Steam has started testing “Achievement Sets” in its client beta. The idea is to fix a long-running complaint from completionists: a new DLC adds achievements, and a base game you had already finished is no longer complete. According to VGC, Insider Gaming and TheGamer, 17 games already use the feature.
How it works
Until now, a game's achievements on Steam were a single list. With sets, developers can group them by purpose: base game, DLC, updates, events, single-player or multiplayer. Each set gets its own progress bar and, once finished, a “set complete” trophy on your profile. If new achievements are added to that set later, the trophy you already earned is not removed.
According to Insider Gaming, base game sets show progress in blue and can be earned by playing, while DLC sets show progress in purple and are only accessible to players who bought the content. The example given by the press is Portal 2, where a developer could split the solo campaign achievements from the co-op ones.
Archiving what can no longer be earned
Another change is the option to archive individual achievements or entire sets. This suits seasonal events and temporary content. Archived achievements stay on the profile of players who earned them, but no longer appear for those who missed them and no longer block set or game completion. The guidance cited is that achievements that can no longer be unlocked “should be archived,” such as those tied to a multiplayer mode whose servers have shut down.
A revamped achievements page
The achievements page was also redesigned, according to Insider Gaming and TheGamer. It shows overall progress and per-set progress, lets you compare with up to three friends, pin the achievements you are working on and use new filters for sets and locked or unlocked achievements. The “Perfect Games” tab is now called “Completed” and includes games with finished sets, which can also go into the Completionist Showcase. Store and library pages indicate whether a game has sets.
Which games already have it
The initial list reported by VGC has 17 titles: Against the Storm, Age of Wonders 4, American Truck Simulator, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Crusader Kings III, DREDGE, Euro Truck Simulator 2, Forza Horizon 5, Flock Around, He is Coming, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2, PowerWash Simulator, PowerWash Simulator 2, Team Fortress 2 and Victoria 3. Support depends on each developer setting up the sets.
What we still don't know
For now, the feature only exists in the Steam beta. To try it, you need to go to Settings, Interface and Client Beta Participation, according to TheGamer. None of the articles says when it will reach the stable client, and VGC does not cite a Valve post on the subject. There are also no details on how older games that never adopt sets will be handled.
For PC players the day-to-day change is small, but it touches something that annoys many people: watching a 100% disappear just because a DLC arrived. If developers adopt it, Steam gets closer to what consoles already do with their trophies.
