There are 12 human artifacts scattered across the planet Xylos in Junkster, and collecting them all is required to unlock the game's true ending, 'Echoes of Earth.' This guide provides a complete map and walkthrough for every collectible, organized by the four major regions you'll visit. Finding all 12 also awards the 'Archivist of a Lost World' achievement.
Most artifacts are hidden behind puzzles or require late-game upgrades to access, so expect to backtrack. We've noted the specific gear needed for each one. The final three artifacts in the Core Processor are missable, so be sure to collect them before initiating the final boss encounter.
What Do You Get for Finding All Human Artifacts?
Beyond the 'Archivist of a Lost World' achievement, the primary reward is narrative. Upon defeating the final boss, if you have all 12 artifacts, you will trigger an extended post-credits cutscene titled 'Echoes of Earth.'
This secret ending reveals the ultimate fate of the human colonists who inhabited Xylos centuries ago. It shows a transmission from their colony ship, the Odyssey, explaining why they abandoned the planet and where they went. It fundamentally re-contextualizes the game's story and your character's purpose. For lore enthusiasts, this is a non-negotiable part of the Junkster experience. Without the artifacts, the standard ending is abrupt and leaves many questions unanswered.
The Rusting Heap (Artifacts 1-3)
The starting zone of Xylos contains the first three artifacts. You'll be able to grab one on your first pass, but two will require you to return later with specific upgrades.
Artifact 1: Tarnished Silver Locket
This is likely the first artifact you'll find. In the massive Scrapyard Trench, after your first encounter with Scrap-Golems, look for a collapsed gantry crane. Climb the yellow girders to the top of the crane's operator cab. The locket is sitting on the rusted-out control panel inside. No special equipment is needed.
Artifact 2: Cracked Data Slate
Required Upgrade: Plasma Cutter
Deep within the automated Compactor Chamber, you'll solve a puzzle to halt the moving walls. Once the room is safe, ignore the main exit. On the left wall is a large, sealed maintenance hatch marked with a glowing red symbol. Use the Plasma Cutter to slice open the hatch. Drop down into the hidden maintenance corridor below. The Cracked Data Slate is on a workbench at the end of this short path, next to the remains of a technician.
Annotated diagram of the Compactor Chamber puzzle.
Artifact 3: Child's Gas Mask
Required Upgrade: Gravity Boots
Remember the enormous, shattered dome near the entrance to the Glass Canyons? On your first visit, you can't reach the upper levels. Return once you have the Gravity Boots. Stand on the central platform and look up to see a series of broken pipes and ledges leading to a high, isolated alcove in the dome's wall. A tricky double-jump-then-dash sequence is required to reach it. The gas mask is resting on a small, tattered blanket in the alcove, suggesting a hidden shelter.
The Glass Canyons (Artifacts 4-6)
This mid-game region is defined by treacherous platforming and windswept mesas. All three artifacts here require keen observation and mastery of the game's movement mechanics.
Artifact 4: Geologist's Hammer
In the area known as the Crystal Vents, where thermal updrafts are used to traverse wide gaps, look for a vent that seems to point towards a solid canyon wall. Ride the updraft to its peak height and dash towards the wall. You will clip through a clever fake wall made of holographic rock. Inside is a small, hidden cave system. The Geologist's Hammer is embedded in a large, glowing crystal formation at the back of the cave.
Artifact 5: Faded Astronaut Patch
Required Upgrade: Plasma Cutter
This artifact is located inside the wreckage of the human colony ship, the Odyssey. In the ship's main cargo bay, you'll see several large, suspended shipping containers. Most are inaccessible. However, one container on the far-right side has a damaged door with the same red symbol as the maintenance hatches. Jump to the container, use the Plasma Cutter to open it, and find the patch inside, attached to a decaying EVA suit.
Artifact 6: Shattered Telescope Lens
Required Upgrade: Gravity Boots
This is arguably the most difficult artifact to acquire due to a challenging platforming sequence. At the highest point of the Glass Canyons, you'll find the ruins of an old human observatory. The main path takes you through the lower levels. To get the lens, you must climb the outside of the ruined dome. The path requires precise, timed jumps using the Gravity Boots to navigate crumbling ledges while avoiding patrolling Sentry Drones. The lens is at the very apex of the dome, resting in the mount of the ruined telescope.
Infographic map showing the platforming route to the Shattered Telescope Lens.
The Sunken City of Circuits (Artifacts 7-9)
This late-game area is completely submerged. You'll need the Hydro-Thrusters to navigate its dark, flooded corridors and fight off aquatic threats. All artifacts here are hidden behind environmental puzzles.
Artifact 7: Waterproof Watch
In the central hub of the city, the 'Plaza of Conduits,' you'll see a submerged clock tower. The entrance is blocked by an electric field. To disable it, you must find and destroy three glowing power relays in the immediate vicinity. One is in a building to the left, another is below the plaza in a trench, and the third is high up on the back of the tower itself. Once all three are destroyed, the field deactivates. Swim inside the clock tower; the watch is on the wrist of a skeleton slumped over the clock's machinery.
Artifact 8: Corroded Keycard
This artifact is a reward for clearing the 'Pump Station' sub-zone. You'll be tasked with reactivating three massive water pumps to clear a path forward. The controls for the third pump are located in a room infested with Corrosive Slugs. After defeating the slugs and activating the pump, don't leave immediately. A small, previously flooded locker room off to the side will now be accessible. The Corroded Keycard is inside one of the open lockers.
Artifact 9: Preserved Neural Interface
Required Upgrade: Hydro-Thrusters
In the city's 'Data Archives' sector, you'll find a sealed server room with a terminal next to the door. The terminal displays a complex power conduit puzzle. You must rotate a series of nodes to connect a power source to a lock. The solution requires creating an unbroken line across the grid. Solving the power conduit puzzle unlocks the server room. Inside, floating in a preservation tank, is the Neural Interface. You'll need your Hydro-Thrusters to break the tank and retrieve it, as it's guarded by several aquatic Sentry Drones.
Comic grid showing the steps to solve the Data Archives puzzle.
The Core Processor (Artifacts 10-12)
Warning: This is the final area of the game. Once you enter the Core Processor, you cannot leave. You must collect these three artifacts before you initiate the final boss fight against the Rogue AI, 'Warden.'
Artifact 10: The Omega Drive
After the first major combat encounter in the Core, you'll enter a long, cylindrical chamber with a retracting bridge. Before you cross the bridge, drop down to the left onto a hidden service ledge. Follow it around the perimeter of the room to a small alcove containing a diagnostic console. The Omega Drive is slotted into the console.
Artifact 11: The Memory Crystal
In the room with the shifting laser grid puzzle, you must guide a beam of light to a receptor to open the main door. To find the artifact, look for a second, unmarked receptor on the ceiling in the back-right corner of the room. You'll need to manipulate the mirrors in a non-obvious way to direct a secondary laser beam to this hidden receptor. Doing so opens a secret wall panel, revealing the Memory Crystal.
Artifact 12: The Final Log
This is found in the last room right before the final boss arena. As you approach the large door to Warden's chamber, stop. Turn around and face the way you came. High above the entrance is a small platform. Use your Gravity Boots to double-jump up to it. The Final Log, a data slate containing the last message from the lead scientist, is waiting there. This is the easiest artifact to miss if you're rushing to the finale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go back for artifacts you missed? Yes, for the first nine artifacts. The game world remains open, and fast travel points allow you to return to the Rusting Heap, Glass Canyons, and Sunken City at any time before starting the final mission. However, once you enter the Core Processor, you are locked in for the remainder of the game, making artifacts 10, 11, and 12 permanently missable on that playthrough.
Do the artifacts provide any gameplay buffs or bonuses? No. The human artifacts are purely collectible items for lore and story purposes. They do not grant any stat increases, new abilities, or passive bonuses. Their only function is to unlock the 'Echoes of Earth' secret ending.
What is the hardest human artifact to get? Most players agree that the Shattered Telescope Lens (Artifact #6) in the Glass Canyons is the most challenging. It involves a long, unforgiving platforming section with no checkpoints, requiring precise use of the Gravity Boots and careful avoidance of Sentry Drones. The Preserved Neural Interface (#9) can also be tough due to its tricky conduit puzzle.
A Story Worth Finishing
Collecting all 12 human artifacts in Junkster is more than a simple scavenger hunt; it's the key to unlocking the soul of the game. The journey transforms a simple tale of a robot on a scrap heap into a poignant saga about humanity's past and future. The final cutscene is a powerful reward that elevates the entire experience, making the effort to find every last locket and data slate profoundly worthwhile.