Risk of Rain Returns is a remake of the original game, with several unique twists added to it that many players might find familiar from having played Risk of Rain 2. One of these features is the addition of artifacts and trying to unlock them.
These artifacts are tricky to track down, and they do require some unique gameplay mechanics for you to work through to get them. Not every character in the Risk of Rain Returns roster can get them but with specific item drops, they can become much easier. Here’s what you need to know about how to unlock all Artifacts in Risk of Rain Returns.
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Where To Find All Artifacts in Risk of Rain Returns
The Artifacts are unique unlocks you can find while exploring the Risk of Rain Returns maps. There are 14 for you to unlock, and I took a lot of time working through these unlocks. They will appear at specific locations on a biome, but how you get to them will vary. I did find that you can use different characters to unlock them, which also means working your way through the main Risk of Rain Returns playthrough and beating the game a few times.
These are all of the Artifacts you can find in Risk of Rain Returns and how you unlock them.
| Risk of Rain Returns Artifact | How to Get Artifact |
|---|---|
| Command | This artifact appears in the Hive Cluster map of your Risk of Rain Returns map. Make your way to the right side of the map, and there will be several ropes leading you to a pathway, further on to the right. You’ll need to cross this huge gap to reach it. |
| Distortion | For this Artifact, you’ll need to track it down in the Damp Caverns location. Like the Command one, make your way to the top right of the map, and be on the lookout for several platforms. There should be three platforms with a notable “teleporter-like” structure. This is where the Artifact. You can only reach these platforms if you have any items that increase your character’s jump range, or if you have a character with a higher-than-normal jump, such as the Pilot. When you reach these platforms, look for a grey box, and use an ability to activate it, summoning the Distortion Artifact. |
| Enigma | You will find the Engima Artifact on the Sunken Tomb map. For this map, head down to the bottom right portion, and you want to be on the lookout for a pit that, normally, would have you die and then revive you back on the map. For this pit, instead, you’ll fall down and then it’ll shoot you back up. You want to do this and move towards an open area that will take you to the Artifact. |
| Glass | This is an Artifact you can find on the Frozen Tundra map. You want to scale the large mountain on either side of the map and look for a small alcove that you can walk through. This will lead you to a cave where you will need to track down several buttons, and the final one is the most difficult to hit, requiring you to have a better-than-average jump to reach it, spawning the Glass Artifact. |
| Honor | The Honor Artifact will appear on the Desolate Forest map in Risk of Rain Returns. It will be stuck behind a large layer of the map, but you can reach it by going underneath it, and entering through a small mountainside. The exact layout of this map will vary, but you will need a character that has a high jump, and several items to aid in their leaps, such as the Hopoo Feather or the Jetpack. |
| Kin | You can find the Kin Artifact while exploring the Dried Lake map. You will need to travel on the map and look for the side walls on the edge of it, where a partially broken part of the wall is on the mountain. Hit it a few times with your character’s main weapon, and you’ll be able to access a hidden room. The last thing you need to do is click the three buttons that appear in this room, and then you can claim the Kin Artifact. |
| Origin | The only way to unlock this artifact is to play through a single-player or multiplayer playthrough of Risk of Rain Returns and activate all the other artifacts in your game. You need to reach the end of the game, defeat the final boss, and then before leaving the planet, head down a level after defeating Providence and the Origin Artifact will be there. |
| Sacrifice | The Sacrifice Artiface will appear to you while exploring the Magma Barracks. There are buttons scattered throughout the map, but they are behind thin walls. You will need to use a character that can pierce through objects to hit them. After all three have been hit, make your way down to the bottom of the map and claim this Artifact. |
| Spirit | You can find the Spirit Artifact in the Temple Ruins. You will need to make your way to the right side of the map and jump off the side. However, to reach the hidden platforms, make sure your character has a suitable jump, which they can augment using items or their own abilities. The Pilot is a great option having a slow, gradual falling jump that can help them reach this area. From there, you’ll need to jump across the various platforms and reach the other side to grab the Spirit Artifact. |
| Spite | The Spite Artifact will appear on the Sky Meadow map. For this, you need to be on the lookout for a small hole, and you can fall through it. When you reach the bottom, there are several platforms that you have to jump across to reach the Artifact on the other side. You should have no trouble getting this with many of the characters in Risk of Rain Returns, but it could take you some practice to reach the other side. |
