ZEPHON Achievement Guide

Achievements? We got 'em. Now updated for 1.1.

Preface

Hello there.My wonderful friend.How can I possibly.Assist you?

The purpose of this guide is simple - some of ZEPHON's 66 achievements are tricky, or highly specific, or outright hidden in their unlock requirements. All this information is known, it just hasn't been compiled.

That's where I come in. Hi.

A word of warning: While I try not to reveal more than I need to in this guide, some spoilers are to be expected.

A word of further warning: The primary purpose of this guide is informative, rather than exact advice on how to get each individual achievement. I know I hadn't. I will strive to give correct information, but I cannot verify all of it personally. Caveat emptor.

A word of ongoing warning: Several of the achievements require that you play in Ironman mode (one save per playthrough, cannot exit without saving). Conversely, some others may be easier if you don't.

[Update 29.04.2025] Added The Twisted & The Hollow achievements, fixed broken images (thanks Steam), updated with new information, dusted around the place, the works.

The Basics

This section covers the most basic achievements and will be a kind of quick-fire round.

Map Size

Win a game on the specified map size.

Little Wars
Win a game on a tiny map.


Space For Revelation
Win a game on a small, medium or large map.


Hair Carpet Maker
Win a game on a huge map.

Game Speed

Win a game on the specified game speed - this can be understood as how fast everything builds vs. how fast units move. Slower game speed means units get to do more between more being made.

Bullet Time
Win a game on slow or very slow speed.


Average Perfection
Win a game on medium speed.


Wizard Of Time And Space
Win a game on fast or very fast speed.

Titans

To get these achievements, you must construct each affinity's ground titan - a powerful and expensive unit unlocked in Tier Nine of the respective affinity's tree (tier ten if you don't have matching affinity). Note that this has to be the ground titan, the flying ones don't have achievements associated. You can get all three in one playthrough but it's unlikely.

Mankind's Last Hope
Produce an Atlas Tank.


A New Genesis
Produce a Seraphim Archangel.


Cage-Bearer
Produce a Vorodai's Leviathan.

Grind

This one's not tricky. It's just very, very, slow. If you want a quicker way, check out Kaysoky's guide on getting it through mass murder of respawning deformities with modded Enforcers.

Grimmer Darkness
Kill 40001 units.

Multiplayer

Straightforward. Start up a game with no npcs or wildlife, one easy enemy, invite a friend and crush them.

Shared Hallucination
Finish a multiplayer game with another human player.

Gimmick

Okay, this exact achievement is half of the reason I made this guide.

Zhuko Was Here
Win a game as ZhukoDim, but without playing.


Although it's not a secret achievement, the hint is entirely unhelpful. Here's a more accurate one: Win the game as Spectator. While a bit nonsensical, there is a way - Spectator players can be on a team. Easiest way to get it is to start a match with fixed teams, no wildlife or NPCs, allied with two AIs against one, then just pass some fifty turns. Helps to turn on simultaneous turns and a turn timer.

Difficulty & the Cheese Method

We're getting into the tricker achievements. Not neccessarily tricker to get, but tricker in their requirements. To start with, all of these require you to be in Ironman Mode. The achievements are

The CAPTCHA Test
Win a game on medium difficulty or higher in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

The Turing Test
Win a game on hard difficulty or higher in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

The Ebert Test
Win a game on very hard difficulty or higher in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

The Voigt-Kampf Test
Win a game on ultra hard difficulty or higher in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

The Final Test
Win a game on nightmare difficulty in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

Unfortunately, the way ZEPHON does difficulty is crank up the numbers - while the AI is as inept as ever, at maximum difficulty all enemy units - neutral, npc and AI alike - basically deal 20% more damage, have 20% more health, and their cities produce 50% more everything. It's not for everyone. Which is why I suggest using

The Cheese Method

The Cheese Method is simple - start a game on your intended difficulty (the achievements require both the world and each AI to be that difficulty). Set the wildlife density to none. Set each of the NPC factions densities to none. You are now on a map where the only threats are abkhans and your lone AI enemy.

Now here's the fun part - preferably, choose an AI which likes your chosen leader. There's a chart showing who likes who but I'll summarize it here:

You	AI
Emulated Mind	Furtive Tribunal, Honorable Aristocrat, Untold Prophet
Fallen Soldier	Furtive Tribunal, Practical Romantic, Rogue Operative*, Twisted Mother (DLC)
Furtive Tribunal	Emulated Mind, Untold Prophet, Twisted Mother (DLC)
Heartless Artificer	Honorable Aristocrat*, Hollow Warlord (DLC)
Honorable Aristocrat	Heartless Artificer, Rogue Operative
Practical Romantic	Fallen Soldier, Untold Prophet, Twisted Mother (DLC)
Rogue Operative	Emulated Mind, Hollow Warlord (DLC)
Untold Prophet	Furtive Tribunal*, Practical Romantic
Hollow Warlord (DLC)	Heartless Artificer, Rogue Operative
Twisted Mother (DLC)	Emulated Mind+, Fallen Soldier, Furtive Tribunal

A (*) means the leader likes only the third unique tech (the global ability), a (+) means it likes both your starting traits and the unique tech.

All you need to do is expand until you encounter your opposite number, then ply them with gifts until they agree to ally with you, scoring you an easy victory. This method is also great for unlocking achievements for world sizes and speeds you might not enjoy, as well as mutators and other things from leaders you don't play (more on that later).

Aside: I don't know if setting yourself to be higher difficulty would work. I hadn't tried it.

This can be done as early as turn 1 with the Where Am I? (map is revealed) mutator active. Place your city, answer the call, ask for peace, call them again, ask for trade, gift them a high amount, ask for alliance, done.

As of 1.1, the cheese method can also be performed by leaving at least one NPC faction in, but turning the requirement to kill them all off. It may make certain pairings or quests (particularly Furtive Tribunal) easier.

(Spoiler Section) The End of Days

We're getting into the territory where we can no longer discuss achievements without spoiling at least some of what happens in the game. Reader beware.

Though not obvious at first (and unless disabled in the options), the game is on a timer. On standard speed settings, you'll receive two reminder events (the radio and the space wrecks) around turns 35 and 65. Then, around turn 100, the five turn countdown to the Last Days of the Earth will begin.

At the Last Days of the Earth, ZEPHON and the Acrin (as represented by the Anchorite) gear up for one final confrontation, each deploying powerful titans - three, plus one for each of their allies. Yes, even if they were wiped out before that. Every player (human or AI) will be given a choice which of the two powers to join (which requires a non-hostile standing), breaking any existing treaties to join two large alliances.

There is a third option, always chosen by the Chieftess - remain independent, and fight for humanity's survival. Independent factions aren't automatically allied, but they should, for their own safety.

ZEPHON or the Acrin achieve victory if all the enemy titans are destroyed, along with any independent upstarts. The Independent win if all titans are destroyed.

In addition to other options that come up later, each option has an associated achievement.

A Canticle For The Anchorite
Win a game by joining Anchorite in The Last Days of Earth on very hard difficulty or higher in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

War Games
Win a game by joining ZEPHON in The Last Days of Earth on very hard difficulty or higher in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

Our Independence Day
Win a game by staying independent in The Last Days of Earth on very hard difficulty or higher in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

As before, you need to be in Ironman Mode and both the world and the AIs have to be on Very Hard.

Also, while it's not relevant to this guide, it's fun to realize that many other minor events will also give you bonuses when the Last Days of the Earth begin - unique units, free Phenaris Epicureans, a free tactical nuke, stuff like that. My other guide provides details.

Defeat

The next eleven achievments are simple, but I describe them here because there are two ways to get them - either strike the killing blow yourself (or, I believe, one of your allies does it), or you can simply achieve victory during The Last Days of the Earth while that faction is on the other side. Easiest to do by just going independent.

Heh. Easiest.

Peace At Last
Defeat Emulated Mind.


I Won't Stay Dead, You Know
Defeat Fallen Soldier.


My Sisters
Defeat Furtive Tribunal.


Perfection Is Impossible
Defeat Heartless Artificer.


A Last Morsel, I Beg You
Defeat Honorable Aristocrat.


The Art Of Dying Well
Defeat Practical Romantic.


Last Offer!
Defeat Rogue Operative.


I Shall Rise Again!
Defeat Untold Prophet.


To Fear What Is Beyond Foresight
Defeat Anchorite.


Got Me, Good One
Defeat Chieftess.


Closing Chat Window
Defeat ZEPHON.


Was A Good Ride
(The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) Defeat Hollow Warlord


My Family
(The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) Defeat Twisted Mother

Leader Quest

These are hidden achievements, and this area might be considered spoilers. Each of the leaders has an associated quest, which is guaranteed to start around midgame. Resolving these leads to certain ingame rewards (which vary from literally nothing to insanely powerful) - in addition, each quest has a "correct" solution. It might not be the one that gives the best result, not always, not by a long shot, but it's the one that will award the achievement (and lead to others)

Important notice: However "I have other ways to deal with this" the last option in the first stage of the quest may sound will cancel the quest. Do not make my mistake.

Form, Function
Finish the Emulated Mind quest, choosing to trust IronFeather throughout, then use its final reward. You will need to choose a seemingly glitched option.

Meet Your Maker
Finish the Fallen Soldier quest, choosing to hold your fire. Note that the alternative gives a much better reward (+1 healing, vs. +6 research), and that choosing the Cr'la option will require you to unlock, build and train Voice technology.

The Pulled Thread
Finish the Furtive Tribunal quest, choosing to harvest your enemies.


Perfection From Beyond The Stars
Finish the Heartless Artificer quest, without losing either critical unit. Note that the more expensive option will just increase the HP of the critical unit.

The Price Of Honor
Finish the Honourable Aristocrat quest, choosing to retrieve the Cornucopia yourself.


Thicker Than Water
Finish the Practical Romantic quest, choosing to kill Arshem.


The Dead Hand Of Capitalism
Finish the Rogue Operative quest, choosing to solve the riddle (or use brute force and be lucky), then hear out, then kill Phinnicus.

Whispers Of A False Prophet
Finish the Untold Prophet quest, choosing to repair the False Speaker.


Reyndverra
(The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) Finish the Hollow Warlord quest, choosing NOT to take the blade.

Impossible Conception
(The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) Finish the Twisted Mother quest, choosing NOT to give up on your Husband

A semi-easy way to get these is to use the Cheese Method and wait until you're done with the quest before finishing. A notable exception is Furtive Tribunal which requires you to kill 10 enemies - in their case just set the AI to be inept and farm their troops. Or just play normally.

Mutators

Mutators are special modifiers which can be applied to a session, but they need to be unlocked first. The way you unlock them is obscured, and the other half of the reason why I made this guide (though I want to thank Apollysis for putting the information together first). The reason I repeat this information is, well, each mutator also awards an achievement.

The way you unlock every mutator is the same - you need to finish the game. Immediately after your victory, you are taken to the Deep, where you get to ask one question. Each question unlocks the same named mutator.

However, not all questions are available - most require unlocking in that playthrough, either by completing your leader's quest (and it has to be the "correct" IE achievement-granting way - see the previous section) or by choosing a particular side in the final conflict.

Importantly, while you're limited to asking one question, nothing is stopping you from reloading a save game and choosing a different one - nothing, of course, except for if you're on Ironman Mode...

[Update 29.04.2025] The latest patch notes strongly imply the "reload and get another option" workaround no longer works.

What Are You?
Can only research technologies with your affinity or no affinity.
Unlock: always available.

Where Are We?
All tiles are explored form the start.
Unlock: always available.

Can Free Will Exist?
Weapon damage is randomized by ±20%.
Unlock: (The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) always available.

Must We Suffer So?
Start the game with Research Laboratory, Holo Theater, Habitation Block, Construction Yard and Engineer researched.
Unlock: (The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) always available.

Was I Truly Human?
Damage is divided between all adjacent allies of the target unit.
Unlock: complete Emulated Mind quest.

Did My Death Mean Anything?
Doubled morale change from death.
Unlock: complete Fallen Soldier quest.

Did Our Unification Matter?
Non-Deformity biological units that die become neutral Deformities.
Unlock: complete Furtive Tribunal quest.

Was Perfection Worth It?
Duplicate units cost +20% resources.
Unlock: complete Heartless Artificer quest.

Did Honor Balance Greed?
Whenever you cancel any agreement, become Untrustworthy forever.
Unlock: complete Honorable Aristocrat quest, choosing to retrieve the Cornucopia personally. (Before a patch, this used to be tied to the incorrect option)

Can Love Be Moral?
Breaking a unit's morale captures it.
Unlock: complete Practical Romantic quest,

What Price For Liberty?
Leaders have no research affinities.
Unlock: complete Rogue Operative quest.

Are You The Great Speaker?
Doubled loyalty effect.
Unlock: complete Untold Prophet quest.

Can A Journey Be An End In Itself?
Units have an additional action point.
Unlock: (The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) complete Hollow Warlord quest.

Can Anything Redeem This Horror?
Purchasing units from NPCs is 50% cheaper.
Unlock: (The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) complete Twisted Mother.

Did Our Sacrifice Mean Nothing?
Non-neutral units lose 5% hitpoints each turn when outside of allied cities or outposts.
Unlock: side with Acrin during The Last Days of the Earth

Was ZEPHON Truly Alive?
Unlimited tile acquisition range.
Unlock: side with ZEPHON during The Last Days of the Earth

Why Did Humanity Die Alone?
Killing decreases morale.
Unlock: remain independent during The Last Days of the Earth

(Spoiler Section) Deep Statements

Deep statements are another layer of the nested unlock achievements - these are special comments you can make during the conversation in the Deep, if playing with the appropriate mutator active. These are accessed by a special option at the bottom of the others ("Wait, listen. We've done this before.")

Contrary to what I believed, as far as I can tell it does not seem you need to fulfil any special conditions (such as play the same faction) to get access to the Deep Statements. Neat.

I—She—Felt Again
Unlock: win while Was I Truly Human? (Damage is divided between all adjacent allies of the target unit) is active.

I Carry Them With Me, Always
Unlock: win while Did My Death Mean Anything? (Doubled morale change from death) is active.

From Death To Eternal Life In Some Abominable Form
Unlock: win while Did Our Unification Matter? (Non-Deformity biological units that die become neutral Deformities) is active.

Better To Innovate Than Replicate
Unlock: win while Was Perfection Worth It? (Duplicate units cost +20% resources) is active.

One Lie And They Shunned Me
Unlock: win while Did Honor Balance Greed? (Whenever you cancel any agreement, become Untrustworthy forever) is active.

Nobody Can Make It Out Here Alone
Unlock: win while Can Love Be Moral? (Breaking a unit's morale captures it) is active,


Total Freedom Differs Little From Rolling A Die
Unlock: win while What Is The Price For Liberty? (Leaders have no research affinities) is active.

When The Masses Stood With Me, I Was Invincible
Unlock: win while Are You The Great Speaker? (Doubled loyalty effect) is active.


We Rode To The Sunset And Beyond
Unlock: (The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) win while Can A Journey Be An End In Itself? (Units have an additional action point.) is active.

I Knew Love, Then
Unlock: (The Twisted & The Hollow DLC) win while Can Anything Redeem This Horror? ( Purchasing units from NPCs is 50% cheaper.) is active.

A Fine Peaceful People, Wasted On A Mistaken Prophecy
Unlock: win while Did Our Sacrifice Mean Nothing? (Non-neutral units lose 5% hitpoints each turn when outside of allied cities or outposts) is active

Just Infinite Suffering
Unlock: win while Was ZEPHON Truly Alive? (Unlimited tile acquisition range) is active


We Took No Pleasure In Our Victory
Unlock: win while Why Did Humanity Die Alone? (Killing decreases morale) is active


We Have Been Human, Acrin and Machine
Unlock: win while Did Our Sacrifice Mean Nothing?, Was ZEPHON Truly Alive? and Why Did Humanity Die Alone? are all active.

Clown Fiesta

The final two achievements are bad. Don't do them.

No seriously, save yourself.

You insist? Fine.

Strange Loops
Win a game with all mutators active in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

Multiverse of Madness
Win a game on nightmare difficulty with all mutators active in ironman mode against at least 1 AI player for each human player and without predefined teams.

Obviously, to even attempt those, you need to unlock all the (non-DLC?) mutators first. Then it's a matter of turning them all on and wait why are all my units suddenly neutral?

Welcome to the combination of you kill an enemy, he turns into a deformity, you kill the deformity, you lose morale then the morale loss makes half your army change allegiance to neutral. Maybe this can be cheesed. Probably. I can't imagine playing this seriously. I won't even attempt it for a good long while. Either way, good luck. I need a few tenthousand kills more to grind first.

[Ranger Dimitri]

Can confirm the ability to reload to access the Deep no longer works.

[Mad Inventor]

In the last patch (1.1.5) they fixed the aristocrat quest so that you get the achievement + mutator if you personally get the cornucopia - a small update for guides like this

[jeff.s.wiggins]

I've got some stuff for the Cheese Method leader relationship chart. Note that this information was only obtained with the map revealed mutator active right at the start. I didn't add in the third unique tech.

Twisted mother likes the Tribunal, Romantic, and Prophet (if she's AI and you're one of the other three)
Warlord likes the Operative (if he's AI and you're Operative).

As the Twisted Mother, none of the playable AIs will LIKE you but Prophet, Operative, Romantic, Aristocrat, and Emulated Mind all offered peace because they were peaceful or because of my military.

As the Warlord none of the playable AIs will LIKE you but Operative, Romatic, Aristocrat, and Emulated Mind will offer peace because they are peaceful or because of my military.

And then Mother will offer peace to Emulated Mind, Fallen Soldier, and Aristocrat even though she doesn't like them.

[von Boomslang]

At some point, yes, but I'm not a researcher, just a compiler. This guide could stand to do a refresh anyway.

[jeff.s.wiggins]

Are you going to add the DLC achievements?

[Cow Ace]

There's a guide for getting the 40001 kills achievement quickly. I haven't tried it myself, but it seems like it should be easy to do and relatively quick.

[MonoLight_KR]

Well, all mutator one can be pretty easy if you cheese it.
I maintain peace with others until the final doomsday quest. While running a game, I prepared like 50 nukes and 10~20 scanner just in case.
And Just nuke those Titans whichever you want for achievement. It needs about 20~30 nukes for killing 3 titans in adjacent tiles. You will need extra if there's another one in their ally. (Also you will need scan)

[Wendek]

The "all-mutators" achievements can be cheesed like the others, it's even easier because you can see each other from the start thanks to the "Where are we?" mutator. I chose Fallen Soldier with Practical Romantic: he immediately proposed peace (as he often does, unless he really dislikes your leader), then I gave him a gift and went to trade and alliance on turn 1. With all the NPC factions disabled, this was enough to get the two related achievements.

[meteorman551]

The difficulty achievements can all be cheesed in one run, I just did one nightmare run to unlock all 4

[Fitos]

I managed to get The Final Test done on the first turn by using the mutator Where Are We? to get immediate diplomacy options. Made a medium gift and allied with them.
It's Cheese+ but it worked.