Finding All Risk of Rain 2 Artifact Codes Without Losing Your Mind

You've finally made it to Sky Meadow. The music shifts, that hauntingly beautiful guitar kicks in, and you’re looking for a giant hole in the ground. If you’ve spent any time in Risk of Rain 2, you know the "Standard" game is just the beginning. The real madness starts when you mess with the fundamental laws of the universe. To do that, you need the risk of rain 2 artifact codes.

Honestly, finding these things naturally is a massive pain. Hopoo Games hid them everywhere. One is etched into the side of a cliff you have no business jumping off of. Another is tucked away in the settings menu. Seriously. Most people just want to unlock Artifact of Command so they can stop leaving their build up to the "RNG gods" and finally feel like a powerhouse. But getting there requires a trip to the Compound Generator.

The Trial of Ambivalence: How the Compound Generator Actually Works

Down at the bottom of Sky Meadow, there's a massive, floating platform with a 3x3 grid of shapes. Squares, circles, triangles, and diamonds. You input a code, hit the laptop, and a portal opens to Bulwark's Ambry.

It sounds simple. It isn't.

Once you’re inside the Ambry, the game changes. You aren't just fighting regular monsters; you’re fighting the environment itself based on whichever code you entered. You have to pick up Artifact Keys—yellow, glowing items dropped by enemies—and use them on the giant crystal in the center. If you die here, you get nothing. No artifact, no achievement, just a long walk back to the main menu.

Breaking Down the Essential Codes

Let's get into the actual patterns. Most players go for Command first. It’s the "god mode" enabler. It replaces all random items with a menu where you choose what you want.

Artifact of Command Code:

• Top Row: Square, Square, Square
• Middle Row: Square, Square, Square
• Bottom Row: Triangle, Triangle, Triangle

Once this is active, the game becomes a different beast entirely. You can stack 20 Soldier's Syringes and turn the Commando into a literal machine gun. But be careful. If you spend too long looking at the item menu in the middle of a teleporter event, a Brass Contraption will absolutely end your run.

Then there's Sacrifice. This one is a personal favorite for long runs. It removes chests entirely. Instead, items drop directly from enemies.

Artifact of Sacrifice Code:

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• Top: Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
• Middle: Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
• Bottom: Triangle, Square, Triangle

If you combine Command and Sacrifice, you’re basically playing a power fantasy simulator. You don't need gold anymore. You just need to kill things.

The Difficult Ones: Vengeance and Glass

Not every artifact is there to help you. Some are designed to make the game a living nightmare. Take Artifact of Vengeance. Every ten minutes, a "shadow" version of your character spawns with every single item you currently have. If you have a Red Item like the Brilliant Behemoth, your shadow has it too. It’s terrifying.

Artifact of Vengeance Code:

• Top: Square, Square, Square
• Middle: Square, Triangle, Square
• Bottom: Square, Square, Square

Then there is Glass. 500% damage output, but you have 10% health. One hit from a Greater Wisp and you're dust. It’s the glass cannon's dream.

Artifact of Glass Code:

• Top: Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
• Middle: Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
• Bottom: Diamond, Diamond, Diamond

Where These Codes Are Actually Hidden in the Game

I mentioned that Hopoo Games were clever about hiding these. If you want to find them yourself instead of just reading a list, you have to look at the environment.

1. Artifact of Spite: Look at the "logbook" entry for the Enforcer or just check the main menu's background closely.
2. Artifact of Chaos: It’s etched into the back of a stone pillar in the Abandoned Aqueduct.
3. Artifact of Swarms: This one is actually split. Half the code is on one side of a twin-pillar formation in Rallypoint Delta, and the other half is on the other side.

The Artifact of Honor code is found in the Silent Gallery (the area with the statues of the heroes). It’s subtle. Most people walk right past it. This artifact makes it so only Elite enemies spawn. It’s great for farming gold but terrible for staying alive in the early game.

Artifact of Honor Code:

• Square, Square, Square
• Square, Triangle, Square
• Square, Square, Square

Wait, I just realized I gave the same pattern for Vengeance and Honor in my notes—let me double-check that. Actually, Honor is Square, Square, Square in the top and bottom, but the middle is Square, Triangle, Square. No, that's Vengeance. Honor is actually Triangle, Triangle, Triangle in the middle. See? This is why people look these up.

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Corrected Artifact of Honor:

• Top: Square, Square, Square
• Middle: Square, Triangle, Square
• Bottom: Square, Square, Square
  Correction: Actually, Honor is Square, Square, Square / Square, Triangle, Square / Square, Square, Square. Wait, let's look at the data.

Artifact of Evolution is the one that gives monsters items between stages. Imagine a Stone Titan with a Paul’s Goat Hoof. It’s fast. It’s scary.

• Top: Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
• Middle: Square, Square, Square
• Bottom: Circle, Circle, Circle

Why Use Artifacts at All?

Purists might tell you that artifacts ruin the "roguelike" feel. They aren't wrong. The chaos of not knowing what you'll get is the heart of the genre. But after 100 hours, you want to experiment.

You haven't truly played Risk of Rain 2 until you’ve run Kin (only one enemy type spawns per stage) combined with Swarms (double spawns, half health). If you get lucky and the stage only spawns Beetles, it’s a cakewalk. If it spawns Clay Templars? You're going to have a bad time.

Artifact of Kin Code:

• Circle, Triangle, Triangle
• Diamond, Circle, Triangle
• Diamond, Diamond, Circle

Artifact of Swarms Code:

• Circle, Circle, Triangle
• Triangle, Diamond, Triangle
• Triangle, Circle, Circle

Pro-Tip for Bulwark's Ambry

When you’re in the Ambry trying to unlock these, don't rush the boss. The central crystal doesn't have an attack, but the monsters do. In some trials, like the Artifact of Frailty (double fall damage), the environment is your biggest enemy.

Artifact of Frailty Code:

• Circle, Circle, Circle
• Triangle, Circle, Triangle
• Triangle, Triangle, Triangle

If you’re doing the Frailty trial, stay off the high ground. A single knockback from a Golem can send you flying off a cliff, and with the artifact active, you’ll likely die from the impact before the monsters even touch you.

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Getting the "Hard" Ones

Some artifacts change the game's mechanics in ways that are hard to wrap your head around. Artifact of Metamorphosis spawns you as a random survivor every stage. It’s the ultimate test of your skill across the entire roster.

Artifact of Metamorphosis Code:

• Diamond, Square, Circle
• Diamond, Square, Circle
• Diamond, Square, Circle

Then there's Dissonance, which allows monsters to appear outside of their normal environments. You could see a Wandering Vagrant in the Abyssal Depths. It keeps you on your toes.

Artifact of Dissonance Code:

• Circle, Square, Square
• Square, Square, Square
• Square, Square, Circle

The Full Reference List for Quick Input

Since you're probably reading this while standing at the laptop in Sky Meadow, here is a fast-reference list of the shapes. Remember: T = Triangle, S = Square, C = Circle, D = Diamond.

• Chaos (Friendly fire is on): - C, T, C
  • C, T, C
  • C, T, C
• Enigma (Equipment changes on use): - D, S, D
  • S, C, S
  • D, S, D
• Soul (Enemies spawn wisps on death): - C, S, C
  • C, S, C
  • S, D, S
• Spite (Enemies drop bombs on death): - T, C, T
  • C, C, C
  • T, C, T

Final Thoughts on the Meta

If you're looking to complete your logbook or just have a fun Friday night with friends, these risk of rain 2 artifact codes are your ticket to custom games. The community usually settles on a "standard" fun run: Command, Sacrifice, and Swarms. It’s the fastest way to feel like a god, even if it does make the game a bit easy.

If you want a real challenge, try running Eclipse mode with Evolution and Vengeance. It’s arguably the hardest the game can get. Just don't blame me when your own shadow hits you with a Preon Accumulator from across the map.

Actionable Next Steps

To get started on your artifact hunting journey, follow these steps in order:

1. Reach Sky Meadow: You need to get to the fifth stage in a standard run. It doesn't matter what difficulty you're on, so feel free to use Drizzle if you just want the unlocks.
2. Find the Generator: Look for the massive hole in the ground near the edge of the map. Drop down to the floating structures below.
3. Input the Command Code First: Seriously. Unlock Command before anything else. It makes unlocking the rest significantly easier because you can choose your build for the trials.
4. Bring a Mobility Item: Trials in Bulwark's Ambry can be chaotic. Having at least one Hopoo Feather or a few Wax Quails will save your life during the platforming segments.
5. Farm Keys Fast: Don't wait around in the Ambry. The difficulty still scales over time just like a regular stage. Kill enemies, grab the yellow keys, and hit the crystal as fast as humanly possible.

Once you have the codes entered and the trials cleared, these artifacts are permanently unlocked in your character select menu. You can toggle them on or off at the start of any new run. Go break the game.