” Is it messed up? Yeah, kinda. But the game literally says “the only good goblin is a dead goblin,” so apparently we’re going full Goblin Slayer here.
Level 2-3: Teleportation Mishaps (TF2 Reference!)
Click that toaster handle and watch the magic happen. Each time the toast bounces between the slots, you get 20 coins. Do this enough times and you’ll discover why teleporting bread is a terrible, terrible idea. If you’ve played Team Fortress 2, you’ll get it immediately. The “Breadman” achievement is yours, along with a fun little callback.
Level 2-4: Rest Stop
Simple one here – just sit on the bench. That’s literally it. “Short Break” achievement unlocked. This is almost definitely a Hollow Knight reference for all you indie game fans out there. Sometimes it’s nice when a game just lets you rest, you know?
Level 2-5: Mysterious Symbols
Click those weird red symbols scattered around to change them. Easy “Strange Marks” achievement. After all the complexity of 2-2, I appreciated having a straightforward one again.
Chapter 3: Digging for Treasure
Important: Every single level in Chapter 3 has a dig spot marked with an X. You need to find all five to unlock the “Digging Master” achievement. Each one has 200 coins too, so it’s definitely worth your time. I almost missed the one in 3-3 because it was hidden behind the UI, so keep your eyes peeled.
Level 3-1: Beach Day
Dig up that treasure spot first thing – you don’t want to forget it during the chaos. Then mess around with the clams. The big one has a singing pearl that will either soothe your soul or drive you absolutely insane. There’s no in-between. I personally found it hilarious, but my roommate made me mute it after like 30 seconds.
You also get activated abilities starting here, which is a nice power boost.
Level 3-2: Don’t Starve Reference
After finding your treasure (seriously, don’t forget to dig), click that skeleton multiple times. It’s from Don’t Starve, and honestly, interacting with it gets you 50 coins plus the “Predecessor” achievement. Nice little tribute to another great indie game.
You also unlock a sniper shot ability here, which is super satisfying to use.
Level 3-3: The Forbidden Button (You Know You’re Gonna Press It)
Find your treasure first – and I’m warning you now, it’s hidden behind the abilities panel on the right. I spent like five minutes looking for it before I realized.
Then wait until round 8. A button will appear with one simple instruction: “Do Not Press This Button.”
Obviously, you’re going to press it. We all know you’re going to press it. I pressed it immediately. But FIRST, move your best towers to those spots covered in warning signs, or you’re gonna have a bad time. The button does… something. Something chaotic. You’ll see.
Level 3-4: The Cruelest Achievement (I’m So Sorry, Little Tomato)
Grab your treasure, then spot the tomato at the bottom of the stairs. Click it and watch this little guy slowly, painfully slowly climb up those stairs. It takes about 2 minutes even at 2x speed. When it finally reaches the top, click it again for 50 coins and the “Sisyphmato” achievement.
You’ll feel like a monster. I felt like a monster. We’re all monsters. The achievement description even calls you out for it.
Level 3-5: Egg Hunt
Final treasure dig for the “Digging Master” achievement! Also, free that tied-up hostage – he deserves better. And click those eggs. The small ones give 10 coins each, which is nice. The green one? That hatches Meruem from Hunter x Hunter. Yeah, this game goes DEEP with its anime references, and I’m here for it.
Chapter 4: Mushroom Mania
Chapter-wide quest: There’s a hidden mushroom on every single level in Chapter 4. Find all five for the “Annoying Mushroom” achievement. They’re sneaky, but I’ll point them out. The achievement name is accurate, by the way – these things are annoying to find.
Level 4-1: Tower Defense Classic
- Hidden mushroom: That weird big-nosed tree in the top left. Yeah, THAT one.
- Click mushrooms floating across the top for “Mushroom Isle” and some coins
- Keep knocking on that door until someone gives you a mushroom. It takes three tries, and the person inside gets progressively more annoyed, which is pretty funny.
- The “Balloon” achievement happens automatically – it’s a Bloons TD reference! The dart monkey even looks similar.
Mushroom recipes are your best friend here. Mix and match colors for different effects:
- Red + Red = Become Mongo Fran and crush enemies with your giant bouncing head. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, and I love it.
- Yellow + Yellow = Turn enemies into immobile mushrooms. They still need to be killed though, which caught me off guard the first time.
- Blue + Blue = Freeze form activated. You zoom around freezing everything.
- Red + Yellow = Summon soldier mushrooms. They’re actually pretty helpful!
Level 4-2: Sword in the Stone
- Hidden mushroom: Check the top middle tower spot. Something’s not quite right there.
- Pull the sword from the stone for the “Novice Sword” achievement. It costs 6 HP, which sucks, but it’s totally worth it for that King Arthur/Master Sword reference. Plus you get a cool attack ability.
Level 4-3: Kingdom Rush Cameo
- Hidden mushroom: The summoning circle gargoyle has a suspiciously large nose. I wonder what that could mean? 🤔
- Click the guy in the tower for “Vacation” – he’s actually Vez’nan, the main villain from Kingdom Rush! Nice to see him taking it easy for once instead of trying to conquer the kingdom.
Level 4-4: Plants vs. Zombies Throwback
- Hidden mushroom: There’s a strange symbol at the top of the UI that definitely wasn’t there before
- Click the sunflowers for the “Plants vs. Zombies” achievement. Made me nostalgic for playing PvZ back in the day, not gonna lie.
Level 4-5: The Final Mushroom
- Hidden mushroom: Your Pani looks… different. That’s not your Pani. THAT’S THE MUSHROOM. Click it!
- If you found all the previous mushrooms, congrats! Achievement unlocked! If not… well, time to replay some levels.
Make the most of those mushroom potions here – you’re gonna need them.
Chapter 5: The Final Stretch
Level 5-1: Pentagram Party (Just Keep Clicking)
Okay, see that pentagram? Keep clicking it. Like, just keep going. Don’t stop. You’ll think “surely that’s enough,” but no, keep clicking. You’ll eventually get:
- 120 coins total
- FIVE different achievements (Piggy Bank, Sword of Mourne, Light and Darkness, Ominous Egg, Old Friend)
- A special visitor who may or may not be Satan. Or Santa. The jury’s still out.
Also, spam-click that purple orb for 50 coins and the “Elixir” achievement. Clash of Clans fans will appreciate this one – I immediately recognized it and got way too excited.
For “Off Work,” you need to use the angel statue to charge skill 4, then use the skill, recharge it at the statue again, and repeat this process multiple times. It’s a bit grindy, but hey, achievement!
Level 5-2: Cat-astrophic Events (See What I Did There?)
Click that food bowl in the cat symbol at the bottom of the screen. This summons a “totally normal” cat. Just a regular cat. Nothing special about this cat at all. Definitely has nothing to do with the massive meteor swarm that coincidentally starts raining down immediately after. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Also, watch the fishing girl in the bottom right. She’s just vibing, fishing throughout the level. Click her when she hooks something. Do this four times for “Fishing Failed.” The fourth catch is… well, you’ll see. It’s worth it for the achievement, but there’s definitely a cost.
Campaign Progress: Just Keep Playing (You Got This!)
These unlock naturally as you beat the game, so don’t stress about them:
- Journey Begins (finish the tutorial)
- Forest Friend (beat Chapter 1)
- Arena Champion (beat Chapter 2)
- Mutations, Explosions and Countdown (beat Chapter 3)
- Queen and Knight (beat Chapter 4)
- Witch Hunter (beat Chapter 5)
- Golden Brave One (complete Challenge Mode on ALL levels – good luck, you’re gonna need it)
Look, Relic Guardian is absolutely packed with personality, and honestly? It’s one of the most fun tower defense games I’ve played in a while. The devs clearly had a blast hiding references to everything from Dark Souls to Plants vs. Zombies, Don’t Starve to Hunter x Hunter, Steins;Gate to Team Fortress 2. Half the fun is clicking random stuff and seeing what happens. The other half is actually, you know, defending the relics.
Did I miss anything? Found a secret I didn’t cover? Drop a comment below – I’m always updating these guides when people find new stuff. I love this community, and honestly, sometimes you guys spot things I completely missed.
Now get out there and click everything. And I mean everything. That weird bush? Click it. That random stone? Click it. That innocent-looking sheep? Well… maybe have your towers ready first.
