So i wanna void any flaming or hating.
But i’m generally curious about what you folks do (and don’t) like about achievements in games!
Just as an aspiring game dev
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It depends on the game. My brain goes Brr when an achievement is collected, but that always happens cause of how my brain is.
That said, there is definitely a difference between good and bad achievements. RDR2 has “All Legendary Hunts”: this is a good achievement because it encourages exploring the corners of the game, provides gameplay, and also has in-game rewards beyond the achievement itself.
RDR2 also has “Pick all plants”: This is a bad achievement. While it also encourages exploring all corners of the map, it becomes a grind due to amount. It also doesn’t provide an in-game reward, nor fun gameplay to explore since its just “go here press button”
For Indy Games (which I think most on this site count as) you want achievements that encourage players explore the various paths/scenes that you the Dev have made. While not required, giving bonus scenes/content can be a reward and give players an incentive to check more options in the game.
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the bad stuff:
boring achievements (eg reached chapter x or collect 5 billion rocks)
achievement popups. I find them annoying, a better solution is something like the checklist from kirbys air ride or challenges in super smash bros brawl where after you have finished whatever you were doing then it shows what achievements you have completed
the good stuff:
letting the player know about fun challenges and such. most achievements forget about the fun part
I think the only achievements I have really engaged deliberately with are the ones where it is integrated into the game like in kirbys air ride. it feels less like an after thought when it is actually in the game and has something you unlock other than a checkbox, so it might be worth my time
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When is about achievements. I personally don’t like when they are just a card or simple pop-up with a little message and that’s it. I think that if the player achieves something (like beating the game in a certain way or finding a certain amount of stuff) they should be rewarded for their achievement with something. For example, Resident evil 4 rewards the player after beating all maps of Mercenaries with all characters with a unique weapon that can be use during any run.
And don’t call yourself an “aspiring game dev”. If you are developing a game, run a campaing in D&D or similar, you are a game developer. Treat yourself properly.
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Would you count “subversion” a proper way to use an achievement?
As a sort of hint that turns out not to be what you expected?
“collect the red flower” But finding it triggers a boss fight that has a red flower on it’s head you would collect from beating it?
I like ones where you have a weird challenge to complete that makes 100%ing the game a little longer and makes more content overall like the one in plants vs zombies where you have to complete a night level with only day plants
- Pads out more (optional) playtime for the player, and gives them more things to “collect” without having to do any actual work from your end. Hours of playtime for like 4 minutes of work.
- Tricks players into trying out more aspects of the game instead of beelining the main content and trying out none of the side stuff you worked on. (pls don’t force players into less-universal things though, like “have sex with all characters” when half the characters are male and half are female, or there’s an optional sex scene with a nasty fetish.)
- Can pull in achievement hunters if the game’s on Steam for extra sales/playercounts.
- The achievements themselves can be tied to rewards in the game, encouraging players to get them all on every playthrough, further padding out playtime if the game’s got NG+ or other characters to run through the game as.
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The best achievements are the ones that reward experimenting with new play styles or seek alternative goals. To encourage exploration and experimentation - that little buzz of stumbling upon a secret or easter egg and having the game acknowledge your diligence is always rewarding.
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I don’t care much for achievements myself, but I have friends that just adore them. They’re like little extra missions you can go for if you want, and it can add a lot of playtime if you’re the type to go for Platinum and collect all the achievements.
I think others have specified it better than I can, but essentially, when done well, achievements are able to help a user either 1) complete parts of a game that they wouldn’t otherwise or 2) complete the game in ways they wouldn’t otherwise.
A Broad Semester does this with a photo library. Because there are a number of branching paths, it is easy to miss out on some branches without realizing it. With a photo library, it is easy to know at a glance whether you have hit all of the branching paths or if there is content you have missed.
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I’d say achievements are good when you’re targeting the ‘achievers’ as described by Bartle. The other three player types are the explorers, socializers and the killers if you want to look those up. It’s about knowing who you’re making your game for and how to make them happy.
An achievement boils down to the game acknowledging a thing the player did and giving them a fancy sticker so they can show other people that they did a thing. If you’re making a game that’s difficult, has extra challenges (like a secret boss) or contains some way to build a character with stats, you’re gonna get players that will try to finish the game as fast as possible, do the challenges and/or make the best character possible; these are the achievers. By giving acknowledgements for what they did (like beating the secret boss, or finishing the game with only the starting gear) you make them very happy. it’s all they need to do.
Relying solely on achievements to steer players into playing a minigame or engage with a system is probably not the best way to go about it. Just adding achievements so your players don’t ignore the otherwise useless fetch quest or something isn’t very fun or effective, and it diminishes the perceived value of other achievements. However, if you do have a minigame and a player goes and gets the maximum score, it’s probably good to give them a little sticker and say “good job!” to make them happy. Extra rewards on top of that might be nice, but that depends on the type of game you’re making and how much you want to focus on this type of player.
There’s a bit of overlap with what the explorer finds fun when it comes to a game where you can find or do a lot of things. There is a difference however, as an explorer will go to all the places to just go there and see what interesting things are about; maybe find some cool loot or see a pretty picture, while an achiever doesn’t care that much about what’s actually in cave #23, they just want the sticker for finding all the caves. An explorer also finds more enjoyment from experimenting with things to see what works, and you can reward them with something like a stat boost or a piece of lore. An achiever is more likely to look up what works best and uses it to speedrun the game. They’ll be happy to get a sticker for completing it in under an hour. An explorer also wants to defeat a secret boss so they can make them cough up more lore (for example), while the achiever wants to beat the boss so they can brag to others that they did the hard thing.
To sum it up: achievements make certain types of players happy, as the game gives them acknowledgement for going out of their way to do a thing.
ahh, very insightful!
thank you again folks!
For me I love challenging myself and finding as many secrets as possible. Achievements kind of act as a trophy for me, rewarding me for my hard work. Plus, some achievements can add some fun Easter eggs from other games or just be funny in general.
I think when it comes down to a developer standpoint, it depends on the type of game you plan on making. Achievements are a lot better (in my opinion) in open world games/RPG games where exploration is encouraged. Achievements can get tedious, especially in the case of visual novels where getting endings by clicking specific scenes takes away a little bit from the experience you want to get from the game as a player.
Secret achievements are always fun too, as it usually results in the community supporting the game working together to solve a puzzle in order to get the achievement or secret unlock.
That being said, making things too complex to where people make content farms/tutorials on how to earn said achievement can spoil gameplay for achievement hunters who haven’t completed the story or, it can be less rewarding. (even though in my case, I will get 100% no matter what it takes lol)
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I think i am one of those guys who likes doing those things. Steam and not only achievements are fascinating because they add an extra layer of engagement to gaming. They can transform a game from a simple pastime into a series of challenges, each offering a sense of accomplishment. Whether it’s mastering a difficult level, finding hidden secrets, or completing a game 100%, these achievements give you specific goals to aim for. They also allow you to compare your progress with friends, adding a social and competitive element. Plus, unlocking a rare achievement brings a unique sense of pride, making your gaming experience more rewarding. I also like to imagine my achievements in games like EA FC, EA FC 25 Coins , so for me it works in many games
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