In a genre packed with roguelikes and bullet heaven chaos, Artifact Seeker: Legend of Aurorium didn’t just show up... it represented well. With its fluid combat, myth-laced lore, and a visual style that screams “just one more run,” this indie title quickly carved out a space for itself among fans of Vampire Survivors and Soulstone Survivors (which are enjoyable titles in the genre). But just when things were heating up, the game disappeared from Steam without warning.
So what in the heck happened, you ask? The publisher messed around and found out!
Developed by Lynkpin Game, Artifact Seeker was one of over 50 indie games caught in the crossfire when publisher BD Games was banned from Steam in 2024 (is BD short for "Bad Day"? Might as well be!). No forewarning, no messaging... just wiped from the storefront, which is jacked up. For small teams like Lynkpin, this kind of setback can be fatal. But instead of folding for something that was out of their hands, the developers made it clear that... they weren’t done.
So, after going public with the situation and opening dialogue through their Discord and community pages, the devs took the reins. They worked behind the scenes to regain control of the IP and relaunch the game under their own name. The result? Artifact Seeker: Legend of Aurorium... the same brutal-yet-satisfying core gameplay with a renewed spark and more polish than ever before. Check it out:
Set in the mythic world of Aurorium, the game pits you against waves of corrupted enemies, as you collect relics and build synergies to survive. Each run tests your reflexes and decision-making, whether you’re powering up your battle doll Ceratil or dodging projectiles as Suraz, the Artifact Collector. With a branching world map, unlockable heroes, and meta-progression baked into every loop, it’s got the depth hardcore fans crave without the fluff.
The comeback edition brought more than just a new subtitle. We're talking new characters, tighter UI, expanded synergy systems, and quality-of-life features like enhanced controller support (which I played with). But beyond gameplay updates, the core of this article is to really highlight the how this indie team adapted to the situation... and now they're coming from a position of ownership. All thanks to their resilience, and community support. Lynkpin Game didn’t just patch their way back into relevance... they rebuilt the game’s future on their own terms. Publishers have to understand that they're being trusted to steer the ship to the best of their ability... not move in ways that will affect their crew by sinking it.
Artifact Seeker: Legend of Aurorium isn’t just another roguelike... it’s a reminder that Indie Devs may be safer without a publisher. So may this motivate the Indie Devs fighting to survive setbacks, publisher drama, and storefront potential takedowns. If you missed Artifact Seeker the first time around, now’s your chance to jump in.
