How to unlock the Artifact of Command in Risk of Rain Returns

Experienced Risk of Rain Returns players should seek out and unlock the coveted Artifact of Command, which will help turn the randomized odds in their favor.

As a rogue-lite, Risk of Rain Returns rolls the dice when it comes to doling out in-game items. The difference between a winning and losing run could boil down to not getting the item that pulls your build together. But there’s hope, so long as you can find it. The Artifact of Command allows you to choose your items in Risk of Rain Returns when activated, making it a must-have for those late-game crawls.

Where to find the Artifact of Command in Risk of Rain Returns

You can find the Artifact of Command on the Hive Cluster map in Risk of Rain Returns. The stage has a chance of appearing as the fourth level in the game, but there’s no guarantee. In my playthroughs, I ended up at the Magma Barracks — the other potential fourth stage — more often. The Hive Cluster is a smaller map, so getting to where you need to go to find the Artifact is less of a hassle.

To get the Artifact of Command, navigate to the top-right corner of the Hive Cluster. Look for pink, fleshy tendrils hanging from the ceiling. They fade in and out, but you can climb them regardless of their visibility. Grab onto the tendrils and travel right by jumping. Survivors with items like the Hopoo Feather or a Jetpack will have an easier time at it, but making it to the other side isn’t so tough. There’ll be a small area carved out from the stone walls where the Artifact awaits. Grabbing the Artifact of Command will unlock it in future Risk of Rain Returns runs.

What does the Artifact of Command do?

The Artifact of Command is perfect for those who already have dozens and dozens of hours sunk into Risk of Rain Returns. After activating it in the character select screen, it allows you to pick your own items from chests. When you open a chest, out pops an item box. Activating the box opens a menu of items you can choose. Keep in mind that you can only choose items you’ve already unlocked, hence the Artifact’s power for those who have sunk a lot of time into the game. It’s great for creating builds, or gathering items needed for other unlocks — like for the Chef Survivor.