Guides / Dark Tower: Idle Villain TD

Dark Tower Dark Lab and Relics: Best Research and All 12 Relics

ONI Games · Published October 3, 2026

How to use the Dark Lab and the relics in Dark Tower: Idle Villain TD: all 12 research topics with their effect, gold cost and time, which to research first, and all 12 relics with their rarity, chest odds, copies per level and bonus at every level.

The Dark Lab and the relics are the two long-term systems of Dark Tower: Idle Villain TD. The Lab, open from wave 10, researches one permanent bonus at a time for gold and real time, from five minutes to a day, and keeps working while the game is closed. Relics, open from wave 20, come from chests that cost 30 gems: 12 relics in four rarities, each raised to level 5 by finding copies.

We make Dark Tower, so every number in this guide comes from the game's code.

How the Dark Lab works

One research at a time, paid in gold. Each level costs more and takes longer than the last, capped at 24 hours.
It runs while you are away, so start one before you close the game.
Speed-ups: an optional video takes 30 minutes off; gems finish it at once, about 7 gems for 5 minutes left, 24 for an hour and 114 for a full day.

All 12 research topics

Research	Per level	Max level	At max	First level	Last level takes
Dark Might	Damage +4%	25	+100%	300 gold, 5 min	24 h
Swift Malice	Attack speed +2%	20	+40%	350 gold, 6 min	24 h
Obsidian Walls	Health +5%	25	+125%	300 gold, 5 min	24 h
Soul Hunger	Soul orbs +5%	20	+100%	400 gold, 7 min	24 h
Blood Tithe	Gold +5%	20	+100%	450 gold, 7 min	24 h
Idle Vault	Idle time +1 h, idle gold +10%	8	+8 h, +80%	800 gold, 15 min	22 h
Arcane Focus	Spell cooldown -4%	10	-40%	1,000 gold, 15 min	17 h
Spell Lore	Spell damage +12%	10	+120%	1,000 gold, 15 min	17 h
Dark Insight	1 free Dark Card reroll per battle	3	3 rerolls	3,000 gold, 1 h	16 h
Head Start	Start-wave soul orbs +10%	5	+50%	2,000 gold, 30 min	12 h
Auto-Cast	Spells cast themselves (AUTO)	1	AUTO	20,000 gold, 4 h	4 h
Energy Reserve	Keeps 10% of your Dark Energy for the next battle	5	50%	1,500 gold, 20 min	5 h

What to research first

Idle Vault, level 1 or 2. A longer vault pays every time you come back.
Dark Might and Obsidian Walls: their first levels take minutes and raise everything.
Dark Insight: a free reroll per battle makes the Dark Draw far better.
Auto-Cast once you can spare 20,000 gold, so your spells fire even when you are not watching.
Then the long ones (Dark Might, Swift Malice, Obsidian Walls) overnight, when a long research costs you nothing.

How relics work

Open a relic chest in the Relics window or the shop for 30 gems; day 7 of the login calendar gives one free, and the starter pack holds one. Each chest first rolls a rarity, then a relic of that rarity that is not yet at level 5:

Rarity	Chance per chest	Relics
Common	60%	5
Rare	28%	4
Epic	10%	2
Legendary	2%	1

Your first copy gives level 1. After that, a relic needs 2, 3, 4 and 5 more copies for levels 2 to 5: 15 copies in all. Once every relic is at level 5, a chest gives your gems back.

All 12 relics

Relic	Rarity	Per level	At level 5
Bone Talisman	Common	Damage +3%	+15%
Crown of Thorns	Common	Health +4%	+20%
Soul Lantern	Common	Soul orbs +4%	+20%
Cursed Coin	Common	Gold +5%	+25%
Raven Feather	Common	Attack speed +2%	+10%
Frost Heart	Rare	All enemies 3% slower	15% slower
Storm Eye	Rare	Critical chance +2%, critical damage +10%	+10%, +50%
Blood Chalice	Rare	Heal 0.5% of the damage you deal	2.5%
Hourglass of Ages	Rare	Idle time +30 min, idle gold +8%	+2.5 h, +40%
Demon Horn	Epic	Damage to bosses +8%, spell damage +6%	+40%, +30%
Lich Phylactery	Epic	1 free reroll per battle, and +3% damage per level after the first	1 reroll, +12%
Heart of the Abyss	Legendary	Every battle starts with random Dark Cards	1 at levels 1-2, 2 at 3-4, 3 at 5

Relic bonuses multiply with the Lab's: Dark Might and Bone Talisman together give 2 x 1.15, 2.3 times the damage, at their maximum.

Dark Lab and relics FAQ

When does the Dark Lab unlock?

At wave 10. Relics unlock at wave 20.

What is the best relic in Dark Tower?

Heart of the Abyss, the only legendary: up to three free Dark Cards at the start of every battle. Among the easier ones, Bone Talisman and Storm Eye add the most damage.