Valve is now testing Steam Achievement Sets, a beta feature that lets developers divide a game's achievements into distinct collections, with base-game and DLC progress tracked separately rather than lumped into one ever-growing list.
Here's the thing: for anyone who has ever hit 100% on a game only to watch that number collapse the moment a new expansion drops, this is a long-overdue fix. The problem has been obvious for years. Games like Crusader Kings 3 and Team Fortress 2 have accumulated dozens of DLC packs, each adding new achievements that push the goalposts further back for players who had already finished what was available to them.
How achievement sets actually work
Developers decide how many sets a game has and what each one contains. The split does not have to follow a base game versus DLC structure either. A developer could separate achievements by game mode, by character class, or by any other grouping that makes sense for their title. Players unlock achievements the same way they always have; Steam just organises them into whichever sets the developer has configured.
Each set gets its own progress bar. Complete one, and a set-completion trophy appears on your profile. Valve has confirmed that recognition stays in place even if the developer later adds more achievements to that same set, which is the part that actually matters for long-running live games.
| Set type | What it tracks | Progress bar colour |
|---|---|---|
| Base Game | Achievements available to all players | Blue |
| DLC | Achievements requiring paid additional content | Purple |
DLC achievements do not count toward overall game progress unless the player owns the relevant content. That is a narrower guarantee than a blanket 100% protection, but it addresses the most common frustration: being penalised for not buying expansions you have no interest in.
Archiving seasonal and limited-time content
Developers can also archive individual achievements or entire sets. Valve suggests this tool is particularly useful for seasonal events and limited-time holiday challenges. Players who unlocked archived content keep it visible on their profiles. Players who missed it will not see it displayed there, and it will not block progress toward completing a set.
This is a smart call. Missable achievements have been a persistent headache for completionists, and the archive system at least prevents time-limited content from permanently wrecking a player's completion record. If you are currently working through a DLC-heavy game and want to stay on top of every unlock, our Atomic Heart Blood on Crystal achievements guide breaks down all the missable secrets in that expansion.
A revamped achievements page to go with it
The feature comes with a redesigned achievements tracking page, accessible from the web Games List and from games in the Library. Search filters let players narrow results to specific sets, or to locked and unlocked achievements individually. Friend comparisons now support up to three players at once, including rare achievements and DLC sets.
Steam has also renamed the Perfect Games tab to Completed, which now covers both fully completed games and games where all available sets have been finished. Games accessed through Family Sharing show up in the Games List as well, and Store and Library pages will flag whether a game supports Achievement Sets at all.
17 games are in already, with more to follow
The beta currently covers 17 games, including Against the Storm, Crusader Kings 3, DREDGE, Portal 2, Team Fortress 2, and PowerWash Simulator 2. That is a solid cross-section of genres and post-launch support models, which should give Valve a decent range of feedback before any wider rollout.
Valve has said further improvements are planned during the beta period. For now, the feature is opt-in for developers, so adoption will be gradual. The key here is that the underlying framework is in place; it just needs studios to build around it.
For players who take achievement hunting seriously, this is the kind of structural change that makes a real difference. Whether you are tracking every unlock in a sim game or chasing the last few collectibles in a puzzle title, keeping a clean record of what you have actually completed is now a realistic prospect. Check out our gaming guides for achievement walkthroughs across a growing list of supported titles, including a full Escape Simulator 2 achievements guide covering all 26 unlocks across solo and co-op rooms.
