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Artifacts

Artifacts are permanent, unlockable modifiers that fundamentally alter the rules of the game. You can toggle them on or off before starting a run from the character select screen. Activating the right combination of artifacts can turn a grueling roguelike into a chaotic sandbox or an intense puzzle.

Finding Artifacts​

You do not unlock artifacts by completing achievements. You must find them physically hidden within the game's levels. Almost every stage has a secret area containing an artifact tablet.

Reaching these tablets often requires specific mobility skills, clever platforming, or finding hidden pathways disguised in the environment. For example, the Artifact of Honor is hidden behind a destructible wall on the Desolate Forest stage. You must look for faint outlines in the terrain that indicate a hidden path or a breakable surface.

Once you touch an artifact tablet, it unlocks permanently for all future runs. You do not need to win the run to keep the artifact.

Notable Artifacts​

There are fourteen artifacts in total: the original ten (Honor, Kin, Distortion, Spite, Glass, Enigma, Sacrifice, Command, Spirit, Origin) plus four new additions exclusive to Returns (Prestige, Dissonance, Tempus, Cognation). Some make the game easier, some make it harder, and some just make it weird.

  • Artifact of Command: Enemies no longer drop items. Instead, they drop command crates. You interact with these crates to choose the specific item you want from that rarity tier. This is the most powerful artifact in the game, allowing you to guarantee perfect item synergies on every run.
  • Artifact of Glass: You deal 500% damage, but your maximum health is locked at 10%. This turns the game into a high-stakes, one-hit-kill scenario where mobility and perfect dodging are mandatory. This is the primary high-risk, high-reward modifier used by the community for rapid achievement clearing and bypassing boss mechanics.
  • Artifact of Kin: Only one enemy type spawns per stage. You might get a stage full of harmless lemurians, or a stage entirely populated by teleporting imps.
  • Artifact of Sacrifice: Chests no longer spawn. Instead, enemies have a chance to drop items directly when killed. This completely removes the gold economy from the game and forces you to farm enemies for power.

Artifact Combos​

Combining artifacts creates entirely new game modes. The most popular combination is Command and Sacrifice. This removes chests and allows you to choose your loot from enemies you kill. You can stand in one spot, farm enemies infinitely, and build a god-tier character without ever worrying about the gold economy or chest placement.

Experiment with different combinations to find the exact level of challenge and chaos you prefer.