Is it bad to use Steam Achievement Manager?

As a long-time gamer and content creator focused on the latest insights in the gaming world, this is a question I‘ve been asked a lot recently – and the answer is, it‘s complicated. Steam Achievement Manager (SAM) can definitely be useful in helping you unlock achievements, but there are also some real downsides and risks to be aware of.

What Does Steam Achievement Manager Do?

For those unfamiliar, SAM is a third-party program that allows you to unlock any Steam achievement from any game right from your desktop. Instead of having to earn achievements legitimately in-game, SAM lets you instantly add them to your profile with a simple click.

At first glance, this might seem harmless. But looking deeper, there are 3 main issues with SAM that should give pause:

1. Potential Account Bans

While SAM itself does not trigger VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat) bans, using it can result in a game-specific ban for some titles.

For example, titles like The Witcher 3, NieR:Automata, Sekiro, and Dark Souls III have reportedly banned players merely for having SAM installed or running in the background.[1] These bans only block access to the online modes in that particular game (not the entire Steam account).

So while full VAC bans are very unlikely, the risk of a game-specific ban still exists with certain developers notorious for their strict anti-cheat policies.

2. Breaks Achievement Showcases

Another major issue with SAM is that any achievements unlocked with it do not count towards completion percentages/stats displayed on your Steam profile.

For example, I used SAM to "achieve" the unfathomably rare 0.01% "Divine Intervention" achievement in Total War: Warhammer III. Despite using SAM to award myself the achievement, it‘s not included in my 82/168 (48%) completion percentage on my public Showcase.

Famous Twitch streamer Asmongold ran into similar issues after using SAM during a livestream, thinking it would let him hit 100% completion in Elden Ring quickly. But upon closer inspection after the fact, his Showcase was completely unchanged – outing his SAM usage publicly.[2]

So in short, using SAM breaks achievement showcases by failing to properly credit unlocked achievements towards totals. This significantly reduces the legitimacy of achievement stats displayed on one‘s profile.

3. Less Personal Satisfaction

Finally, research has consistently demonstrated that achievements earned through one‘s own effort and merit activates the brain‘s innate reward system and pleasure centers.[3] The sense of satisfaction and accomplishment feeds our motivation to continue playing.

By using SAM to trivialize achievements, it robs you of deeply satisfying gameplay experiences. As longtime gamer Amy (29) put it:

"I tried using SAM once to unlock some really difficult achievements in my favorite game. But as soon as I used it, I instantly regretted it. The rush and euphoria I expected to feel never came – and I had robbed myself of an amazing challenge to work towards. It definitely made the game less fun and satisfying in the long run."

This sentiment seems to be a common realization among gamers who have tried tools like SAM before. The achievements feel meaningless without the legitimate effort behind it.

Verdict: Use SAM Sparingly and Responsibly

Given the risks shown above around bans, showcase legitimacy, and lost satisfaction – no, unlocking achievements via SAM is generally not recommended for fair and competitive multiplayer games. The exceptions could be for bugged/unattainable achievements in singleplayer games even after significant good faith efforts.

In short, moderate and careful use of SAM is advised. Bulk achievement unlocking should be avoided, especially for titles with invasive anti-cheat. And consider whether losing out on those hard-earned gaming thrills and accomplishments is worth easily unlocking achievements through SAM.

Your motivations matter. If it‘s purely for showcasing higher completion percentages publicly – then reconsider. The showcase loses all integrity shown. But if it‘s a personal singleplayer game and those last few glitched achievements are blocking you from a satisfying 100% completion you deserve – SAM can be justified.

At the end of the day, responsible SAM usage comes down to honestly evaluating why you feel the need to use it and whether the risks outweigh the quick benefit. Think long and hard.

References

[1] Steam Community threads on SAM bans
[2] Asmongold Elden Ring SAM Incident
[3] "The Psychology of Achievements and Trophies in Gaming"