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The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (2022)
8.7/10on IGDB
Released
Ultra Deluxe turns completion itself into a joke: Super Go Outside asks for ten years away, while Commitment asks for an entire Tuesday of play. I would follow the narrator, wander off and enjoy the discoveries before treating those badges as instructions. Achievement hunting can be part of its comedy, but the percentage is a poor measure of how much of that comedy you have enjoyed.
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Outer Wilds (2019)
8.9/10on IGDB
Released
Hotshot asks you to manually fly to the Sun Station, a precision-piloting stunt quite different from patiently following the solar system's clues. It can be a brilliant challenge once you love the ship. I would keep it away from a first investigation, where repeated crashes for a badge can replace curiosity with a rehearsal. There are still substantial discoveries to make beyond an initial finish.
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Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (2021)
9.4/10on IGDB
Released
True Detective requires finishing in Hardcore mode. That is a useful second-run constraint if you want scarcer resources and tougher decisions, but I prefer letting a first detective be a person rather than a project with a completion plan. The story, political quests and consequences deserve attention on their own terms; an ordinary completed case already counts as a full experience.
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Hollow Knight (2017)
9.2/10on IGDB
Released
Steel Heart combines 100% completion with finishing in Steel Soul mode, where a normal death can end the run. That changes the pleasure of exploring Hallownest into protecting an investment. I would discover its bosses, stories and alternative routes before considering that challenge. Extra endings and optional fights can be worthwhile without a promise to earn every achievement.
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Celeste (2018)
8.7/10on IGDB
Released
Impress Your Friends asks for 175 strawberries. Many of their detours are excellent little lessons, but collecting the last awkward berries can interrupt the momentum of a first ascent. Take the optional challenges that make you want another try and leave others for later. Golden strawberries are not required for all Steam achievements, so the game's hardest self-imposed goals should not be confused with the badge list.
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Stardew Valley (2016)
8.6/10on IGDB
Released
Fector's Challenge asks you to beat Journey of the Prairie King without dying. That is a demanding arcade test inside a game you may chiefly love for crops, neighbours and designing a home. I would play the minigame while it is fun, then return to the farm. Choosing a personal long-term goal, including Perfection if it appeals, need not mean accepting every unrelated challenge.
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Terraria (2011)
8.2/10on IGDB
Released
Supreme Helper Minion asks for 200 completed Angler quests. Fishing can provide useful rewards and a pleasant change from digging or fighting, yet a fixed counter can turn it into the organising principle of every session. I prefer building, exploring and advancing through bosses at a rhythm I choose. The achievement is a long-term fishing project, not proof that you have properly experienced Terraria.
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Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
9.3/10on IGDB
Released
Gold Rush requires 70 gold medals in story missions, often with timing and accuracy conditions. That can make revisiting a favourite set-piece rewarding, but it can also turn a dramatic scene into a route to optimise. I would let Arthur's campaign breathe on a first run and choose replays afterwards. The separate story-completion checklist is not the same thing as earning every achievement.
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Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)
8.1/10on IGDB
Released
Child of Poseidon requires completing every underwater location's objectives. Some dives are lovely discoveries, especially when you notice them while sailing between stories; an exhaustive sweep can become a succession of similar treasure stops. I would follow interesting islands and character quests, then dive when the water itself looks inviting. Leaving some locations unfinished does not diminish those adventures.
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Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020)
7.4/10on IGDB
Released
Completionist All the Way asks you to complete the base game's territories, including their Wealth, Mysteries and Artefacts. There are enjoyable stories and puzzles among those markers, but chasing every last one can overwhelm the rhythm of Eivor's alliances. My preference is to follow the activities that remain interesting, with the full territorial sweep reserved for someone who actively enjoys map completion.
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Hogwarts Legacy (2023)
7.9/10on IGDB
Released
Merlin's Beard requires all 95 Merlin Trials, going beyond the number needed for their inventory-capacity challenge rewards. The first few make a useful reason to explore and experiment with spells; the final sweep repeats a smaller set of puzzle types. I would stop when that repetition stops being pleasurable and spend the time on the castle, characters or another activity you actually want.
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NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... (2021)
8.4/10on IGDB
Released
Forging Master asks you to upgrade 33 weapons to their highest level. The material farming can become a separate occupation from following the characters and seeing the story's later routes. I would still pursue those narrative routes: collecting weapons for them and fully upgrading 33 weapons are different requirements. Keep the upgrades that help your play, rather than assuming every drop needs a farming circuit.
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Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (2013)
8.6/10on IGDB
Released
My example concerns Final Fantasy X within this two-game collection. Lightning Dancer requires 200 consecutive lightning dodges and collecting the reward, a concentrated endurance task very different from enjoying the pilgrimage and turn-based battles. The resulting equipment can matter to superboss plans, but it is unnecessary for a normal story finish. Choose that extra challenge because you want the postgame build, not merely a complete badge page.
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Final Fantasy IX (2016)
8.0/10on IGDB
Released
The PC edition's Hail to the King requires 1,000 consecutive rope jumps without tripping. The minigame is charming as a brief childhood diversion; drilling its changing rhythm can take over the evening when your real interest is the party's adventure. I would enjoy the story and select side quests first. Mastering the rope is an impressive separate skill, not a missing piece of the main narrative.
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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
9.0/10on IGDB
Released
7-Star Hotel requires every item for Johnny's treasure trove, pulling together high-level minigame rewards and substantial optional challenges. Queen's Blood, exploration and side stories can be wonderful without every one becoming an obligation. I would follow what deepens the journey, then choose a favourite challenge to master. The all-items target is a completion project with a different pace from the campaign.
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Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (2020)
8.2/10on IGDB
Released
Faster Than Sound requires all platinum Time Trial Relics, turning colourful platforming stages into precise speed routes. That is satisfying if repeatable movement mastery is the reason you play. I prefer learning each stage without timing every jump first, then returning selectively. Higher completion percentages do provide extra ending material, but they are a different undertaking from finishing the main campaign.
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Cuphead (2017)
8.5/10on IGDB
Released
Beat the Devil at His Own Game asks for a clear on Expert, after Regular has already demanded substantial learning. Expert's revised patterns are worthwhile for someone who wants another round with the bosses, rather than filler to dismiss. I would reach the normal conclusion and decide whether that next level still sounds exciting. You can admire the animation and earn a hard-fought finish without committing to every badge.
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Hades (2020)
8.9/10on IGDB
Released
Friends Forever requires max-ranking every standard Keepsake through repeated use. Trying different gifts can reveal useful builds, but levelling an item only because its bar is unfinished can pull you away from the run you wanted. I would keep returning for conversations, relationships and the continuing story while they remain compelling. Seeing that story through does not require every Keepsake to be fully ranked.
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Slay the Spire (2019)
8.4/10on IGDB
Released
Speed Climber requires a win in under 20 minutes. It rewards fast recognition and decisive play, which is an entertaining challenge after you understand the cards. During learning, it fights the central pleasure of stopping to reason through a difficult turn. I would take the time a run needs, including the later challenges you choose, and let speed become an optional specialty rather than a standard of success.
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Balatro (2024)
8.6/10on IGDB
Released
Completionist++ requires a Gold Stake win sticker on every Joker. It can teach you to make unfashionable cards work, but it also encourages carrying a particular unfinished Joker when another choice would make the run more interesting. I prefer experimenting with decks and climbing stakes while the decisions remain enjoyable. A full sticker collection is a major additional project, not the definition of a satisfying win.
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PowerWash Simulator (2022)
7.7/10on IGDB
Released
Good Dings to Come asks for 95% of a job cleaned without finishing any individual task. That clever inversion rewards careful control, but it runs directly against the pleasure of making a small dirty component completely clean. I would enjoy the normal rhythm of washing first and attempt this deliberately awkward job only when the novelty appeals. A relaxing hobby does not need another performance target.
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Yakuza 0: Director's Cut (2025)
9.0/10on IGDB
Released
In Director's Cut, Perfectionist asks for 100% of the Completion List, taking you well beyond the central crime story into specific minigame and activity targets. Many substories and diversions are a major part of the appeal, so I would sample them freely. Chasing a target in a minigame you dislike is a separate choice; enjoying Kamurocho does not depend on becoming equally good at everything it offers.
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Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition (2012)
9.3/10on IGDB
Released
Perfect Knight - Day 2 spans the story, side missions, upgrades, collectibles, New Game Plus and Batman's Riddler's Revenge challenges. Some of those combat and predator maps are excellent ways to learn the systems more deeply. I would choose the ones that keep that pleasure alive, instead of treating the complete set as homework after a satisfying campaign. The GOTY edition also has further optional character content.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
9.4/10on IGDB
Released
Master Marksman requires 50 crossbow headshot kills against human or nonhuman humanoid opponents. That can turn combat into a search for suitable targets and careful finishing blows, a different emphasis from following contracts and character stories. I would develop the tools I enjoy and take side quests for their choices. A mechanical counter need not decide how Geralt spends his next evening.
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