Link Steam
indiegame.fan
The Artifact Protocol header art

The Artifact Protocol

A psychological horror game where every artifact traps you in the final moments of someone’s life. Face five distinct nightmares, each with its own monster, story, and theme. You’re not solving the mystery… you’re reliving it.

Steam Page
Developer
Liam MW Butler
Publisher
Liam MW Butler
Release
September 5, 2025
330 days ago
Steam Reviews
Positive10 reviews80.0%

Does this feel indie?

Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.
No votes yet
Vote on More Games
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Search Google: Who developed The Artifact Protocol?Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Search Google: Who published The Artifact Protocol?Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Search Google: Is The Artifact Protocol self-published or published by Liam MW Butler?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is The Artifact Protocol and Liam MW Butler funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for The Artifact Protocol and Liam MW Butler?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Search Google: What is the release status of The Artifact Protocol?Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.

Media

12 items

About the Game

You’re not solving the mystery... you’re reliving it!

The Artifact Protocol is a first-person psychological horror game where every artifact traps you in the final moments of someone else’s life. You play as Anthony, an imprisoned ex-soldier forced into a classified testing program, promised freedom if you can survive. One by one, you’re sent into reconstructed memories of the dead, each trial a different nightmare.But the deeper you go, the less you’re sure if you’re living their memories… or your own. 

This isn't no ordinary horror... this is not a safe dream, it’s a trap built from tortured minds. Most who enter never return, even veteran horror fans have failed to survive even the first artifact... can you?

What To Expect

  • Five Nightmares In One: Each artifact is a standalone nightmare with its own setting, monster, and psychological theme.

  • Challenging Survival: Most who enter don’t escape the first artifact. No handholding, no walking simulator, only your wits and your will to survive.

  • Custom Voice Acting & Story-Driven Experience: Every trial is brought to life with original voice performances and a narrative that unfolds through atmosphere, sound, and discovery.

  • Deep Environmental Storytelling: Learn each victim’s story through living it, not just watching it.

  • Adaptive Monster AI: No two encounters feel the same. Each creature learns, reacts, and hunts in its own terrifying way.

Replay Value Beyond the Main Story

Completing the main story unlocks new layers of horror:

  • Nightmare Mode: A brutal one-life challenge with a new "Observer" and exclusive narrative voice lines that reveal hidden lore.

  • Multiple Challenge Gamemodes: Extra challenge trials that push your survival skills even further.

THEMES & TONE

This isn’t about cheap jumpscares. The Artifact Protocol is built on dread, loss, and fractured identity... horror that lingers long after you’ve shut the game down.

The Artifact Protocol is designed as an intense horror experience you can survive in one sitting, with new modes and hidden story layers waiting to pull you back...

Indie Game Fan