Shardlight: Achievement Guide

How to get all the achievements in 'Shardlight'.

Story-related Achievement

In fact, there is only one achievement you can't miss:

The Light Shines On -
You get it when (if) you complete the game.


All other achievements require some optional actions, so beware - huge SPOILERS ahead!

Missable Achievements

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know – complete the game with the commentaries mode on: you have to go to Options on the main menu and turn them on before starting a new game. The achievement will pop out after the credits roll, with the last commentary.


Child at Heart – near Amy’s home, talk to Tina, say ‘Can I have a turn?’ – and then chant all four jump-rope rhymes.



Everyone’s A Critic – at the market, tell Denby to draw Gus in a tutu (of course, before you get the chalk from him!). Then wait a little bit for Gus to see it...



Stay Within the Lines – solve the drawing puzzle on your first try: draw letter ‘M’ with three lines just as shown in the calligraphy book.



Cat Got Your Tongue? – on your second visit to the rebels, try talking to the girl who sits under the stairs so that Bruce would tell you her story.



Educated – read all the books Nelson has to offer. There are five of them – three books available from the very beginning (History, Art, and Philosophy), and two books you can ask for after certain game events happen (Calligraphy – after showing the letter to Clem, and Science – after you give the gas mask to Gordon).


The Perfect Life – after you learn the code phrase from Danton, say it to every person you meet: 1) Reaper Cultist, 2) Gus, 3) Gordon, 4) Marichka, 5) Nelson (all of them at the market), 6) Claire (at the cathedral), 7) Denby (at the factory), 8) Pop (at the farm), 9) Newsman, 10) Old man / Max Huber (both he and the newsman at Fripp Square), 11) Guard, 12) Receptionist, 13) Doctor’s receptionist (all three at the Ministry of Medicine, but with the receptionist you have to choose ‘Give the password’ option!), 14) Guard (at the prison – you have to knock at the door and talk to him before escaping), 15) Train Lady (obviously, on the train).


Chalk It Up To Kindness – when visiting the factory, give Denby his chalk back.




Smartass – listen to all Denby’s ‘witty’ commentaries while inside the factory.
According to the author of the game, you have to do the following actions (thanks, grundislav!):

1. Turn on the gas and try to leave the factory.
2. Look at the valve
3. Look at the furnace
4. Look at the opening while the gas is on.
5. Look at the opening while the fire is burning.
6. Light the furnace (now we're cooking!)
7. Try to light the furnace when the gas isn't on.
8. Use an inventory item that isn't the wood, bucket, or salt on the opening (make sure Denby says "liberate yourself")
9. Use the wood plank on the unlit furnace opening.
10. Use the wood plank on the lit furnace opening.
11. Use the salt on the furnace opening.
12. Use the bucket with wood in it on the furnace
13. Remove the bucket after burning the wood ("did your experiment work?")
14. Successfully make activated carbon
15. Interact with the opening (furnace unlit)
16. Interact with the opening (furnace lit)
17. Look at the drain
18. Interact with the drain.
19. Look at the hanging artwork.
20. Interact with the hanging artwork.
21. Look at the drawings near Denby.
22. Interact with the drawings near Denby.
23. Look at the sketch of you.
24. Look at the sketch of you again.
25. Interact with the sketch of you.
26. Interact with the furnace.
27. Look at burnt drawings.
28. Interact with burnt drawings.
29. Look at glass horse.
30. Interact with glass horse.


Max Soupa – while in the Silas’s kitchen, take ladle from wall rack on the right and use it on the pot on the stove several times. M-m-m, delicious!



Sweet Tooth – in doctor’s office, use the table to the right of the door – and then use the second jar on the right several times.



Mercy Kill – when trying to stop Denby’s tortures, shoot Denby himself, not the guard.




Hat Trick – after getting the vision and talking with Jess about everything, ask her why does not she wear the hat like everybody else.
As noted by Shindragan: you should not talk to her about her hair before giving her the paper, she needs to trust you before telling you why she doesnt wear hats by giving her the raven's paper that you get AFTER the vision.



Selfless – when speaking with the Reaper, say “Can I be your test subject?”




Disarmed – when you get to the Quarantine Zone and meet the welcoming committee, put your old arm (the only thing left in your inventory) with the burning bodies.

End-Game Decisions

Now, there are three ways to finish the game - they are for you to decide at the very end. You can always save your game somewhere close to it and then load and do it otherwise.
Just do not read the following descriptions if you have not completed 'Shardlight' yet!


Chaos – at the end, kill Tiberius and leave all the power to Danton. Not a wise decision...




Order – at the end, shoot Danton and leave Tiberius in power. That was a difficult choice...




Free Will – shoot both Tiberius and Danton. Good luck governing the people, Amy!

[51cent]

I am not getting the achievment The Perfect Life. I talked to all the 15 persons incuding the "Give the password"-option. I don`t see what I am missing

[CorvusCorax]

Thank you!

[PunkSteve]

Nice Guide, Thanks for the Help.

[Shindragan]

Thx dude, great work :)

[uka7777]

The note added, thanks.

[Shindragan]

Would appreciate it if for hat trick, you could warn people to not talk to her about her hair before giving her the paper, she needs to trust you before telling you why she doesnt wear hats by giving her the raven's paper that you get AFTER the vision.

[uka7777]

OK, added!

[Link]

Yes, but that's the biggest story related spoiler. You censored the ending spoilers, so why not that one? Just a suggestion is all.

[uka7777]

Link, I think that all the achievements are spoilers - there is a warning: huge SPOILERS ahead!

[Link]

While the graphic/image and name of the achievement sort of spoils it, maybe you should spoiler tag the Mercy Killing description a bit for people who don't want to get it ruined for them.