Steam Achievement Manager (SAM): What It Is and How It Works

Steam Achievement Manager (SAM) is a free Windows program that unlocks or resets achievements for Steam games in your account. It works, but it isn’t without consequences: developers can notice, and some games invalidate forced trophies.

It started as closed-source software in 2008 and became open source in 2013. The code is public on GitHub and still receives updates; version 7.0.41 was released in March 2026. You don’t install it: you download the archive, extract it, and run the executable with Steam open and your account logged in.

What is Steam Achievement Manager #

SAM reads the Steam library of the connected account and lists the games that have achievements. For each game, it shows all the trophies, and you can unlock or relock them, one by one or all at once.

The interface is Spartan and looks like a program from fifteen years ago, but it’s easy to use: you can search for a game by name or enter its AppID, the number Steam assigns to every game. You can find it in the URL of the game’s store page, immediately after /app/, or on SteamDB in any tab.

Steam Achievement Manager window with the list of games from your Steam library — The list of games in your library: this is where you open the trophies page

How it works #

There are three main functions:

Updating the game list: SAM rereads your library and adds recently purchased games.
Manually adding a game that it didn’t find on its own, by typing in the AppID.
Changing achievement status: check a trophy and click Commit Changes to unlock it immediately on your profile, or uncheck it to make it unearned again. In the Statistics tab, you can also modify game statistics, such as enemies defeated or matches played, which some trophies depend on.

In some multiplayer games, progress is tracked on the server: in those cases, an achievement forced with SAM might be revoked upon your next login because the server never recorded the actual progress.

Keep one more detail in mind: Steam saves the date and time of every unlock. Thirty trophies earned within the same minute will stand out at a glance on your profile, and sites like Steam Hunters or AStats take these suspicious unlocks into account in their rankings.

How to install Steam Achievement Manager #

Download the latest version from the official releases page on GitHub.
Download Steam Achievement Manager
Extract the archive into a separate folder, not inside your Steam folder.
Make sure no games are running and that Steam is launched with your account logged in.
Run SAM.Picker.exe: the program will automatically find your library and show compatible games.
Search for the game, double-click it, and change the achievements from the list that appears. While the SAM window is open, Steam will show you as “in-game” in that title.

There is no version for macOS or Linux: SAM only runs on Windows. On Linux, you can try running it with Wine or Proton, but there’s no guarantee it will work.

SAM, VAC bans, and Steam Terms of Service #

The most common fear is a VAC ban. Let’s clear something up here: Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) monitors the game while it is running and looks for modifications that provide an unfair advantage in matches, such as aimbots or wallhacks. SAM does not touch the game itself: it only reads and writes achievement data via the Steam client. For this reason, there are currently no reliable reports of VAC bans caused by SAM.

No VAC doesn’t mean no consequences. Changing achievements without earning them violates the Steam Terms of Service, which prohibit third-party programs used to alter data and statistics. Additionally, an individual developer can still penalize your account for that specific game—for example, with a ranking ban or from their community hub—even without VAC.

If you use it, the rules have been the same for years: only on closed games, never on competitive multiplayer where developers monitor achievements, and never give your password or Steam Guard codes to any program. SAM will never ask for them; if a version does, it’s fake. Only download it from GitHub.

Does it make sense to use it? #

In my opinion, SAM makes sense in a few specific cases: achievements blocked by a bug, those tied to online events that no longer exist or dead servers, or trophies that require dozens of hours of tedious grinding to reach 100%. I also find it useful for the opposite purpose: resetting the achievements of a game you want to replay from scratch.

If achievements are part of the challenge for you, forget about it: a trophy unlocked with SAM says nothing about what you actually did in a match, and according to Steam’s rules, it remains an unauthorized modification of account data.

FAQ #

Is using Steam Achievement Manager legal? #

It is not a crime, but it does violate the Steam Terms of Service: any consequences for your account are your responsibility, especially in games where the developer monitors achievements.

How do I find a game’s AppID to enter into SAM? #

It is the number in the URL of the game’s page on the Steam store, immediately after /app/. You can also find it on SteamDB in any tab.

Does SAM work with all games in my Steam library? #

It works with most games that use the Steam achievement system. However, in multiplayer games where progress is controlled on the server, forced achievements may disappear upon your next login.

Can I undo an achievement unlocked by mistake? #

Yes. Open the game in SAM, uncheck the trophy, and click Commit Changes: it will become unearned again. The reset function, however, wipes all game statistics (and, if you choose, all achievements), so use it carefully.

Do I need to install anything to use SAM? #

No: download the archive from the releases page on GitHub, extract it into a separate folder, and run the executable with Steam open and your account logged in.