Does Steam Have Secret Achievements?
As an avid Steam gamer and content creator, I can definitively say yes – Steam absolutely offers secret achievements in many popular games that add an extra element of surprise, discovery, and replayability for players.
What are Secret Achievements?
Secret achievements are hidden in-game goals and challenges that developers intentionally conceal from players at first, only revealing them once certain unlock conditions are met.
Unlike standard achievements displayed in the achievements menu, secret ones stay obscured, acting as "Easter eggs" for players to uncover themselves. Typically, the unlock requirements relate to:
- Reaching key plot points in the main story campaigns
- Completing specific side missions or bonus objectives
- Discovering hidden locations, items, or game features
- Pulling off odd feats like not taking damage for 30 minutes or falling from a tall height
The secrecyaround them creates a thrilling sense of discovery as gamers unlock new goals to accomplish long after they thought they had 100% a game.
As a games journalist and completitionist gamer, I love this extra replayability and lasting appeal secret achievements add!
Why Developers Add Secret Achievements
Based on insider developer perspectives, there are three core reasons studios hide bonus achievements:
1. Avoid Spoiling Plot Points & Game Moments
Displaying all achievements by default can inadvertently reveal pivotal story beats or special moments that developers want players to uncover themselves through natural play.
2. Increase Replayability & Game Lifetime
Secret achievements give players incentive to replay games multiple times to keep revealing new goals, extending the lifetime and stopping an abandonment after they earn all visible achievements.
3. Create Unexpected Delight Moments
Earning a sudden achievement for feats players didn‘t even know were tracked creates a thrilling rush – unlocking them feels especially rewarding as you surprise even yourself!
Top Games on Steam with Secret Achievements
While many Steam games have hidden achievements, certain popular titles are especially packed with secreta and Easter egg content for diligent players to unlock.
Middle Earth: Shadow of War
This epic open world action RPG set in Tolkien‘s iconic fantasy universe contains at least 5 secret achievements connected to skills unlocks, ability upgrades, and infiltrating certain enemy fortresses in clever ways.
They offer exciting goals for players who have already beaten the main story but want new challenges and incentives to keep dominating with their upgraded hero.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt Red‘s beloved dark fantasy epic features over 10 secret achievements tied to main quest milestones, side missions, monster hunts, and story choices.
Notably the "Happily Ever After" achievement remains obscured until players make pivotal romantic choices for Geralt late in the game – perfect to surprise fans on a second playthrough!
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar Games‘ epic open-world Western contains a whopping 15+ secret achievements related to odd challenges like interrupting poker games with guns, surviving wild animal attacks, drifting on a wagon, or just randomly finding many unique secrets scattered across the map.
The sheer variety ensures even veteran cowboy fans have plenty of new feats left to accomplish 100+ hours in!
Tips for Unlocking Hidden Achievements in Steam Games
After unlocking secret achievements across countless Steam games, I‘ve picked up some pro-tips for efficiently revealing even the most elusive hidden goals:
Explore Every Inch Thoroughly: Scan environments closely to find hidden items, passages, Easter eggs that could trigger secret achievements. No corner left unsearched!
Finish All Missions & Questlines Fully: Complete all main stories, side content, bonus objectives fully. Secret achievements often stealthily unlock for big mission milestones!
Read Gaming News Sites & Wikis: Sometimes other players posting online have already discovered secrets so learn from them! But avoid too many spoilers.
Make Lots of Save Files: When conversation and story branches appear, make a new save so you can return easily to unlock achievements through completionist play.
Analyze Achievement Images & Titles for Hints: Studying secret achievement names/icons pre-unlock can reveal hints at where/how to unlock them!
With dedication and the right gaming sleuth mindset, you can discover even the most arcane secrets – happy hidden achievement hunting!
So in summary, Steam offers secret achievements offering surprise Easter egg challenges that compel committed gamers like myself to keep playing our favorite titles long past 100% completion tracking down every last obscurity they hold!
