Lara Croft GO Beginner Tips - Turns, Traps, and Relics

Lara Croft GO is a Square Enix Montreal-developed turn-based puzzle spin-off of Tomb Raider. Current official PC/product pages list Crystal Dynamics as publisher, while mobile storefront listings on July 8, 2026 showed Deca/Deca Live as the current store operators.

This is not a mainline Tomb Raider action game, and it is not Hitman GO or Deus Ex GO with a different skin. Lara Croft GO uses the GO family’s board-like, turn-based puzzle structure, but its puzzle language is Tomb Raider: ruins, vertical paths, traps, wildlife, relics, torches, boulders, and careful exploration.

This guide is spoiler-light. It explains how to think through boards, enemies, hazards, collectibles, hints, and platform differences without giving exact puzzle solutions, relic locations, boss routes, chapter walkthroughs, or DLC/extra-chapter claims.

Difficulty caveat: the controls are simple, but the puzzles become increasingly challenging. Treat this as a calm logic game, not a reflex game.

Essential Tips

1. Think in Turns, Not Reactions

Every move gives the board a chance to answer.

Move Lara one step, then watch what changes. Enemies, traps, platforms, and hazards often matter because of what they do after Lara moves, not because they are fast.

2. Read the Path Before Swiping

The legal route is the connected board, not the scenery.

Look for the lines, steps, climbable edges, ledges, and spaces Lara can actually occupy. If a route looks cinematic but has no usable connection, it is probably background until a switch, pillar, or lever changes the board.

3. Let New Mechanics Teach You

A new enemy or object usually gets a simple introduction before it becomes dangerous.

When the game shows a new crack, saw, switch, creature, boulder, torch, or pillar, spend a few turns learning its rule. Lara Croft GO teaches through small board changes more than long tutorials.

4. Watch Enemy Facing and Movement

A creature’s danger is usually directional or turn-based.

Do not treat every enemy as a real-time threat. Some guard a space, some follow, some patrol, and some become useful if they hold a switch or step into a trap at the right time.

5. Use Hazards as Puzzle Pieces

A trap that can kill Lara can often solve the board too.

Saws, arrows, collapsing floors, boulders, and pressure plates are not only obstacles. Before avoiding a hazard completely, ask whether the board wants it to remove, block, trigger, or delay something.

6. Move Pillars With an Exit Plan

A useful platform can also trap your route.

Pillars and columns can change height, pathing, and enemy movement. Before pushing one, check whether Lara still has a way back, whether an enemy can still move, and whether the new position blocks a later connection.

7. Treat Fire and Tools as Board Control

One-use tools and torches are strongest when they change spacing.

If Lara can pick up a spear, light a torch, or trigger a device, do not spend it just because it is available. Count where Lara, the target, and the next safe space will be after the move.

8. Collect Relics After You Understand the Room

Hidden items are optional rewards, not the main route.

Relics, gems, vases, and outfit unlocks are worth checking for, but a collectible search can distract from the puzzle logic. First work out how the board functions, then decide whether to hunt for optional items.

9. Use Hints as Concept Checks

A hint is most useful after you know what you are confused about.

Before opening hints, name the blocker: enemy timing, pillar position, trap direction, path height, switch timing, or collectible access. That makes the hint easier to learn from and keeps the puzzle from becoming a route checklist.

10. Match Advice to Your Platform

Touch, PC, and console versions can feel different even when the puzzle idea is the same.

Mobile versions use swipe-to-move controls. Steam and PlayStation pages support PC/console versions, and gamepad controls can feel less direct than touch. If a prompt or hint does not match your screen, trust your current version.

How Turns Work

Board Element	What to Ask
Lara’s next node	What space does this move end on?
Enemy facing	Which space is unsafe after Lara moves?
Patrol movement	Where will the creature or saw be next turn?
Cracked floor	How many crossings can this tile survive?
Switch or lever	What changes right away, and what resets later?
Pillar or column	Does moving it create a path or block a return route?
Boulder or arrow	What line will it travel through?
Climbable edge	Does vertical movement change enemy timing?

The useful habit is to predict one turn ahead before each input. If your prediction is wrong, undo mentally, watch the animation, and update the rule you think the board is using.

Enemies and Hazards

Lara Croft GO is friendlier when you treat enemies as rules.

Threat	Spoiler-Light Read
Snakes	Check facing and adjacent spaces before stepping in
Lizards or salamanders	Expect pursuit or pressure-plate use once they are active
Spiders	Learn the patrol pattern before crossing their lane
Saws	Watch their path and tempo rather than rushing past
Cracked floors	Plan whether Lara or another moving piece should spend the break
Boulders	Trace the whole line before releasing or crossing
Arrows	Check what triggers the shot and what can block it
Large boss-style threats	Read attack timing as a board rule, not an action duel

Do not rush to destroy every creature. A living enemy can be a weight, blocker, trap trigger, timing tool, or moving wall. The key question is whether the board needs the enemy gone, moved, delayed, or preserved.

Relics, Outfits, and Hints

Relics and gems are optional side objectives tied to outfits or cosmetic rewards. They are worth collecting, but they should not change your first pass through a puzzle.

Goal	Practical Approach
Clear the room	Solve the board’s movement and hazard logic first
Find collectibles	Recheck vases, side spaces, visual hiding spots, and safe detours
Unlock outfits	Treat outfit rewards as cosmetic unless your current version proves otherwise
Use hints	Try to identify the missing mechanic before asking for the next step
Compare versions	Check whether hints/outfits are free, paid, included, or platform-specific

Steam’s store page says that version includes unlimited hints and all outfits for free. Google Play and App Store wording around hints, outfits, and in-app purchases differs, so do not assume every platform handles them the same way.

Platform Notes

These are dated storefront notes, not permanent buying advice.

Platform / Store	Checked Note
Tomb Raider official page	As checked July 8, 2026, links PlayStation, Steam, Google Play, and Apple Store
Steam	As checked July 8, 2026, live PC listing with Windows, macOS, Linux requirements, achievements, Steam Cloud, and add-to-cart controls
Google Play	As checked July 8, 2026, Android listing by Deca Games with Play Pass, paid buy button, Feb. 26, 2026 update date, and Everyone 10+ rating
App Store	As checked July 8, 2026, iPhone/iPad/Apple TV listing by Deca Live Operations GmbH with age 9+ rating
PlayStation Store US	As checked July 8, 2026, PS4 product page by Crystal Dynamics with add-to-cart controls
PS Vita	Check current entitlement and download behavior before planning a Vita playthrough

The guide advice above should work across versions because it focuses on puzzle logic. Availability, prices, hints, outfits, extra chapters, achievements, and exact controls need a fresh check on the platform you are using.

Stuck Puzzle Routine

1. Stop inputting moves - Look at the whole board before swiping again.
2. Name every active rule - Enemy facing, patrol route, switch result, cracked floor, pillar movement, and trap trigger.
3. Predict one turn - Choose one move and say what Lara, enemies, and hazards will do afterward.
4. Check whether an enemy is useful - It may need to stand on something, block something, or be removed by a trap.
5. Reset the pillar or switch plan - If a moved object trapped Lara, rebuild the route from a neutral position.
6. Separate clearing from collecting - Finish the board logic first, then come back for optional relics.
7. Use a hint for the concept - Prefer a clue about timing or pathing over a full step-by-step route.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Do not chain swipes without watching the board - You can miss an enemy move, trap cycle, or collapsing tile.

2. Do not step into a creature’s controlled space - Check facing, patrol direction, and the next turn before moving.

3. Do not kill every enemy immediately - A creature may be needed for a switch, trap, block, or timing setup.

4. Do not push pillars just because arrows appear - Check where Lara can stand after the pillar moves.

5. Do not cross cracked floors casually - A tile that breaks later can be a route, trap, or one-time resource.

6. Do not chase every collectible before solving the room - Hidden relics are easier to inspect after you understand the safe path.

7. Do not play it like a real-time Tomb Raider level - Lara Croft GO rewards turn planning over quick reactions.

Summary

Category	Top Tip
Main Skill	Predict one turn before every move
Movement	Follow connected nodes, steps, and climbable edges
Enemies	Treat each creature as a movement rule
Hazards	Use traps and boulders as tools, not only threats
Collectibles	Solve first, then search for optional relics
Hints	Ask for help after naming the missing mechanic
Versions	Check storefront, hints, outfits, and controls by platform