Steam Achievements and Stats Claims vs Fest Demo Hour-One Parity - Next Fest 2026 Checklist for Micro-Studios

Your store page shows 42 achievements. Your Next Fest demo unlocks six. FAQ row 8 says "full progression in the main game." Players still open the achievement overlay, see locked icons for co-op and chapter four, and file refunds citing false advertising. Demo review revalidation lists mode lists—achievements and stats are mode lists in icon form.

This Process & Workflow checklist maps every Steam achievement and published stat you expose to fest demo hour-one proof. It complements review key labeling, tags, and About bullets. Anchor implementation to Steamworks achievements documentation. No invented studios or metrics.

Time to read: ~36 minutes. Time to run first achievement audit: ~3 hours with overlay capture and stat API check.

Achievement grids look like harmless chrome until a fest player opens the overlay, sees thirty-six locked trophies for modes that are not in the zip, and assumes the store page scammed them. That complaint arrives in refunds with screenshots—harder to argue against than a vague "game felt short" note.

Why this matters now (May–October 2026)

1. Achievement UI is pre-FAQ — Overlay opens from Help menu before players read copy.
2. Fest demos ship partial APIs — Main-game achievement tables ship in demo binaries by mistake.
3. Stats and leaderboards imply live services — Dead backends break tag coherence.
4. Press kits promise completionism — Review keys plus achievement counts become article fodder.
5. May is API trim month — October achievement changes under traffic are high risk.

Direct answer: Build achievement-proof.md and stats-proof.md, verify unlock paths in fest demo hour one, hide or disable non-demo achievements in Steamworks for fest period, align FAQ and store copy with visible counts, log results in BUILD_RECEIPT.

Who this is for

Prerequisites

Achievement proof table (core artifact)

release-evidence/02-builds/achievements/achievement-proof.md:

Pass rule: Achievement visible in overlay must either unlock in hour one on honest path or be hidden/disabled for fest demo SKU period.

Fail rule: Steamworks hide, demo binary remove trigger, or FAQ + hub post stating FULL GAME only—never leave fail icons visible during fest.

Stats and leaderboard proof table

stats-proof.md:

Pair with demo patch retention triage when stats drive support tickets.

Steamworks vs binary truth

All five must agree or explicitly label FULL GAME.

Ninety-minute first pass (engineer-led)

BUILD_RECEIPT extension

"achievements_demo_visible_count": 6,
"achievements_full_game_count": 42,
"achievement_proof_path": "release-evidence/02-builds/achievements/achievement-proof.md",
"stats_proof_path": "release-evidence/02-builds/achievements/stats-proof.md",
"achievements_locked_for_fest": true

Triangle diff (achievements leg)

FAQ rows to add

How many achievements are in the demo?
DEMO: <n> achievements unlock in the Next Fest build; <m> additional achievements ship in the full game.

Are leaderboards active?
DEMO: Local stats only / leaderboards disabled until 1.0—pick one truth.

Common mistakes (fourteen)

1. Shipping main-game achievement DB in demo depot.
2. Visible locked icons for unreleased chapters.
3. Steam stat definitions without live backend.
4. Press kit cites total achievement count.
5. Ignoring overlay in Deck test.
6. Co-op achievements with solo demo.
7. No FAQ count.
8. Review keys promise completionist run.
9. October enable hidden achievements without re-audit.
10. Godot/Unity plugin loads full schema.
11. Cloud stat sync implied but offline demo.
12. Trading card copy conflated with achievements.
13. Skipping Wednesday check after content patch.
14. Assuming players never open overlay.

Worked example (anonymous)

Before: 42 visible, 6 unlockable.
Fix: Steamworks hide 36 for fest; FAQ updated; press kit corrected; overlay screenshot archived.
Result: Refund tickets on achievements dropped; mock audit pass.

Integration with metadata sprint

Optional Day 6c after specs day: achievement + stats proof before Day 7 validate-packet.

Evidence folder layout

release-evidence/02-builds/achievements/
  README.md
  achievement-proof.md
  stats-proof.md
  steamworks-achievements-export.csv
  overlay-hour-one-YYYY-MM-DD.png
  unlock-attempt-log.txt
  engineer-signoff.txt
  producer-signoff.txt

Link from release-evidence taxonomy under builds.

Engine integration notes

Add compile flag DEMO_BUILD to register subset only—document in demo build identity pass.

Hidden vs disabled vs visible locked

Default to hidden for fest unless marketing explicitly wants teasers with lawyer-approved copy.

Leaderboards and competitive stats

If tags include competitive multiplayer, leaderboard stats must live—or remove tag. Event posts must not promise tournament stats when API offline.

Wednesday ritual row

Add Achievements to Wednesday ritual: overlay screenshot + diff achievement CSV vs git after any gameplay promotion—ten minutes.

validate-packet guards

• achievement-proof.md zero Fail rows
• achievements_demo_visible_count in receipt matches CSV
• Stats proof: no Fail for stats referenced in FAQ
• Exit non-zero before partner ZIP if overlay screenshot older than 7 days when build_id changed

Press and hub alignment

Review key templates must cite demo achievement count. Hub posts must not say "100% achievement hunter dream" when demo offers six unlocks.

Red-team tabletop

1. "How many achievements in the demo?"
2. "Can I unlock co-op achievements?"
3. "Why does leaderboard error?"
4. "Are stats shared globally?"
5. "Do cards tie to achievements not in demo?"

Team RACI

Comparison to reactive recovery

Achievement refund language is screenshot-friendly for partners—cheaper to hide icons in May than explain locked chapter four icons in October.

Localization

Achievement names in non-English locales must not imply modes cut from demo—localization QA on exported CSV.

Post-patch re-audit

Any demo patch notes adding combat or levels triggers achievement row review—tag drift sprint parallel for scope tags.

Snippet-friendly answers

Should the demo show full-game achievements locked?
Only with explicit FULL GAME labeling; hiding is safer for fest.

Do Steam stats need to work in the demo?
Any stat shown or written in hour one needs a live backend; otherwise disable UI and say so in FAQ.

Beginner path

1. Export achievements from Steamworks.
2. Cold install; open overlay.
3. Fill proof table.
4. Hide fails.
5. Update FAQ count.
6. Screenshot archive.

October freeze

Lock visible achievement set September. October: unlock tuning only, no new visible icons without full re-audit.

Operating review

Friday Block 5: achievement row when gameplay promotes.

Ads and fest cap

Fest marketing cap: no ads citing achievement totals from main game.

Schedule achievement trim the same week you run depot ninety-minute pass—binary and Steamworks must move together.

Achievement categories to classify

Classification drives hide vs keep decisions—do not treat all icons equally.

Sample unlock test script (engineer)

Document in unlock-attempt-log.txt:

build_id: 4521
account: floor-laptop-03
path: golden-route-act1
achievements attempted: ACT1_CLEAR, TUTORIAL_DONE, COOP_WIN
results: PASS, PASS, FAIL (expected hidden after fix)
stats: runs_completed incremented; co_op_sessions N/A

Repeat after each promotion—same discipline as cold-hash logs.

Store page achievement marketing

Short description must not say "dozens of achievements" without DEMO qualifier. Capsule opinion discipline applies—do not put achievement collage art implying full-game scope on fest capsule A/B tests.

Trading cards and achievements confusion

Trading cards are separate SKUs—if card art shows cut characters, players conflate with achievement icons. Note in diligence README when cards are not demo-representative.

Cloud saves and achievement sync

If FAQ mentions cloud saves, achievement progress must match save behavior in demo hour one—otherwise adjust FAQ per FAQ line checklist.

AI-generated achievement art

AI disclosure applies when icons are generative—descriptor and FAQ rows must align.

Publisher diligence appendix

Achievement audit <date> — demo visible <n> / full <m>; overlay screenshot attached; stats API status documented.

Mock audit dimension

Facilitator asks engineer to unlock one demo achievement live on call—fails tabletop if wrong branch or overlay empty while store claims achievements exist.

Two-storefront note

Itch HTML5 builds often lack Steam achievements—do not claim parity on itch page if Steam demo differs per two-storefront rule.

When to re-audit

Additional mistakes (six)

15. Achievements tied to cut narrative flags still compiled.
16. Demo triggers achievements on debug-only actions.
17. Stat inflation cheats visible in overlay.
18. Seasonal event achievements visible off-season.
19. Partner asks count—you guess.
20. Evidence cycles defer hiding—scope cannot wait.

Intake compression answer

Partner: "What achievements work in the fest build?"
Open proof table + overlay PNG—under ninety seconds.

Asia–EU handoff

Do not register new achievement IDs overnight without updating proof table—morning EU must see CSV diff.

UTM and landing pages

Landing pages must not cite platinum completion rates from full game—UTM experiment discipline applies.

5-day metadata freeze slot

Day 6 alternate in 5-day freeze: achievements + stats only.

Vertical slice vocabulary

Do not market "achievement-rich vertical slice" per vertical slice opinion unless counts proven.

Progressive unlock curves vs demo boundary

If achievements gate on metaprogression absent from demo, players grind invisible systems. Map each achievement to minimum session time to unlock—if median time exceeds demo length listed in FAQ, hide icon.

Steam Deck overlay testing

Deck players open overlay with Guide button—verify readable icons and no broken stat panels per Deck tools. Capture Deck overlay screenshot alongside desktop for proof folder.

Cheat and debug achievements

Disable debug-triggered achievements in demo builds—players must not unlock DEV_GOD_MODE via leftover console. Scan achievement trigger table for #if DEMO guards.

Partner ZIP README bullet

Add to partner ZIP map:

Achievements in fest build: <n> unlockable; <m> hidden until 1.0; stats: <summary>; evidence: achievement-proof.md.

Correction workflow when players cite false achievement ads

1. Verify overlay screenshot date vs their install
2. If fail row existed, publish hub correction
3. Update FAQ count
4. Log in operating review

Steamworks demo review queue coupling

Re-read demo review queue article whenever Valve rejects for mode mismatch—achievement lists are frequent cited evidence in rejection notes.

Glossary

FAQ expansion

Do trading cards affect demo?
Cards are separate; do not imply card progress equals demo progress.

Can we add achievements during fest?
Avoid—each add requires full proof row and FAQ update.

What if backend is staging only?
Disable stats UI; say offline in FAQ.

Run overlay test on every non-dev account you use for review key redemption—press and players share the same achievement UI.

Cross-surface count discipline (table)

One canonical row in achievement-counts.md in git—every surface copies numbers from there.

Pre-promotion checklist (producer)

• [ ] achievement-proof.md all Pass or hidden
• [ ] stats-proof.md green
• [ ] Overlay screenshot dated today
• [ ] FAQ counts match CSV
• [ ] Press kit PDF regenerated
• [ ] BUILD_RECEIPT fields updated
• [ ] validate-packet achievements dimension exit 0

Sign producer-signoff.txt before ads unfreeze.

Stat API smoke commands (document outputs)

Engineers paste sanitized responses into stats-api-smoke.txt:

• Request stat schema version tied to build_id
• Write one honest gameplay action; confirm only allowed stats increment
• Confirm leaderboard endpoints return expected disabled state if offline

Partners should never need raw curl—your summary row in stats-proof.md is enough.

Wishlist truth audit Day 7 annex

Wishlist truth audit can add Day 7b achievements overlay after community hub day—closes the loop on silent UI lies before fest ads.

Key takeaways

• Achievement overlay is store-adjacent UI—audit like FAQ.
• Separate demo-visible vs full-game counts in copy.
• achievement-proof.md + stats-proof.md with hour-one unlock tests.
• Hide fails in Steamworks for fest period when possible.
• Triangle-diff against FAQ, About, tags, trailer.
• BUILD_RECEIPT achievement fields.
• Press kits use demo counts only.
• Cheaper than mismatch recovery.
• Classify achievements by category before hide/keep.
• Log unlock attempts per promotion like cold-hash.
• Metadata sprint tenth surface = achievements overlay.
• Trading cards and achievement art must not imply cut content.
• One achievement-counts.md canonical file for all surfaces.
• Producer pre-promotion checklist before ads unfreeze.
• Document stat API smoke tests in evidence folder.
• Screenshot overlay after every schema change.

FAQ

Can we show locked achievements as teaser?
Only if FAQ and overlay header say FULL GAME; safer to hide for fest.

What about Steam stats for full game only?
Unpublish stat definitions from demo period or gate UI off.

October policy?
Freeze achievement set visible in demo.

Conclusion

Achievements are silent bullet points in the Steam overlay. Forty-two icons selling chapter four in a two-hour demo teach players you lie before gameplay convinces them otherwise.

Count what unlocks in hour one. Hide the rest for fest. Say the numbers in FAQ. Press and keys should repeat demo counts, not main-game totals.

Open the overlay on a floor account tonight. If locked icons sell modes you cut, trim the list before October notifications fire.

When metadata sprint finishes, treat achievements as the tenth surface—players discover lies in the overlay faster than in About paragraphs.

Players forgive limited demos; they do not forgive achievement grids that advertise chapters you locked behind a fest zip that ends at the tutorial. Copy achievement counts from one git file—never let each surface improvise a different number. If the overlay disagrees with FAQ, the overlay wins—fix copy or hide icons the same day. Screenshot the overlay after every achievement schema change so partners never debate what players actually saw on install day itself always.