Artifacts change the rules of a run: pick your items, everything is elite, twice the enemies... Each one unlocks with a code. Here they all are.
The codes are carved on stone tablets hidden around the maps; you do not need to find them, the code is enough. In co-op, the group can enable any artifact that any player has.
Each code is a 3 × 3 grid, top to bottom as shown here. Next to it, what the game says about the artifact and what it is good for.
Artifact of Command · 31.8%
«Choose your items.»
Chests drop an essence and you pick the item of that rarity. The best one for testing combos or finishing challenges.
Artifact of Sacrifice · 23.9%
«Monsters drop items on death, but Chests no longer spawn.»
Faster: no chest hunting, just killing. Gold goes to shrines, drones and printers.
Artifact of Swarms · 21.6%
«Monster spawns are doubled, but monster maximum health is halved.»
Twice the enemies at half health: more on-kill items. Careful with Mithrix: there are two.
Artifact of Kin · 16.9%
«Monsters will be of only one type per stage.»
Teleporters spawn hordes of bosses with it: the kill-15-bosses-in-one-run challenge almost does itself.
Artifact of Honor · 36.3%
«Enemies can only spawn as elites.»
Everything is elite, though with less health and damage than a normal elite (and no extra gold). Items that trigger on elite kills, like Brainstalks, go off on every kill.
Artifact of Glass · 15.6%
«Allies deal 500% damage, but have 10% health.»
Everything dies in one hit, you included. Fun with friends; a bad idea for learning.
Artifact of Spite · 12.7%
«Enemies drop multiple exploding bombs on death.»
Every kill leaves bombs: melee survivors have a hard time.
Artifact of Chaos · 13.6%
«Friendly fire is enabled for both survivors and monsters alike.»
Monsters hit each other too. With two Mithrix (Swarms), they fight.
Artifact of Enigma · 13.1%
«Spawn with a random equipment that changes every time it's activated.»
Different equipment every use. With equipment cooldown items, pure chaos.
Artifact of Dissonance · 15.6%
«Monsters can appear outside their usual environments.»
Any monster on any map.
Artifact of Evolution · 12.4%
«Monsters gain items between stages.»
Enemies also power up with items. Harder the longer the run lasts.
Artifact of Metamorphosis · 13.1%
«Players always spawn as a random survivor.»
A different survivor every stage. Good for learning them all.
Artifact of Vengeance · 14.6%
«Your relentless doppelganger will invade every 10 minutes.»
Your copy, with your items, comes for you every 10 minutes.
Artifact of Frailty · 11.6%
«Fall damage is doubled and lethal.»
Falling can kill you. Careful with long jumps.
Artifact of Soul · 12.9%
«Wisps emerge from defeated monsters.»
Every kill releases wisps: more enemies, more pressure.
Artifact of Death · 13.2%
«When one player dies, everyone dies.»
Only with a group that trusts itself.
Artifact of Delusion · 4.3%
«Risk your items after completing the teleporter event in a test of memory to gain more items.»
After each teleporter, a memory test with your items at stake.
Artifact of Devotion · 4.6%
«Replace broken drones with Lemurian Eggs. Offer an item to gain followers.»
Allied Lemurians that get the items you give them.
Artifact of Prestige · 2.7%
«At least one Shrine of the Mountain spawns every stage. Shrine of the Mountain effects are permanent.»
Every Shrine of the Mountain you use stays for the rest of the run: more bosses and more items.
Artifact of Rebirth · 10.3%
«Descend to Petrichor V with gifts from a previous life.»
No code. It comes from the Experienced Rebirth challenge: offer an item to the Shrine of Rebirth at the end of Prime Meridian (Seekers of the Storm). The run ends, and next run with this artifact you start with that item.
Share of all Risk of Rain 2 players on Steam who have it, from Steam's public stats on 31 October 2026.
Enter the artifact's code in the Compound Generator on Sky Meadow (under the map) or Helminth Hatchery (at the very top) and use the laptop. A portal opens to Bulwark's Ambry: take the key, break the Reliquary and the artifact is yours for good.
In the Compound Generator on stage 5: on Sky Meadow it is under the map; on Helminth Hatchery, at the very top. Each slot changes shape when pressed: square, circle, triangle, diamond.
For testing things, Command: you pick every item. For faster runs, Sacrifice. For the 15 bosses challenge, Kin.
It has no code: it unlocks with the Experienced Rebirth challenge, by offering an item to the Shrine of Rebirth at the end of Prime Meridian (Seekers of the Storm). The run ends there, and next run with the artifact you start with that item.
Sources: the game's English text (artifact names and descriptions), the Risk of Rain 2 wiki (codes and how to unlock them) and public Steam stats, as of 31 October 2026. Icons: Risk of Rain 2 (Hopoo Games / Gearbox).