On Steam, hidden achievements stay mysterious by design—developers cloak them to dodge spoilers and keep players guessing, which is both fun and sometimes a bit annoying. While the official achievements list just teases you with “Hidden Achievement,” resourceful gamers use third-party sites like TrueSteamAchievements or community guides to crack the secrecy. Some even peek at YouTube walkthroughs for extra clarity. Want to know not just the titles, but exactly what you need to do to access them? Stick around for the insider scoop.
Ever wondered why some Steam achievements look more like cryptic riddles than actual goals? That’s because they’re “hidden achievements”—special in-game milestones that don’t tell you what you need to do, or even what you’ll get for doing it.
Developers might hide these achievements to prevent spoilers, keep a sense of mystery, or just mess with curious players. On Steam, they’re usually invisible in your typical achievement list, adding an extra layer of intrigue (and sometimes, frustration).
If you want to hunt them down, it’s not as simple as clicking a button. Start by heading to your Steam library, picking your game, and scoping out the achievements section. The catch? Hidden achievements still won’t spill their secrets there. [The current system does not give you the option to permanently unhide these achievements in your personal list, as the developers control achievement visibility.]
But, if you peek at the global achievements list, you’ll catch a temporary glimpse of their icons, names, and sometimes even hints—just enough to entice you, not always enough to help.
Of course, the community isn’t shy about wanting more. Plenty of players have asked Valve for a way to permanently unhide these achievements in their Steam client. So far, no dice.
Valve lets developers decide if an achievement stays hidden, and most devs aren’t keen to spoil their own surprises. If you’re determined, you’ll need to get creative—take screenshots, jot down notes, or use guides.
Don’t underestimate the power of the internet, either. Third-party sites like TrueSteamAchievements catalog all achievements, hidden or not. Steam’s own community guides are often packed with step-by-step instructions, and YouTube channels offer video walkthroughs for visual learners.
You can even turn to game-specific forums, where fellow completionists share their secrets, sometimes with a wink and a nudge.
Just remember, there’s a risk—viewing hidden achievements can drop spoilers faster than you’d expect. If you care about the story, proceed carefully.
In the end, the balance between developer secrecy and player curiosity makes hidden achievements just mysterious enough to keep everyone guessing. And maybe, that’s half the fun.