Signs of Life Achievements: All 19 and How to Unlock Them
The Signs of Life achievement list with global unlock rates, the gemologist chain, the joke achievements and a practical completion route.
Toilets, chickens, gems and the Mechington fight are all repeatable in a single long-lived world. You do not need a fresh save for every achievement.
Signs of Life has 19 achievements. Eleven are marked rare on Steam, and the global unlock rates show a predictable split: story and early-system achievements are common, the joke achievements are uncommon, and the gemologist chain is the long tail.
This guide lists the achievements with their global rates, explains the unlocks and gives a practical route for completionists.
Most joke achievements happen around the base.
The achievement list
Global percentages are Steam's public stats, checked on 10 November 2026. They move as more players finish 1.0.
| Achievement | Global % | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|
| I messed myself | 28.1% | Sit on a toilet. The game's cheapest joke and its most-unlocked non-story achievement. |
| Buff Wreckington | 24.5% | Defeat Buff Mechington. The description jokes about doing it "in the most ass way possible". |
| Novice Gemologist | 20.6% | Cut three raw gems into rough gems. |
| High Definition Piss Jugs | 19.7% | Find a jug of urine. Yes, really. |
| Journeyman Gemologist | 19.4% | Cut three rough gems into refined gems. |
| Holotape | 18.7% | Find and play the holotapes tied to Captain Hermes and the Hephaestus story. |
| Adept Gemologist | 15.3% | Cut three refined gems into faceted gems. |
| Master Gemologist | 11.4% | Cut three faceted gems into brilliant gems. The end of the gem chain. |
| To pass a man in the woods | 6.5% | Cook and eat human flesh. The game's darkest joke achievement. |
| That Purple Drank | 6.0% | Drink an explosion potion. |
| Foul Fowl | 4.4% | Cover a chicken in ant dung. |
| Me time | 2.6% | Use the Magnetic Inductor in bed. |
| In the most ass way possible | 2.6% | A secret combat challenge; community reports link it to finishing a powerful enemy with a kick. |
| Some kind of Irony | 1.9% | Kick a chicken while you are carrying an egg. |
| Duglette Totem | 0.1% | The rarest achievement in the game, tied to the Duglette totem. |
The remaining four achievements are hidden or story-gated and do not appear in the public stats. They are not required for the gem chain or the joke unlocks.
The gemologist chain
The four gemologist achievements are the only real grind:
- Novice: three raw gems → three rough gems.
- Journeyman: three rough gems → three refined gems.
- Adept: three refined gems → three faceted gems.
- Master: three faceted gems → three brilliant gems.
Each step consumes the previous tier's gems, so the full chain needs twelve raw gems if you do it in one pass. The exact gem names vary by ore; the important part is the cutting station and the tier count.
Tips:
- Mine gems while you are already ore-running.
- Do not sell raw gems.
- Build the cutting station before you start the chain.
- Do the steps in order; cutting a higher tier does not backfill the lower achievement.
The resources guide→ covers gem-bearing ore.
The joke achievements
I messed myself
Find a toilet and sit on it. Toilets appear in colony and station interiors. If you have not seen one, explore the human structures rather than the caves.
High Definition Piss Jugs
Find a jug of urine. It is a world item, not a craftable. Search containers in human facilities.
Foul Fowl
Cover a chicken in ant dung. You need a chicken and the ant dung item; both are surface-level finds. The achievement is gross, not difficult.
That Purple Drank
Drink an explosion potion. Craft or find the potion, then use it. The animation is the joke.
Me time
Use the Magnetic Inductor in bed. Build or find a bed, equip the inductor and use it. The achievement is intentionally vague; the game is not subtle.
Some kind of Irony
Kick a chicken while carrying an egg. The kick is a context action, not a weapon swing. Find a chicken, hold an egg and use the kick.
To pass a man in the woods
Cook and eat human flesh. This is a deliberate taboo joke. The game does not require it for any story route.
In the most ass way possible
The secret challenge tied to Buff Mechington's "ass" description. Community reports describe it as a kick-based finisher. Treat it as an optional challenge after you can beat the boss normally.
The boss achievement
"Buff Wreckington" is the mainstream Buff Mechington unlock. The Mk2 is a separate fight and does not have its own public achievement. Defeating the regular boss is enough for the achievement; the Mk2 is for the challenge and the 1.0 Monstralorp spawn.
The Buff Mechington Mk2 guide→ covers the hard version.
The story achievements
The holotape achievement is the main story-adjacent unlock. The four hidden achievements are likely tied to late-game story beats; they will appear as you progress.
Do not chase hidden achievements on a first playthrough. Finish the story, then check the list for gaps.
A practical completion route
- Build a base with a toilet and a bed.
- Keep a chicken pen and an egg supply.
- Stock ant dung when you pass an ant nest.
- Mine gems on every ore run.
- Craft the cutting station and run the gem chain.
- Defeat Buff Mechington when you are geared.
- Do the joke unlocks in one session at the base.
- Finish the story and check the hidden list.
This route avoids repeated trips. The joke achievements are all base-adjacent if you prepare the props.
Co-op achievements
Steam achievements are tied to the player's account, but the conditions happen in the host's world. If you are joining a friend, confirm whether the unlock is shared or host-only before you plan a completion run. The safest approach is to do the achievement actions yourself, in the host's world, with the host present.
Common achievement problems
The toilet does not unlock. Make sure you are using the sit interaction, not walking past it.
The gem chain stalls. You need three of each tier, and the cut consumes the input. Mine more raw gems.
The chicken kick does not count. You need to be carrying an egg, and the kick must connect.
The holotape is missing. Search human facilities thoroughly; the tapes are placed, not random.
The boss achievement did not pop. Defeat the regular Buff Mechington, not only the Mk2, and make sure the kill is credited to you.
Is 100% worth it?
The gem chain and the joke achievements are reasonable. The 0.1% Duglette Totem is the prestige item. If you are a completionist, plan a long-lived world and do the chores between story missions.
The guide hub→ covers the overall route, and the bosses guide→ covers the fights.
Official source: Steam global achievement stats, the official wiki and the community achievement guide, checked 10 November 2026. Unlock methods marked "community reports" are not officially documented.
Sources and further reading
- Steam store page ↗ - achievement list
- Steam global achievements ↗ - public unlock rates
- Community achievement guide ↗ - old unlock descriptions
- Official wiki ↗ - items and creatures
FAQ
How many achievements does Signs of Life have?
19, with 11 marked rare on Steam.
What is the rarest achievement?
Duglette Totem, at 0.1% of players on the public stats.
How do I get Master Gemologist?
Cut three faceted gems into brilliant gems. The full chain starts with twelve raw gems.
Are there missable achievements?
The story achievements can be missed if you skip content, but most joke and gem achievements are repeatable in a long-lived world.
Related Signs of Life Guides
A complete Signs of Life guide for 1.0: first-hour route, base building, crafting, co-op, Xenoid story and the post-game colony.
The major Signs of Life boss fights, the order to attempt them, gear checks and arena tips, plus a pointer to the Buff Mechington Mk2 strategy.
How modding works in Signs of Life after the Update 26 overhaul, how to install and troubleshoot mods, and the rules for playing modded co-op.
Every major Signs of Life 1.0 change: the ending, Xenoid cities, colony management, rebalanced gear, controls and co-op fixes.
How the Signs of Life alien language works: scan inscriptions, build understanding, unlock Xenoid dialogue and extract seven archive records with AGIS.
How armor works in Signs of Life, the best early and late sets, Ghost Hide and Energy Plate bonuses, mining suits and co-op gear priorities.
More Signs of Life Guides
Automate a Signs of Life base with turrets, Pneumail shared storage, drone accessories and post-game colonist jobs, without wasting power.
How base building works in Signs of Life: valid room sizes, walls, doors, lighting, station layout and the mistakes that waste materials.
Choosing a Signs of Life base location: ore access, flat ground, biome hazards, story travel and the best spots for a first or late-game base.
Practical Signs of Life tips for new players: scan everything, manage stamina, build one good room, and avoid the early base traps.
A tour of Signs of Life biomes: grasslands, purple alien terrain, caves, ruins, Xenoid cities and the late-game New Earth areas.
How to beat Buff Mechington Mk2 in Signs of Life: the glowing weak points, head-tail-chest order, the three-second chest window and co-op tactics.
How Signs of Life co-op works: Steam friend hosting, drop-in play, character transfer, shared storage, PvP settings and role splits for two players.
How the Signs of Life colony works: Pioneer Station computer, room requirements, colonist jobs, Pneumail storage and new-world requirements.