The relic decryption in Mass Effect: Andromeda is puzzling. However, the solution is almost always simple.
The Mass Effect series has always been known for its small mini-games. Sometimes you had to hack doors, then scan planets, or earn money playing slot machines.
In Mass Effect: Andromeda, there are only a few mini-games, but they do require a bit of brain power. Many players struggle with the relic decryption, which is basically simple if you understand the system. It’s really nothing more than Sudoku, which you might already know from puzzle books (that every mother and grandmother has at home).
Important: Wild experimenting without thinking leads to failure. Almost always, there is a particularly valuable treasure behind the relic decryption with many weapons or resources. Those who fail either cause many enemies to appear or can block the respective treasure completely.
How does relic decryption work?
The puzzle field consists of 4×4 squares (16 fields), in which one of four glyphs must be placed in each. The puzzle is considered solved if no glyph appears more than once in any horizontal line, vertical line, or smaller 2×2 square. That’s really the only rule: No glyph may appear twice in any box or in any row or column.
The start of the puzzle is the most important, because once the first field is filled correctly, the rest comes almost by itself. Look for a row, column, or 2×2 square where 3 out of 4 glyphs are already present. If that’s the case, the solution is simple: The last empty spot in that area is for the glyph that hasn’t been used yet.
It’s a bit more difficult when only 2 glyphs are already set in an area. Then you must also pay attention to the surrounding fields and consider whether one of the two free spots has already been logically excluded. Can you place a glyph in a 2×2 square that already appears in the same row or column? Then it’s definitely the wrong one – leaving only one candidate.
Later in the game, there are some larger puzzles, but they follow the same principle.
One last tip: If you don’t feel like “guessing” the puzzle, you can simply skip the entire gameplay mechanic. There is an item called “Remnant Decryption Key” at some merchants and in chests. This can be used in corresponding Remnant relic decryptions to solve the puzzle directly. It couldn’t be easier.
We also have a guide for crafting in Mass Effect: Andromeda.
