100% Achievement Guide

Portal 2 has 51 Steam achievements. The Xbox 360 version has 49 (it omits "Talent Show"), and the PS3 version has 52 (it adds a Platinum trophy). This guide covers the Steam (PC) list. A complete 100% run takes 15 to 25 hours depending on how quickly you handle the co-op campaign and the trickier optional achievements.

No achievement is permanently missable. You can replay any chapter from the chapter select menu after completing the story, and co-op courses are replayable from the Hub at any time.

Single-Player Story Achievements

These unlock automatically as you play through the campaign. You cannot miss them.

Achievement	Chapter	How to Unlock	Global Unlock
Wake Up Call	1	Survive the manual override.	74.3%
You Monster	1	Reunite with GLaDOS.	64.9%
Undiscouraged	2	Complete the first Thermal Discouragement Beam test.	62.8%
Bridge Over Troubling Water	3	Complete the first Hard Light Bridge test.	53.4%
SaBOTour	4	Make a break for it.	46.6%
Stalemate Associate	5	Press the stalemate resolution button.	45.6%
Tater Tote	6	Carry science forward (potato-GLaDOS through Old Aperture).	41.1%
Vertically Unchallenged	6	Master the Repulsion Gel.	43.0%
Stranger Than Friction	7	Master the Propulsion Gel.	39.5%
White Out	7	Complete the first Conversion Gel test.	38.4%
Tunnel of Funnel	8	Master the Excursion Funnel.	35.2%
Dual Pit Experiment	8	Do the same test twice.	37.1%
The Part Where He Kills You	9	This is that part.	34.5%
Lunacy	9	That just happened. (Complete the game.)	34.2%

Single-Player Optional Achievements

These require specific actions. All can be earned on any playthrough or from chapter select.

Easy (Comes Naturally)

Achievement	How to Unlock	Chapter	Global Unlock	Tips
Pit Boss	Show that pit who's boss.	9	7.9%	At the start of Chapter 9, Wheatley tells you to jump into a pit. Jump in. You die and respawn immediately. Achievement unlocks on death.
Good Listener	Take GLaDOS's escape advice.	4	28.4%	During Chapter 4, GLaDOS sarcastically suggests you "go through the door marked 'escape'." Look for a literal door labeled "ESCAPE" and walk through it.
Scanned Alone	Stand in a defective turret detector.	5	34.8%	In the turret manufacturing area, find an Aperture Science turret scanner. Step into the scanning beam. Stand still until the scan completes.
Door Prize	Examine all the vitrified test chamber doors.	6	7.3%	In Old Aperture, look for sealed test chamber doors with visible mechanisms behind them. Walk up to each one and observe.

Moderate (Some Effort)

Achievement	How to Unlock	Chapter	Global Unlock	Tips
Drop Box	Place a cube on a button without touching the cube.	2	29.0%	In the cube dropper chamber, position a portal under the dropper and another portal above the button. The cube drops through the portal and lands on the button. You never touch it.
Preservation of Mass	Break the rules in Test Chamber 07.	2	24.5%	The chamber asks you to put a Companion Cube on a button and leave through the door. Instead, take the Companion Cube with you through the exit. Portal the cube past the Emancipation Grill by placing a portal on the far side of the grill and carrying the cube through a different portal.
Pturretdactyl	Use an Aerial Faith Plate to launch a turret.	5	N/A	Find a chamber or area with both a turret and a Faith Plate. Pick up a turret and set it on the Faith Plate. Watch it fly. The turret manufacturing area in Chapter 5 has both elements nearby.
No Hard Feelings	Save a turret from redemption.	5	31.1%	In the turret redemption line (where defective turrets are disposed of), grab a turret off the conveyor belt before it falls into the incinerator. Pick it up and set it down on safe ground.
Ship Overboard	Discover the missing experiment.	6	10.7%	In Old Aperture, look for a hidden area containing a small model of the Borealis (a ship from the Half-Life universe). The area is off-path, accessible through a breakable wall panel.

Hard (Dedicated Work)

Achievement	How to Unlock	Chapter	Global Unlock	Tips
Final Transmission	Find the hidden signal in one of the Rat Man dens.	2	5.5%	Use the same portal trick from "Drop Box" to rescue a radio from the garbage disposal. Carry the physical radio into a hidden Rat Man den in the wall to trigger a specific audio signal. The den entrance is easy to miss.
Overclocker	Complete Test Chamber 10 in 70 seconds.	3	4.0%	The timer starts the exact moment you cross the chamber's entry threshold. The chamber involves a laser, a redirection cube, and two buttons. Memorize the solution on a normal run first, then replay from chapter select and execute it flawlessly. Quick-save at the chamber start. Most players need three to five attempts.
Schrodinger's Catch	Catch a blue-painted cube before it hits the ground.	6	6.9%	When a cube falls through Repulsion Gel, catch it mid-bounce before it touches the floor on the first contact. Position yourself under the cube's drop point and grab it the moment it enters the gel. Timing is tight.
Portrait of a Lady	Find a hidden portrait.	7	11.7%	In the late 1970s-era test shafts, a hidden room behind a wall panel contains a portrait of Caroline beside Cave Johnson. The room is off the main path. Look for wall panels that look slightly different from their surroundings.
You Made Your Point	Refuse to solve the first test in Chapter 8.	8	6.6%	In the first chamber of Chapter 8, Wheatley asks you to complete a test. Do nothing. Stand still and wait. After about 30 seconds, Wheatley gives up and solves the puzzle for you. The achievement pops when he completes it.
Smash TV	Break 11 test chamber monitors.	8	3.7%	11 small TV monitors showing Wheatley's face are spread across Chambers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11 of Chapter 8. Shoot a portal at each one or physically break them. You need to get all 11 in a single run. Turrets make this harder than it sounds.

warning

Overclocker is the hardest optional single-player achievement at 4.0% global unlock. The 70-second timer starts the exact moment you cross the threshold. You need flawless execution of three distinct momentum portal pathways without stopping. Memorize the route before attempting it.

danger

Smash TV monitors are spread across seven different chambers in Chapter 8, not just the boss fight arena. If you miss any during your Chapter 8 playthrough, you need to restart from chapter select. Check every chamber systematically.

Co-Op Story Achievements

These unlock by completing each co-op course. Both players earn them simultaneously.

Achievement	How to Unlock	Global Unlock
High Five	Complete the Calibration Course.	58.6%
Team Building	Complete Course 1: Team Building.	49.5%
Confidence Building	Complete Course 2: Mass and Velocity.	40.9%
Bridge Building	Complete Course 3: Hard-Light Surfaces.	32.1%
Obstacle Building	Complete Course 4: Excursion Funnels.	26.4%
You Saved Science	Complete all courses of co-op.	21.2%

Co-Op Optional Achievements

These require specific actions during co-op play. Both players earn the achievement when unlocked unless noted.

Social and Gesture Achievements

Achievement	How to Unlock	Global Unlock	Tips
Gesticul-8	Perform all 8 default gestures of your own volition in co-op.	27.1%	Open the gesture wheel and perform each one: wave, laugh, hug, high-five, teamwork, dance, rock-paper-scissors, and the robot. Can be done in any course.
Rock Portal Scissors	Win three co-op games of rock-paper-scissors in a row.	9.8%	Both players select the rock-paper-scissors gesture simultaneously. You need to win three rounds in a row. Coordinate with your partner to let you win, or try your luck.
Air Show	Perform two aerial gestures before touching the ground in co-op.	33.3%	Launch off a Faith Plate or fling through a portal, then perform two gestures before hitting the ground. You need enough airtime for both gestures to play. Deep pits or long fling arcs give you the most time.
Friends List With Benefits	While playing co-op, hug three different people on your friends list.	4.5%	Perform the hug gesture with three different Steam friends across three separate co-op sessions. You do not need to finish a course with each friend. Just hug and go.
Can't Touch This	Dance in front of a turret blocked by a Hard Light Bridge in co-op.	9.8%	Find a turret blocked by a bridge. Stand on the safe side and perform the dance gesture. The turret must be actively trying to shoot you and failing. Course 3 has the best setup for this.
Empty Gesture	Drop your co-op partner in goo while they are gesturing by removing the bridge under them.	4.6%	While your partner is standing on a bridge that passes through your portals, perform a gesture and move your portal. Your partner falls into goo. You gesture. Both of you get the achievement. Coordinate this.
Asking for Trouble	Taunt GLaDOS in front of a camera in each of the five co-op courses.	8.9%	Find a security camera in each of the five courses and perform a gesture while standing in front of it. You need to do this once per course, not just once total.

Puzzle and Skill Achievements

Achievement	How to Unlock	Global Unlock	Tips
Portal Conservation Society	Complete Chamber 3 in the Hard-Light Surfaces co-op course using only 5 total portal placements.	2.8%	Both players combined can only fire five portals. Plan every portal before firing. This is one of the hardest co-op achievements.
Four Ring Circus	Enter four different portals without touching the ground in co-op.	6.8%	During a single jump or fling sequence, pass through four portals without touching the ground. This requires both players to coordinate portal placement in a room with enough vertical space. Course 2 chambers with deep pits work best.
Triple Crown	Solve three co-op chambers in the Mass and Velocity course in under 60 seconds each.	3.0%	All three chambers must be in Course 2. Know the solutions before starting the timer (load into the chamber, memorize the layout, restart, then speedrun).
Narbacular Drop	Place a portal under your co-op partner while they are gesturing.	5.8%	Fire a portal directly under your partner while they perform a gesture. Named after Valve's pre-Portal student project.
Iron Grip	Never lose a cube in Chamber 6 of the Mass and Velocity co-op course.	3.6%	Complete the chamber without letting any cube fall into goo or off an edge. If a cube falls, restart the chamber. Careful coordination is required.
Talent Show	Never lose a cube in Chamber 6 of the Mobility Gels co-op course.	2.6%	Same concept as Iron Grip but in the gel course. Gels make cubes slippery. Handle them carefully. If one slides off, restart. See the bug warning below.
Still Alive	Complete Course 4 with neither you nor your co-op partner dying.	2.4%	Neither player can die at any point during all nine chambers of Course 4. If either player dies, restart the course from Chamber 1. Know every puzzle solution in advance.
Party of Three	Find the hidden Companion Cube in co-op test chamber.	3.6%	A Companion Cube is hidden in Course 4, tucked behind a wall or in a side area. Both players need to reach it. Look for breakable panels or suspicious gaps.
Professor Portal	After completing co-op, complete the Calibration Course online with a friend who has never played co-op before.	5.9%	Your partner must have absolute zero co-op progress on their Steam account. Complete the Calibration Course together. See the detailed section below.

danger

Talent Show bug. If either player has the Razer Hydra Sixense MotionPack DLC enabled in their Steam library, this achievement silently fails to trigger upon completion. Right-click Portal 2 in your Steam library, go to Properties, and add -nosixense to the Launch Options to bypass this engine bug.

Professor Portal Workarounds

Professor Portal (5.9% global unlock) is the most frustrating achievement in the game. You need a Steam friend who owns Portal 2 but has never started the co-op campaign. Because the game is over a decade old, finding someone who meets this criteria organically is extremely difficult.

Community workarounds:

1. Steam Family Sharing. Create a new Steam account, share your library to it via Family Sharing, and play the Calibration Course with the fresh account on a second machine or via local split-screen.
2. Find a new buyer. Wait for a Steam sale (Portal 2 regularly drops below $2) and convince a friend to buy it. Play the Calibration Course together before they touch co-op on their own.
3. Console command (unreliable). Some players report that mp_mark_all_maps_incomplete can reset a veteran friend's progress, but results are inconsistent across different Steam API versions.

Recommended Achievement Order

First Playthrough (Single-Player)

1. All 14 story achievements trigger automatically as you play through Chapters 1 through 9.
2. Drop Box in Chapter 2. Set up the portalable drop before entering the chamber.
3. Preservation of Mass in Chapter 2. Save the Companion Cube from Test Chamber 07.
4. Final Transmission in Chapter 2. Rescue the radio and carry it to the hidden Rat Man den.
5. Good Listener in Chapter 4. Look for the door labeled "ESCAPE."
6. Scanned Alone and No Hard Feelings in Chapter 5. Both are in the behind-the-scenes area.
7. Pturretdactyl in Chapter 5. Launch a turret off a Faith Plate near the manufacturing line.
8. Ship Overboard and Door Prize in Chapter 6. Explore Old Aperture for hidden areas.
9. Schrodinger's Catch in Chapter 6. When Repulsion Gel first appears.
10. Portrait of a Lady in Chapter 7. Hidden room in the late-era test shafts.
11. You Made Your Point in Chapter 8. First chamber. Do nothing.
12. Smash TV across Chapter 8. Hit all 11 monitors in Chambers 1 through 6 and 11.
13. Pit Boss at the start of Chapter 9. Jump in.

Chapter Select Cleanup

14. Overclocker in Chapter 3. Replay Test Chamber 10 from chapter select after memorizing the solution.

Co-Op Campaign

15. All six story achievements by completing each course.
16. Gesture achievements (Gesticul-8, Rock Portal Scissors, Air Show) any time during co-op.
17. Asking for Trouble once per course (five total cameras).
18. Puzzle achievements (Portal Conservation Society, Four Ring Circus, Triple Crown) during specific courses.
19. Social achievements (Friends List With Benefits, Can't Touch This, Empty Gesture) throughout co-op play.
20. Still Alive in Course 4. Neither player can die. Know every solution first.
21. Iron Grip in Course 2, Chamber 6. Do not lose any cubes.
22. Talent Show in Course 5, Chamber 6. Launch with -nosixense to avoid the DLC bug.
23. Narbacular Drop and Party of Three any time during co-op.
24. Professor Portal last. Find a co-op newcomer or use Family Sharing.

Difficulty Ratings

Difficulty	Achievements	Global Unlock Range
Easy (story)	Wake Up Call, You Monster, Undiscouraged, Bridge Over Troubling Water, SaBOTour, Stalemate Associate, Tater Tote, Vertically Unchallenged, Stranger Than Friction, White Out, Tunnel of Funnel, Dual Pit Experiment, The Part Where He Kills You, Lunacy	34% to 74%
Easy (co-op story)	High Five, Team Building, Confidence Building, Bridge Building, Obstacle Building, You Saved Science	21% to 59%
Easy (optional)	Pit Boss, Good Listener, Scanned Alone, Door Prize, Gesticul-8, Air Show	7% to 34%
Moderate	Drop Box, Preservation of Mass, Pturretdactyl, No Hard Feelings, Ship Overboard, You Made Your Point, Narbacular Drop, Can't Touch This, Empty Gesture, Asking for Trouble, Friends List With Benefits	4% to 31%
Hard	Final Transmission, Overclocker, Schrodinger's Catch, Portrait of a Lady, Smash TV, Portal Conservation Society, Four Ring Circus, Triple Crown, Iron Grip, Talent Show, Still Alive, Rock Portal Scissors, Party of Three	2% to 12%
Social	Professor Portal, Friends List With Benefits	4% to 6%