Valve has initiated a beta test for Steam Achievement Sets, a new feature designed to allow developers to organize a game's achievements into distinct collections. This move aims to address issues where new content, such as DLC or seasonal updates, can inadvertently break players' existing game completion status.
In an official announcement, Valve explained that as games continue to evolve with post-launch content, achievements added later can be difficult for players to find and may disrupt progress for those who have already finished the game. With Achievement Sets, developers can categorize achievements based on the game's structure. For example, a game might divide its achievements into single-player and multiplayer sets, or use sets based on character classes. Players will continue to unlock achievements as normal, but Steam will then sort these into the developer-defined sets. Valve states this will make it simpler for players to track their progress and discover related achievements.
Each achievement set will feature its own progress bar, and completing a set awards a special trophy on a player's profile. Crucially, if new achievements are added to a set later, the completion status is maintained. Developers can also create new sets as a game expands, allowing returning players to easily identify new unlockable content without affecting their previous completion status.
Two types of sets are supported: Base Game sets include achievements available to all players, with progress and trophies displayed in blue. DLC sets group achievements that require the purchase of additional content and are shown in purple. Achievements within DLC sets are not factored into overall game progress until the player has access to that content, enabling separate tracking of achievements within expansions.
Developers also have the option to archive individual achievements or entire sets, which could be used for seasonal events or time-limited holiday achievements. Players who have already unlocked archived content will still see it on their profiles, but archived achievements will not appear for players who missed them, nor will they block progress towards set or game completion.
Accompanying the Achievement Sets is an updated achievements page, accessible from the Steam Library and web browser. Search functionality now includes filters for specific sets and for locked or unlocked achievements. Players can also compare their progress with up to three friends, viewing details like rare achievements, completed sets, and DLC set progress.
Further enhancements include the renaming of the "Perfect Games" tab to "Completed," which now displays both fully completed games and those with completed achievement sets. Games accessed via Family Sharing will now appear in the Games List, and friends playing through this method are eligible for comparison. Store and Library pages will also indicate whether a game features achievement sets.
Valve plans to continue refining the feature throughout the beta period. As developers adopt the new tools, these changes will begin appearing in supported games. Titles already implementing achievement sets include Against the Storm, Age of Wonders 4, American Truck Simulator, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Crusader Kings 3, 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.