- Depth Incremental artifacts are permanent collectible upgrades found while diving deeper into the ocean.
- Rarity matters: higher-rarity artifacts provide stronger multipliers to damage, loot, and progression.
- Explore thoroughly: most artifacts are hidden in side caves, wrecks, and off-path depths.
- Prioritize damage and coin multipliers early to accelerate the rest of your collection.
- Recheck old zones: new depth unlocks often expose artifact spots in areas you already cleared.
What Are Artifacts in Depth Incremental?
Artifacts are the long-term power system in Depth Incremental. Unlike temporary boosts or consumables, every artifact you recover is a permanent upgrade that keeps working across resets and rebirths. They are the main reason experienced players push into dangerous depths instead of farming comfortable zones forever.
Each artifact falls into one of several functional groups:
| Artifact Group | Primary Effect | Best For | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | Boosts attack power against sea creatures | Combat-focused runs | ★★★★★ |
| Coin & Loot | Increases currency and drop rates | Fast gold farming | ★★★★★ |
| Oxygen & Depth | Extends dive time and depth resistance | Deep exploration | ★★★★ |
| Speed | Improves swim and farm speed | Efficiency runs | ★★★ |
| Utility | Special effects like auto-collect or radar | Quality of life | ★★★ |
Artifacts scale with your progress. A damage artifact found early keeps paying off through the entire game, so treat every unexplored cave as a potential upgrade, not scenery.
Where to Find Artifacts: Location Types
Artifact spawns follow predictable patterns once you know what to look for. Rather than memorizing one exact route, learn the location archetypes that consistently hold artifacts:
Side Caves & Tunnels
- Highest artifact density
- Often guarded by stronger mobs
- Check behind rock formations
Shipwrecks & Ruins
- Multiple chests per structure
- May require puzzle or lever interaction
- Great for early-to-mid runs
Deep Boundary Zones
- Rare artifact spawns
- Located at the edge of your depth limit
- Push oxygen upgrades before visiting
| Location Type | Artifact Rarity | Difficulty | Recommended Depth Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shallow reefs | Common | Low | Starting gear |
| Wrecks & ruins | Uncommon | Medium | Mid-tier oxygen |
| Side cave systems | Rare | Medium-High | Improved damage gear |
| Boundary depths | Epic+ | High | Near-max gear |
Never push into boundary zones with low oxygen capacity. Dying mid-dive can cost you the artifacts you already picked up on that run, forcing a repeat trip.
Step-by-Step Artifact Farming Route
Follow this repeatable routine to maximize artifact gains per dive:
Upgrade Oxygen First
Spend your current coins on oxygen capacity and depth resistance before anything else. Longer dives mean more artifact locations reachable per trip.
Clear the Path Mobs
Defeat creatures along your planned route. This keeps retreat safe and builds currency for the next upgrade cycle.
Sweep Side Paths
Move through the main corridor, but check every side cave, wreck, and tunnel opening. Most missed artifacts hide one room off the obvious route.
Collect and Return Before Limits
Watch your oxygen bar. Turn back with a comfortable margin so you bank everything you found.
Reinvest and Re-Dive
Convert profits into damage and loot multipliers, then run the route again at greater depth. Each cycle unlocks rarer artifact tiers.
Oxygen upgrades fund exploration, exploration yields artifacts, artifacts boost income, and income buys more oxygen. Keep this loop spinning and your collection grows on autopilot.
Artifact Collection Checklist
Track your collection progress with this milestone list:
Collection Milestones:
- Recover your first damage artifact
- Complete a full wreck sweep without dying
- Unlock a rare-tier artifact from a side cave
- Reach and loot a boundary-depth artifact spot
- Own at least one artifact from every functional group
- Re-sweep all early zones after major depth unlocks
Depth upgrades often reveal tunnels and passages that were previously unreachable. After every major oxygen or depth upgrade, do one full pass through earlier zones to catch newly accessible artifact spots.
FAQ
Q: Do Depth Incremental artifacts stay after rebirth or reset?
Yes. Artifacts are permanent collectible upgrades. Their effects persist across progression resets, which is what makes them the most valuable long-term investment in the game.
Q: Which artifact type should I get first?
Damage and coin-multiplier artifacts give the strongest early returns. Damage lets you clear guarding mobs faster, and coin boosts accelerate every future upgrade, including oxygen gear needed to reach rarer artifacts.
Q: Can I farm the same artifact spot repeatedly?
Most artifact pickups are one-time collection entries, but the surrounding zones remain valuable for currency farming. Focus new dives on unexplored areas rather than replaying cleared spots.
Q: How do I reach artifacts behind tough enemies?
Upgrade damage gear first, then approach with a full oxygen bar so you can retreat if the fight goes poorly. Boundary-depth artifacts in particular assume near-max combat gear.