Artifacts are exploration targets connected to character benefits. Search underground, prepare for blocked rooms, and use the later Locator to scan for them.
Artifacts in Sandustry are hidden exploration targets connected to progression benefits. Current sources support a general search strategy and the later Locator tool, but they do not support a fixed-location checklist or a complete reward table.
Why search for Artifacts
The official Beginner's Guide presents hunting Artifacts as one of the game's main exploration paths. It also warns that reaching their benefits can require spending resources rather than simply walking to a visible pickup.
A current Early Access playthrough shows an Artifact reached through an underground room and followed by an Augment Forge upgrade choice. That demonstrates the broad Artifact-to-upgrade progression, but it does not establish a guaranteed reward for every Artifact.
Expect underground obstacles
Artifacts may appear behind terrain that your current tool cannot break. In the collected current playthrough, one visible Artifact was blocked by Crackstone, which required returning with a stronger tool instead of continuing with the Gun.
That is one observed world example, not a universal location rule. When a route is blocked:
- identify the material with the current scanning tools;
- note the room on your exploration route;
- continue Research and factory progression;
- return with a tool that can break the obstacle.
See how to break Crackstone for the currently confirmed tool limits.
How the Locator helps
The current official Research page lists the Locator in Tier 5 for 3,000 Gold. Its description says to fill the Locator with Voidjuice to scan for hidden alien Artifacts.
Research is marked as work in progress, so the tier, cost, and interface details are dynamic. These values were checked on August 16, 2026 and should be confirmed in the current client after updates.
The collected sources do not provide a reliable complete sequence for producing Voidjuice, activating the scan, or interpreting every possible result. This page does not invent those missing steps.
Artifacts and the Augment Forge
The current gameplay source demonstrates reaching an Artifact and then using the Augment Forge to choose an upgrade path. The available official pages do not publish the complete reward pool, the exact Artifact cost for every Forge choice, or a guaranteed order for those upgrades.
Treat the Forge as the confirmed destination for Artifact-related benefits while verifying each live choice on screen. Do not rely on an old Demo reward list when planning a current build.
What is not currently confirmed
- a complete Artifact count;
- fixed coordinates for every Artifact;
- a universal reward attached to the first Artifact;
- the full current reward pool and order;
- whether every world uses the same Artifact placement;
- the exact pickup or activation input in every situation.
The collected video narrator was explicitly unsure about the first Artifact's reward, so that speculation is excluded rather than presented as fact.
A safe exploration plan
- Use the Map and Minimap guide to survey resource areas and blocked rooms.
- Keep the factory producing while you explore so new tools remain affordable.
- Record Artifacts that are visible but unreachable.
- Return after unlocking the required terrain tool.
- Treat Locator values as current-version data and recheck the Research tab.
- Choose Augment Forge options from the live interface rather than an old reward chart.
Sources
- Research — Sandustry Official Wiki
- Beginner's Guide — Sandustry Official Wiki
- Current Early Access Artifact Exploration — YouTube
The Locator listing, exploration purpose, observed obstacles, and Augment Forge connection were checked on August 16, 2026. Fixed locations, counts, and reward tables remain deliberately unclaimed.