How to get all artifacts in Risk of Rain Returns

Artifacts are very important items you’ll want to find in Risk of Rain Returns. They offer unique effects that change aspects of your campaign when activated. But how can you find every artifact available?

What do artifacts do in Risk of Rain Returns?

There is a screenshot of the player facing many enemies in Risk of Rain Returned. — Battling groups of enemies with artifacts makes the game interesting. Image via Hopoo Games

Completing Risk of Rain Returns will require you to find every artifact scattered throughout each stage. There is a total of 14 artifacts for you to find, with ten of them from the original Risk of Rain and four newly added artifacts for the current release. Each artifact has its own unique effect that can offer you a giant boost, or significantly handicap your playthrough.

Here is every artifact and the effect you gain from activating it.

Artifact	Effect
Cognition	Generate a clone after eliminating an enemy; disappears after a short time.
Distorition	Disables a random skill every minute and reduces skill cooldown times.
Enigma	Gain randomly changing equipment when activating this artifact each time.
Dissonance	Monsters can spawn in different locations than normal.
Honor	All enemies turn into Elites.
Glass	Damage dealt is boosted by 500 percent but your health points are reduced to 10 percent.
Kin	Every map will have only one type of enemy.
Sacrifice	Monsters will drop items when defeated, no chests will appear.
Spite	Enemies explode when they are defeated.
Spirit	All characters gain increased speed when their health is low.
Prestige	Every stage now has one Shrine of the Mountain, its effects become permanent.
Tempus	All items will work temporarily with their effects stacked, which happens when an artifact is activated.
Origin	Purple Imps and Imp Vanguards appear from a portal every ten minutes of game time.

Where to find every artifact in Risk of Rain Returns

You’ll have to locate artifacts in different stages if you want to use their effects in Risk of Rain Returns. The positive effects from artifacts will be a great asset to your character’s growth.

Each artifact has a specific spot in a given stage where it appears. This will not change at all, even in new runs. If you know where to look, you can be fast enough to claim them and really put their abilities to good use.

Not every artifact will be easy to pick up, however, since there will be obstacles along the way. These are the locations where you’ll find each artifact and how to get them.

Artifact of Cognation – Desolate Forest

There is a shot of the player fighting a stronger enemy in a hidden location. — Battling an enemy for an artifact. Screenshot by Dot Esports

You just need to defeat the boss that is within a hidden room in the Desolate Forest stage. You can find the hidden room by spotting a vine peeking up from the ground.

Artifact of Command – Hive Cluster

There is a shot of the player grabbing an artifact in a high area with ropes nearby. — Grabbing an artifact at a high point. Screenshot by Dot Esports

On the upper right side of the Hive Cluster map, go across a gap where there are ropes. You’ll find the artifact there up top.

Artifact of Dissonance

In order to gain this artifact, you’ll have to gather four artifact shards in different stages. The shards can be found in the following locations.

Ancient Valley: At the top of the mountain.
Sunken Tombs: Bottom-left corner of the map.
Magma Barrack: In a pathway at the top of the stage.
Hive Cluster: Near the center of the stage, top platform row.

Artifact of Distortion – Damp Caverns

There is a shot of the player finding an artifact on a platform that is floating in a dark area. — Getting the Artifact of Distortion. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Artifact of Distortion is located on the upper right side of the Damp Caverns map.

Artifact of Enigma – Sunken Tomb

Leaping to another artifact that was hidden. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Artifact of Enigma can be found within a pit in the southeast section of the Sunken Tomb stage.

Artifact of Glass – Frozen Tundra

There is a shot of the player falling into a cavern with an artifact on the altar. — Falling onto an artifact. Screenshot by Dot Esports

This artifact can be located on the far-left section of the Frozen Tundra stage. You can find a cave at the top of the mountain, which will have the artifact inside.

Artifact of Honor – Desolate Forest

There is a shot of the player ascending some cliffs towards an artifact. — Locating the Artifact of Honor. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Artifact of Honor can be found in a tunnel on the western part of the Desolate Forest map. I recommend bringing a high jump ability and jetpack to reach as it’s pretty high up and tough to reach.

Artifact of Kin – Dried Lake

There is a shot of a the player finding an artifact in a cavern-like area. — Finding the Artifact of Kin. Screenshot by Dot Esports

You can find the Artifact of Kin in a broken wall in the Dried Lake stage. Once you do, break the wall and jump down, and you’ll find the artifact.

Artifact of Origin – Final

Grabbing the artifact after defeating the final boss. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To gain this artifact, you need to complete a solo or multiplayer playthrough of the game at least once. You need to defeat the final boss in order to gain the artifact, which is found one level below.

Artifact of Prestige – Providence Challenge

There is a shot of the game's trails that must be completed. — Completing the trials. Image via Hopoo Games

Get 15 gold crowns during the Providence Trails to obtain the Artifact of Prestige.

Artifact of Sacrifice – Magma Barracks

There is a shot of the player finding the artifact on the altar. — Discovering an artifact. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Find the three hidden buttons behind thin walls and activate them on the Magma Barracks stage to earn the Artifact of Sacrifice. The artifact will appear on the altar on the left side of the stage. It can be done using a character with piercing abilities.

Artifact of Spite – Sky Meadow

The player finding the Artifact of Spite in Sky Meadow. — Running to an artifact for the taking. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Artifact of Spite can be found within a hole in the bottom section of the Sky Meadow stage. It’ll be found at the end of a series of jump obstacles.

Artifact of Spirit – Temple Ruins

There is a shot of the player jumping to an artifact that appears. — Making it in time for an artifact. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Artifact of Spirit can be found on a hidden platform on the right side of the Temple Ruins stage. After descending a ledge, you’ll have to jump across some platforms to find the artifact.

Artifact of Tempus – Temple of the Elders

There is a shot of the player fighting smaller enemies after picking up an artifact in the area. — Fighting enemies after getting an artifact. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Find the temple within the Temple of the Elders in less than 15 minutes from when you start to obtain the Artifact of Tempus. It will appear in the center of the area if you reach the location in time.