Steam Achievements: Complete Guide for Achievement Hunters
Table of Contents
Steam achievements add an extra layer of engagement and challenge to gaming. For achievement hunters and completionists, earning every achievement in a game provides satisfaction beyond simply finishing the story. With over 30,000 games on Steam and millions of achievements to earn, achievement hunting has become a hobby unto itself.
This comprehensive guide covers everything about Steam achievements: how they work, tracking tools, hunting strategies, finding completable games, dealing with impossible achievements, and joining the achievement hunting community.
Understanding Steam Achievements
Achievements are optional goals set by game developers:
**What Are Achievements?**
Definition:
Developer-defined challenges or milestones within games. Examples:
Complete the main story
Reach level 50
Defeat a boss without taking damage
Find all collectibles
Perform specific actions
Characteristics:
Tied to your Steam account permanently
Visible on your profile (if public)
Track completion progress
Can have icons and descriptions
Some are hidden (spoiler prevention)
Types of Achievements:
Story-Based:
Earned through normal gameplay
Completing chapters
Reaching story milestones
Meeting key characters
Finishing the game
Challenge-Based:
Require skill or specific actions
Speed runs
No-death runs
Difficulty completions
Skill-based challenges
Collectible-Based:
Finding items or locations
Collect all items
Visit all locations
Find hidden secrets
Complete collections
Grind-Based:
Time investment required
Play 100 hours
Win 1,000 matches
Reach max level
Complete daily challenges for X days
Multiplayer:
Require online play
Win X matches
Reach rank
Play with friends
Team-based objectives
Missable Achievements:
Can only be earned during specific moments
Choices in dialogue
Specific playthroughs
Timed events
Permanent story decisions
**Why Hunt Achievements?**
Personal Motivations:
Completionist satisfaction
Additional gameplay goals
Extends game value
Bragging rights
Challenge and mastery
Community competition
Profile Benefits:
Showcase dedication
Profile level contributions
Perfect game badges
Trading card drops (usually 50% at 50% achievement completion)
Community recognition
Achievement Tracking and Statistics
Understanding your achievement progress helps prioritize hunting:
Steam Profile Statistics:
On Your Profile:
Total achievements earned
Average game completion rate
Perfect games (100% achievements)
Rarest achievements earned
Recent achievements
Game-Specific Stats:
Achievements per game
Completion percentage
Time to complete
Global achievement percentages
Achievement Rarity:
Steam shows global completion rates:
Very Common: 50%+ of players earned
Usually story-based
Easy to obtain
Little prestige
Common: 25-50% of players
Normal gameplay achievements
Moderate difficulty
Uncommon: 10-25% of players
Requires some dedication
Completionist-focused
Rare: 5-10% of players
Difficult challenges
Time investment
Shows commitment
Very Rare: 1-5% of players
Extremely difficult
Long grinds
Technical challenges
Ultra Rare: <1% of players
Nearly impossible challenges
Massive time investment
Prestigious accomplishments
Third-Party Tracking Tools:
SteamHunters:
Comprehensive achievement tracking
Profile statistics
Leaderboards
Achievement guides
Community features
Difficulty ratings
Completionist.me:
Achievement tracking across platforms
Steam integration
PlayStation, Xbox crossover
Game recommendations
Completion statistics
AStats (Achievement Stats):
Detailed achievement analytics
Points system for achievements
Rarity tracking
Completion rates
Hunting suggestions
TrueSteamAchievements:
Similar to TrueAchievements (Xbox)
Difficulty-weighted scoring
Community guides
Achievement solutions
Forums and discussions
Benefits of Tracking Tools:
See completion progress across library
Identify easy completions
Track personal milestones
Compare with friends
Get achievement guides
Discover hunting opportunities
Achievement Hunting Strategies
Efficient hunting maximizes achievement gains:
Starting Your Hunting Journey:
1. Assess Your Library:
Review games you own
Check completion percentages
Identify near-completions (80%+ done)
Find easy perfect games
2. Set Realistic Goals:
Don't aim for every achievement in every game
Focus on games you enjoy
Set monthly achievement targets
Celebrate milestones
3. Choose Hunting Style:
Casual Hunter:
Earn achievements naturally
No stress or pressure
Enjoy the gaming experience
Achievements are bonus
Active Hunter:
Deliberately pursue achievements
Use guides when stuck
Plan achievement runs
Balance fun and completion
Hardcore Completionist:
Perfect every game
Research before playing
Multiple playthroughs planned
Achievement-focused gaming
Finding Completable Games:
Easy Perfect Games:
Characteristics of completion-friendly games: - Short playtime (2-10 hours) - No missable achievements - Single playthrough sufficient - No multiplayer achievements - No grind achievements - All achievements reasonable
Resources:
Steam250 "Easy Perfect Games" list
Completionist.me recommendations
Community curator lists
Achievement hunting forums
Examples:
Walking simulators
Short indie games
Puzzle games
Visual novels
Some platformers
Avoiding Achievement Traps:
Red Flags:
Impossible Achievements:
Servers shut down (multiplayer)
Bugged and never fixed
Removed from game
Technically impossible
Extreme Grinds:
1,000+ hours required
Unreasonable RNG
Daily login requirements spanning years
Excessive repetition
Missable Without Guides:
One-time story choices
Permanent decisions
Time-limited events
Specific build requirements
Research Before Starting:
Check achievement guides
Read reviews mentioning achievements
Look for "unobtainable" tags
Verify multiplayer is active
Efficient Hunting Tactics:
Preparation:
Before playing: 1. Review full achievement list 2. Read guide overview (avoid spoilers) 3. Identify missable achievements 4. Plan character builds if needed 5. Check if multiple playthroughs required
During Gameplay:
Keep Guides Handy:
Steam Achievement Manager (controversial - see ethical considerations)
YouTube guides
Written guides on Steam community
Achievement tracking checklist
Take Notes:
Mark missables as you complete them
Track collectibles found
Note decisions made (for replay planning)
Document bugs or glitches
Multiple Playthroughs:
When required: 1. **Playthrough 1:** Story + non-missables 2. **Playthrough 2:** Different choices/collectibles 3. **Cleanup Run:** Remaining grinds/challenges
Optimize:
Some achievements can be earned on any playthrough
Focus missables on each specific run
Leave grinds for last
Speed run subsequent playthroughs if needed
Dealing with Difficult and Impossible Achievements
Not all achievements are created equal:
Extremely Difficult Achievements:
Legitimate Challenges:
Some achievements are intentionally very hard: - No-hit boss runs - Speedrun requirements - Perfect execution challenges - Expert difficulty completions
Approach:
Accept these take practice
Watch pro players
Break down into steps
Celebrate progress, not just completion
Know when to walk away
Some Difficulty is Fun:
The satisfaction of earning a 0.1% achievement can be incredible for dedicated players.
Impossible/Unobtainable Achievements:
Common Causes:
Server Shutdowns:
Multiplayer games with dead servers
Online-only achievements
Examples: Many older multiplayer games
Removed Content:
DLC removed from store
Features removed from game
Event-based achievements that ended
Bugs:
Achievement doesn't trigger
Developer never fixed
Game abandoned
Technical Issues:
OS compatibility problems
Hardware requirements no longer possible
Third-party service integrations broken
Verification:
Check if achievements are obtainable: - Recent achievement dates on Steam community - Steam discussions for the game - SteamHunters/AStats impossible tags - Developer announcements
Coping Strategies:
Accept Imperfection:
Not every game can be completed
95% completion is still impressive
Focus on obtainable achievements
Community Petition:
Developers sometimes fix/remove impossible achievements
Community requests can work
Not guaranteed but worth trying
Move On:
Don't waste time on impossibles
Many other games to complete
Your time is valuable
SAM (Steam Achievement Manager):
What It Is:
Third-party tool that can unlock achievements without earning them
Controversy:
Arguments For Limited Use:
Unlocking impossible/bugged achievements
Fixing false negatives (earned but not registered)
Removing games from completion consideration
Arguments Against:
Cheating/undermines achievement value
Against Steam ToS (technically)
Ruins personal satisfaction
Viewed negatively by community
Risk:
VAC ban? No (VAC is for multiplayer cheating)
Community ban? Possible but rare
Profile flags? Achievements can be hidden if investigated
Recommendation:
Avoid unless absolutely necessary for bug fixes. The satisfaction of legitimately earning achievements is the point.
Achievement Hunting Community and Resources
Connect with other hunters and find resources:
Community Platforms:
Achievement Hunting Forums:
r/SteamAchievements (Reddit):
Achievement showcase
Hunting tips
Game recommendations
Problem solving
Community support
TrueSteamAchievements Forums:
Dedicated achievement discussions
Guides and walkthroughs
Completion strategies
Leaderboards
Steam Community Forums:
Game-specific achievement discussions
Player guides
Bug reports
Multiplayer coordination
Discord Servers:
Multiple achievement hunting communities: - General achievement hunters - Game-specific servers - Multiplayer coordination - Guide collaborations
Guides and Resources:
Steam Community Guides:
Best source for specific games:
User-written walkthroughs
Video guides
Roadmaps (achievement order)
Collectible locations
YouTube Guides:
Visual learning:
Detailed walkthroughs
Difficult achievement demonstrations
Speedrun strategies
No commentary options
Achievement Guide Websites:
TrueAchievements format guides:
Detailed roadmaps
Estimated time
Difficulty ratings
Step-by-step instructions
Playstationtrophies.org format:
Trophy (achievement) guides
Many cross-platform games
Community updates
Multiplayer Coordination:
Finding Boost Partners:
For multiplayer achievements when playerbase is low:
Methods:
Steam game discussion forums
Achievement hunting Discord servers
TrueSteamAchievements boost sessions
Reddit threads
Game-specific communities
Boosting Ethics:
Generally Accepted:
Coordinating achievement unlocks in dead games
Helping each other with co-op achievements
Arranged matches for specific goals
Frowned Upon:
Boosting in active competitive games
Ruining experience for non-boosters
Violating game ToS
Artificial rank inflation
Conclusion
Steam achievement hunting adds depth, challenge, and longevity to gaming. Whether you're a casual earner or hardcore completionist, achievements provide goals beyond simply finishing games. With proper planning, community resources, and realistic expectations, achievement hunting becomes a rewarding hobby that extends your gaming satisfaction.
Key Takeaways:
Start with games you enjoy and near-completions
Use tracking tools to monitor progress
Research achievements before starting games
Accept that some achievements are impossible
Connect with achievement hunting communities
Balance fun with completion goals
Celebrate milestones and perfect games
Achievement hunting is about personal satisfaction—earn achievements for yourself, at your own pace, in games you genuinely enjoy.
Ready to start hunting? Check your profile stats with our [Steam Level Calculator](/calculator/level) and find completable games in your library!