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Left 4 Dead includes achievements for Steamworks and Xbox Live. There are 73 achievements in all for the PC version of Left 4 Dead, but only 65 for the Xbox 360 version; the Outbreak achievement is not in the Xbox 360 version of the game, and the Survival Pack on Xbox 360 adds no new achievements due to technically being only a patch, not a DLC. There are currently 101 achievements for the PC version of Left 4 Dead 2 (two of which are date-dependent) and 65 achievements for the Xbox 360 version.

  • Survival Pack adds 7 new achievements to Left 4 Dead for the PC version only.
  • Crash Course adds 10 new achievements to Left 4 Dead.
  • The Passing adds 10 new achievements to Left 4 Dead 2.
  • The Sacrifice adds 5 new achievements to both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, and for the Xbox 360 and PC as well as Mac.
  • The Cold Stream update added 2 new achievements to Left 4 Dead 2 called Stream Crosser and Connecting Fights, although the latter achievement is actually keyed to the conversion of the Dead Air campaign in Left 4 Dead 2. As a reward for 60,000 players earning the Connecting Fights achievement, Valve released a beta version of the Blood Harvest campaign for Left 4 Dead 2.
  • A special holiday-themed achievement, called "Valve Gift Grab 2011 — L4D2", was added to the PC version of Left 4 Dead 2 for a limited time in late December 2011.
  • The achievement Good Guy Nick is achieved by surviving a campaign with players who obtained their copy of the game during a free weekend.
  • The Last Stand Community Update adds 30 new achievements to the PC version of Left 4 Dead 2.
  • A PC-exclusive achievement titled Gnome Alone was added to Left 4 Dead 2 in late November 2020.

Note: In Left 4 Dead, since the Crash Course update, achievements cannot be earned with cheats turned on (sv_cheats 1), however, one way is to play on Versus mode with everyone helping each other to get achievements. Another easy way to obtain achievements is to create a server in order to exploit the console commands.

Left 4 Dead[]

Campaign[]

L4d no mercy
MERCY KILLER (15G)
Survive the No Mercy campaign.
  • This can be acquired by surviving the campaign on any difficulty.
  • "Mercy killing" is another term for euthanasia. It is also a direct reference to the Finale taking place in Mercy Hospital, and slaying hordes of infected there.

L4d achievement survive garage
CRASH-PROOF (15G)
Survive the Crash Course Campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • The name is a reference to the Survivors surviving the crash of the helicopter and successfully continuing their escape.

L4d death toll
TOLL COLLECTOR (15G)
Survive the Death Toll Campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • A toll collector is someone who collects a toll that must be paid for using a bridge, ferry, or other tolled transportation, in which this is referenced by the Survivors boarding a boat to escape.
  • The name is also a reference to the figure Charon from Greek mythology, who collected a toll from those trying to cross the River Styx in the underworld.
  • It may also be a reference to the bell that tolls in the Church.

L4d dead air
DEAD BARON (15G)
Survive the Dead Air campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • This achievement's name is a parody of the Red Baron.

L4d blood harvest
GRIM REAPER (15G)
Survive the Blood Harvest campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • The Grim Reaper is the mythological physical embodiment of death, who is often portrayed with a scythe (a traditional farming tool), further referencing the campaign's name and setting.


Survivor[]

L4d drag and drop
DRAG AND DROP (20G)
Rescue a Survivor from a Smoker's tongue before they take damage.
  • This requires the player to shoot a Smoker who has grabbed another Survivor. It takes until the Smoker drags the Survivor directly to him before he can deal damage.
  • Just as a Survivor is grabbed by a Smoker, quickly shove the Survivor or shoot the constricting Smoker.
  • Smokers inflict dragging damage in Versus mode; it is therefore much easier to achieve this in the other modes.
  • The achievement title is a reference to a term used in computing describing the action of selecting a virtual object by "grabbing" it and moving it to a different location or onto another virtual object.

L4d brain salad
BRAIN SALAD (15G)
Make 100 headshot kills.
  • Aim high when firing into Infected crowds with a shotgun, pick off Infected from a distance if they haven't noticed the player yet, and remember that crouching improves accuracy with most guns. Even if the player is not trying to get this achievement, they'll probably get it after a while of playing the game normally.
  • A successful headshot with any weapon will kill a Common Infected on any difficulty, so feel free to use Pistols.
  • This is easiest to achieve during The Town. Simply use the Hunting Rifle and pick off wandering Infected from atop the roof. If the player goes back into the building, chances are, a few will respawn (or hidden ones will show themselves). Since the player is almost literally inside the safe room, they therefore have unlimited ammo. Just be aware, doing this for too long will provoke a Horde attack.
  • The achievement title may be reference to Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 4th studio album Brain Salad Surgery which is considered a "masterpiece" by their fans.

L4d tongue twister
TONGUE TWISTER (20G)
Kill a Smoker who has grabbed you with his tongue.
  • The player MUST shoot or shove the Smoker as soon as it grabs them. They have roughly a second to kill him.
  • If the Smoker grabs the player by its tongue, quickly turn and shoot him. An Assault Rifle or Hunting Rifle is more effective than other weapons for this due to their long ranges and accuracy. If they wait too long, they will be constricted, unable to assist their teammates or save themselves.
  • Use of the 180-flip macro on Xbox 360 (RB button) could help a player to quickly face a Smoker that is constricting them from behind.
  • A tongue-twister is a phrase that is difficult to say, the phrase both references the difficulty of achievement & how the smoker literally twists it's tongue around survivors to grab and pull them.

L4d pyrotechnician
PYROTECHNICIAN (20G)
Blow up 20 Infected in a single explosion.
  • The player should throw a pipe bomb when they see a large horde approaching, such as a panic event. They can also throw a pipe bomb if they enter a large area filled with idle Infected.
  • The player can fulfill this achievement either by throwing a pipe bomb or by blowing up explosives, such as a Propane or Oxygen tank. This achievement should be attempted in finales or Crescendo Events, as at those times there are a lot of Infected in large groups. A perfect instance to do this is the start of Dead Air where there is a Pipe bomb on the table. All the player needs to do is pick it up and throw it over the wall at the Infected without opening the door.
  • A pyrotechnician is someone who specializes in the handling of explosives, usually for entertainment purposes.
  • It is possible to get this Achievement by blowing up a Propane Tank. It is easily done by shooting a gas can that will blow up the Propane Tank because it is difficult to spot during a Horde. This can be easily achieved in The Lighthouse on the Street that leads to the Gate.

L4d blind luck
BLIND LUCK (20G)
You or another Survivor take no damage after being vomited on by a Boomer.
  • While the player or another Survivor is covered in bile, throw a Pipe bomb to lure away most of the Infected. This should leave them with a good chance of receiving no damage.
  • Try to be vomited on while in a room with a single entry. That way, the player and their teammates can cover the entrance easier. The best weapons to use for this are the Auto Shotgun and the Assault Rifle for their effectiveness at close range. The player should try not to hit their teammates during the attack. Note that the time the game counts as being "vomited on" is slightly longer than the time the player's screen is covered in bile, so the safest option is to wait until they get the achievement notification before continuing.
  • If only one or two people have been slimed, they should move to the back of the room/closet. The horde will only attack them, and being at the back will give the team more time to thin the Infected numbers. Aside from that, employ standard turtling tactics (Survivors in the front crouch, shoot, and melee, and Survivors in the back fire over them). If the player is slimed and don't know what they're aiming at, keep shoving.
  • Blind luck is a term for a favorable outcome when the affected party had little opportunity to affect the outcome. Here, blind refers to the Survivors' visions being blurred by the vomit, and the possibility of getting this achievement simply by getting lucky.

L4d my bodyguard
MY BODYGUARD (15G)
Protect any Survivor from an attacking Infected 50 times.
  • Whenever the player shoots an Infected attacking another Survivor, a message will pop up saying they just protected that person. They must do this 50 times. This is done by using melee, shooting to get Hunters and Smokers off Survivors, or shooting a Common Infected that is attacking an unaware Survivor in the back.
  • Watch teammates' backs excessively when a horde is attacking. The player can get this achievement just by playing long enough.
  • The player can still protect their teammates while incapacitated by firing their Pistol(s) from the ground.
  • Protecting a Survivor from a Special Infected while incapacitated will also earn them the achievement GROUND COVER.
  • The achievement title is likely a reference to the 1980 film of the same name.

L4d tankbusters
TANKBUSTERS (20G)
Kill a Tank without it dealing any damage to a Survivor.
  • ALWAYS keep a distance from the Tank. As long as the player's health is high enough, they can easily outrun him as long as they don't let him get too close.
  • The player can set the Tank on fire at their own peril. Fire will kill him within 30 seconds, but it will also dramatically speed him up (outside of Versus, where he will be slightly slowed).
  • If the Tank is about to throw rubble in the player's direction, take cover unless they're sure they can pull off the zigzag method (i.e. running in one direction, then the opposite direction right after he throws the concrete). The player can destroy thrown rubble by shooting it, but this is also unreliable without practice. It is possible to get hit by the Tank's rubble and still obtain this achievement, provided the player has invincible frames during certain animations (such as being pulled by a Smoker).
  • This is best done in a campaign on Easy with human players, since AIs make no effort to avoid the Tank's thrown rocks. When a Tank attacks, run away from it while focusing all fire on it. Tanks on Easy will die in a matter of moments from concentrated gunfire.
  • The player's health needs to be 40 or above to outrun the Tank. Try to be in an open space when faced with a Tank. If the Tank charges at the player, they should run backwards as fast as they can without getting separated from their teammates. If the Tank picks up a rock, change position. Try to engage the Tank with medium to long range weapon such as Assault rifles. Nothing drops a Tank faster than Auto Shotguns at shorter ranges, but only use one if the player is aware of their surroundings. Getting stuck on scenery or a wall while the Tank is coming for them means screwing up the achievement for everyone.
  • The achievement title is most likely a reference to the movie Ghostbusters; it could also be a reference to the TV show Mythbusters.
  • This achievement is ludicrously easy on Easy difficulty, where the Tank can be killed with only a focus fire from 3-4 Submachine Gun magazines.
  • "Tankbuster" is military slang for an anti-tank weapon.

L4d no smoking section
NO SMOKING SECTION (15G)
Kill 10 Smokers as they are pulling helpless Survivors.
  • The player must kill the Smoker while it is actually dragging the Survivor, and before the Survivor is dragged into an obstacle or the Smoker itself (i.e. before taking damage in non-Versus modes) for it to count towards the achievement.
  • The achievement name refers to an area in a public location, such as a restaurant, where smoking tobacco is not permitted.

L4d hero closet
HERO CLOSET (10G)
Rescue a Survivor trapped in a closet.
  • This is an easy achievement to get. Once a Survivor dies, they will respawn in a closet. This happens after around one minute after the rest of the Survivors move a certain distance from the dead body. Alternatively, during finales, the Survivors instantly respawn in rescue closets while the initial radio activation dialogue is over and the rescue vehicle hasn't been summoned. Once the Survivor respawns, they will call out. They will have an orange outline while in a closet. Once found, open the closet to save them.
  • The achievement won't unlock if the player's teammate does it; they must be the one to open the door.

L4d hunter punter
HUNTER PUNTER (10G)
Shove a Hunter off of a pinned and helpless Survivor.
  • The player must free a pinned Survivor by shoving the Hunter off them. They don't need to kill the Hunter, just knock him away.
  • A punt is a kick in certain sports, such as rugby, in which the ball is released and kicked before it hits the ground. This refers to the player punching a Hunter off a survivor in a similar manner.

L4d 101 cremations
101 CREMATIONS (20G)
Set 101 Infected on fire.
  • To set Infected on fire, the player must throw a Molotov cocktail at them or light a gas can when they are near it. A gas can is recommended because of its large area of effect and longer burn. During a Panic Event, Crescendo Event, or a finale, throwing the Molotov where the Infected are coming from, or in a central area, and the player should get this achievement. Note that this is a cumulative achievement, which means that every time the player burns an Infected, it adds up; they don't need to burn all 101 at once.
  • It is recommended to do this on Dead Air, in the first chapter. At the beginning there is always a big crowd behind the door and there are always four pipe bombs and four Molotovs in the safe room table. First throw a Molotov in the greenhouse, then a pipe bomb in the flame. All Infected will run into the flames; this can be repeated until the achievement is unlocked.
  • This achievement's name is a parody of 101 Dalmatians.

L4d towering inferno
TOWERING INFERNO (10G)
Light a Tank on fire with a Molotov
  • During finales Survivors will fight a Tank. Simply set it alight by either throwing a Molotov in its path, or shooting a gas can near it. This is easier to do in campaign; AI Tanks will not try to avoid a Molotov fire.
  • In the starting safe room of the No Mercy finale, there will be a Molotov. At least one Tank will spawn during a finale, although there are usually two. Simply throw the Molotov when the Tank is in a good position and the achievement will be earned. Try to throw a Molotov at him when he's climbing up something or throwing concrete.
  • The Towering Inferno is a movie about a skyscraper being set on fire.

L4d achievement tank explosion stun
TANK STUMBLE (20G)
Stun a Tank with an explosion in the Crash Course campaign.
  • Pipe Bombs, Oxygen Tanks or Propane Tanks will make a Tank stumble around; the latter is much easier to accomplish due to first two having a delayed explosion.
  • This achievement reuses the image from the GROUND COVER achievement.
  • Shooting a Boomer next to a Tank will also stumble it, but the achievement will not count.

L4d witch hunter
WITCH HUNTER (20G)
Kill a Witch without any Survivor taking damage from her.
  • If the player gets the CR0WND achievement, this achievement will be awarded alongside. They should focus on that achievement if they want both.
  • Startle a Witch from a distance and have everyone focus fire on her. If they do, she will likely die before reaching the player.
  • Real life witch-hunters are still active to this day in some countries, but they peaked in activity between 1480 to 1700.

L4d ground cover
GROUND COVER (30G)
Save another Survivor from a Special Infected while on the ground.
  • While on the ground, the player must kill a Hunter or Smoker who has pinned someone, or kill a Special Infected who is in close enough proximity to another Survivor to count as protecting them. It is not possible to get this achievement by scoring the killing shot on a Tank.
  • Usually after being incapacitated, another Survivor will attempt to lift the player back to their feet. It is very common that, while the Survivor is pulling them up, he or she may be pounced by a Hunter or pulled by a Smoker. As soon as the player sees this happen, they should begin blasting the Hunter or Smoker with their Pistol. The reason this is not too easily earned is due to it coming down to luck. This is because the chances of another Survivor being pounced or dragged while the player is incapacitated is quite slim if they are in a group of good players. It is easiest to earn this achievement in Versus, since the Infected team will focus on their teammates while he or she is helping them.
  • Another way to get this achievement is to throw a Molotov at the player's feet a few seconds before a Hunter pounces them. The fire damage, coupled with the Hunter mauling the player should be enough to incapacitate them, and as long as no other Survivors interfere, the flames should kill the Hunter before they die, ironically giving the player the achievement for saving themselves.
  • It is not possible to get this achievement by having the player free themselves or another Survivor from a Special Infected with a pipe bomb or Boomer explosion that stumbles the attacking Infected.

L4d spinal tap
SPINAL TAP (10G)
Kill an Infected with a single blow from behind.
  • When things are quiet, simply approach an Infected that has not yet noticed the player and melee it in the back.
  • It is easier to attain this achievement in buildings and rooms where the Infected have a tendency to face the wall, leaving their backs open to an easy melee attack and subsequent kill.
  • An easy way to get this is to start on The Tunnel and head into the offices next to the safe room. 2 or 3 Infected are almost always facing the wall in these rooms.
  • A spinal tap is a real life medical procedure to collect cerebrospinal fluids, which can aid in various diagnoses.
  • Spinal Tap is also a fictional band, subject of the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap.
  • It is also the name of one of the Medic's taunts in Team Fortress 2.

L4d dead stop
DEAD STOP (10G)
Punch a Hunter as he is pouncing.
  • The player must shove a Hunter as he is flying through the air.
  • Getting this achievement is a combination of luck and timing. The player must melee (Xbox 360: LT, PC: MOUSE2 by default) the instant before a pouncing Hunter reaches them.
  • The achievement's name is a pun on the Infected wrongly thought to be undead, as well as the Hunter coming to a complete stop in the air should the player perform the action successfully.

L4d burn the witch
BURN THE WITCH (10G)
Light a Witch with a molotov.
  • Simply throw a Molotov at a Witch as she is on the ground. Be ready, however, as she will still attack the player while on fire. This can also be achieved by lighting a Witch on fire with a gas can.
  • Note that setting a Witch on fire will make her switch targets and come after whoever set her on fire, even if they didn't initially startle her. Normally, Witches leave after killing whoever startled them, but setting them on fire after they've killed their victim will make them target a new victim: the one who set her alight. Therefore, attempt this achievement with care.
    • A burning Witch will only last for 15 seconds before dying. She is more difficult to trick when on fire, so avoiding her is far more difficult. She will, however, move slower when on fire, allowing the player to run away without her catching up.
  • This achievement is a reference to European witch trials and witch hunts, where suspected witches would be tried and, if convicted, executed via burning (compared to American witch trials, where witches were only hanged and not burned).
  • The achievement title may also be a reference to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which is a scene where a group of villagers attempt to execute a woman for being a witch, despite the fact that the crowd has dressed her up and is falsely accusing her. The crowd is introduced in the scene shouting "Burn the witch!"
  • The achievement title may also reference a 2006 single of the same name by the band Queens of the Stone Age.
  • This achievement shares its name with an achievement in the Xbox 360 game, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts 'n' Bolts where the player must fire a laser at the main antagonist of the game, Gruntilda, who is a witch.

L4d noone left behind
NO-ONE LEFT BEHIND (20G)
Beat a campaign with all 4 Survivors.
  • This can be acquired on any campaign on any difficulty. During the finale, all four Survivors must get into the rescue vehicle.
  • This achievement may be a reference to the movie Blackhawk Down.
  • Due to the nature of its finale, this achievement cannot be earned on The Sacrifice.
  • The name is possibly a reference to No Child Left Behind.

L4d achievement win versus garage
SMASH HIT (25G)
Win a Versus campaign of Crash Course.
  • (PC) Despite the achievement description, the unlock criteria for this achievement does not check whether the match is won or lost; the campaign should simply be played until the very end by both teams, although draws do not count. Playing chapter one is not required.
  • (PC) The achievement unlocks if one ends the finale on the Survivor team. Open the developer console and enter the command "jointeam 2" or "jointeam 3" to swap teams and obtain this achievement 100% of the time. It is not bugged, nor inconsistent.
  • (Xbox 360) Like most Crash Course achievements, this achievement is broken or glitched on the Xbox 360 and will only unlock if playing a Versus game on a local server (see Crash Course notes section for information on forcing a Versus game into a local server on Xbox 360).
  • A smash hit is a form of media (TV show, book, music, etc.) that becomes overwhelmingly popular in a short period of time.

L4d jump shot
JUMP SHOT (20G)
Headshot a Hunter while he's leaping.
  • The player should grab an Assault Rifle or Auto Shotgun, crouch down and fire full auto at the Hunter as it jumps toward them.
  • A jump shot is a basketball move where the ball is thrown after jumping into the air. Here it's a play on that term: the Hunter jumps, while the Survivor shoots.
  • This achievement re-uses the picture for Dead Stop.
  • It is possible to earn this achievement without killing the Hunter as the player only has to headshot it, not kill it.

L4d clean kill
CLEAN KILL (10G)
Shove a Boomer and then kill him without him splashing on anyone.
  • This will usually require an open space. Shove the Boomer, retreat while he's stunned and shoot him. This achievement can also be earned by pushing a Boomer from a height, which will occasionally lead to him bursting upon hitting the ground. Note that shoving the same Boomer 4 times in a row will make him die and explode.
  • A clean kill is a term used by hunters and shooters to refer to a kill that was done with one hit and resulted in little blood being spilled.
  • This achievement is harder on online coop modes, as other human-controlled Survivors may accidentally shoot Boomers near the player. Playing in Single Player with AI grants this achievement easily.

L4d achievement repower generator
QUICK POWER (25G)
Restart the generator within 30 seconds of it shutting off in the Crash Course campaign.
  • This is acquired in the Crash Course campaign, when the generator shuts off before the rescue vehicle deploys. Turning it on within 30 seconds will unlock this achievement.

L4d dead giveaway
DEAD GIVEAWAY (10G)
Heal a fellow Survivor when your own health is below 10.
  • This can be frustrating to get in Single Player, as usually if the player's health falls below half, a Survivor Bot will try to heal them. If the player plays with the Survivor bots and doesn't want to be healed by them, they should select their first aid kit or pills in their inventory. Having temporary health but no permanent health will also count.
  • A dead giveaway is information that makes something previously unknown very clear. In this case, the player is giving away their health kit while they are close to being dead.

L4d helping hand
HELPING HAND (20G)
Revive 50 incapacitated Survivors.
  • The player only has to help Survivors onto their feet 50 times, they do NOT have to heal them.
  • Helping up Survivors incapacitated due to friendly fire still counts towards this achievement, even if the player's friendly fire was the result. This can be abused to easily gain the achievement in Single Player mode.

L4d back 2 help
BACK 2 HELP (20G)
Leave a safe room to save an incapacitated teammate and bring them back safely.
  • If the player is incapacitated by friendly-fire, the achievement won't count; the incapacitated Survivor must be incapped by fall damage, environmental fire, or Infected. This was fixed in an early update.
  • Also note that the achievement does not pop until the rescued survivor enters the safe room.
  • The name of this achievement is a pun of the game's title.

L4d pharm assist
PHARM-ASSIST (20G)
Give pain pills to 10 Survivors.
  • Self-explanatory. Simply give Pain pills to Survivors who are low on health. Giving and receiving the same set of pain pills does not count.
  • The title of this achievement is a pun of pharmacist, a person who sells medicine (i.e., pain medication).

L4d field medic
FIELD MEDIC (20G)
Heal 25 Survivors with a first aid kit.
  • Self-explanatory. The player can easily get this achievement in Single Player by starting a game, doing friendly fire damage to a teammate, and then healing them.
  • An even faster way of grinding this achievement is to play through the first level of a campaign on Easy difficulty, take as little damage as possible, and make it to the safe room. Ideally, the whole team will have first-aid kits. Now, the player should switch the difficulty to Normal or higher, shoot their teammates, and heal them with the full stock of first-aid kits. After that, restart the level, rinse, repeat until the achievement is unlocked.
  • A field medic is the term for a medic that treats injured soldiers on or near the front lines.

L4d cr0wned
CR0WND (30G)
Kill a Witch with a single headshot.
  • "Cr0wn" simply means to kill a Witch without startling her. Because of this the player can unlock this achievement using the Hunting Rifle, contrary to popular belief. A shot to the head using the hunting rifle makes her stumble, but does not startle her until she stops stumbling. This gives the player roughly 3 or 4 seconds to run over to her and melee her while shooting her, dying even faster if human teammates also shoot her. She will not be startled during all of this if the player doesn't give her the chance to and they can get the achievement. See also: Modern Way To Kill Witch 2009
  • Sneak up right behind a Witch. She will not attack right away and slowly get up. Aim the shotgun either right at her head, or at center mass (chest or back). When she stands up and is about to be startled, shoot her right in the head/chest/back. The player will have some time to aim before she becomes startled, but shouldn't take too long.
  • The player shouldn't go for this achievement if they are actually trying to beat the campaign. They should play on Single Player for the exclusive reason of earning this achievement; that way, they won't have to worry about screwing up.
  • With some luck, the Witch may spawn within sight and range of a Minigun. With a little more luck, the player can Cr0wn her by firing upon her with the mounted gun.
  • This achievement's name is a pun, but the basis of the pun is disputed. Some feel it is a combination of "crone" and "0wnd", other say it is a "1337" form of crowned.
  • Crouching can also improve accuracy, if using a shotgun. Try to follow her head as she starts to stand up, or aim for her chin. If the player is not very good or is inexperienced with cr0wning, an Auto Shotgun makes this trivial, as they can just fire multiple times quickly to kill her.

L4d zombie genocidest
ZOMBIE GENOCIDEST (20G)
Kill 53,595 Infected.
  • Play the game for a long enough time and the player will eventually get this one.
  • A quicker way to do this Achievement is to play through a finale as normal on Easy, and when the rescue vehicle arrives, stay and hold out until the player dies while killing as many Infected as they can. It's best to do it in a glitch spot where the Infected cannot get to the Survivors, such as the "Jesus room," which is still unpatched on the Xbox 360 version.
  • (Xbox 360) Any kills done in split screen by a guest account also adds to the kill count.
  • This number is referenced in a set of safe house graffiti in the No Mercy campaign, with different inscriptions claiming 40, 50, 120 and finally "53,595!!!" zombie kills. This one in particular is underscored by the declaration: "LIES!!!"
  • This is a reference to the game Dead Rising, in which if the player kills 53,594 zombies (the entire population of Williamette, the game's setting), it grants the "Zombie Genocider" achievement; Frank West, the player, has killed, down to a man, the entire population of Willamette. In order to outdo 'Dead Rising 2, Valve included this achievement and added one more to the kill count. "Genocidest" functions as a play on words: going from the comparative suffix "er" (of Genocider) to the superlative suffix "est" emphasizes Valve's one-upmanship.
    • Dead Rising 2 followed up with the achievement "Z-Genocider 2: Genocide Harder" which requires the player to kill 53,596 zombies in one playthrough. The description of the achievement even says "Killed 53,596 zombies. You left them all for dead!", clearly being a jab at this achievement.
      • Dead Rising 3 took it one step further with the achievement "Master of Massacre" which required the player to kill 53,597 infected to unlock it.
      • Dead Rising 4 featured a continuation of this trend with the achievement "Z-Genocider 4: The Return" which required the player to kill 53,598 infected.
      • The trend would be ended by the Last Stand Update in Left 4 Dead 2, which added the achievement "Z-GENOCIDEST 2: EPISODE 2", requiring the player to kill 53,599 Infected. The name is also a reference to another Valve title, Half-Life 2: Episode 2.
  • This achievement was also later referenced by the game Prototype, which requires the player to kill 53,596 Infected in order to obtain the "Trail of Corpses" achievement.
  • In the Crash Course DLC, the achievement THE LITTLEST GENOCIDE also references this achievement, but with only 1/10 of the Infected required.
  • The easiest way to get this is by going to The Terminal in the Dead Air campaign on Expert, opening the door, and walking out, then back in to wait for the hordes that spawn after a bit.

L4d man vs tank
MAN VS TANK (30G)
Single-handedly kill a Tank.
  • This is best done on Easy Single Player. Listen for the sounds of a Tank growling before the he actually attacks. Enable the subtitles to help. When the player hears the Tank, they should change the difficulty to Expert and kill their Survivor Bots to prevent interference. Change the difficulty back to Easy and take on the Tank. With a Tier 2 weapon, a Survivor on their own won't have too much trouble taking the Tank down: set him on fire, don't let anyone else shoot him, and just run away until he burns out.
  • This achievement is a reference to the Unknown Rebel. It may also be a reference to the TV show Man vs. Wild.
  • During the finale of The Sacrifice, the player sacrificing themselves may get this achievement. It is unknown whether it is a glitch or if intended by Valve, seeing as Bill took on three Tanks shortly before his death in The Sacrifice Comic.

L4d achievement 5359 infected garage
THE LITTLEST GENOCIDE (25G)
Kill 5,359 Infected in the Crash Course campaign.
  • This is unlocked by killing 5,359 Infected within the two maps of the Crash Course campaign.
  • This is an obvious reference to the ZOMBIE GENOCIDEST achievement.
  • This achievement requires only 1/10 of the Infected required in the ZOMBIE GENOCIDEST achievement, but it has a larger reward.

L4d untouchables
UNTOUCHABLES (30G)
No Survivors take damage after contacting the rescue vehicle.
  • This achievement can be easily obtained thanks to an unpatched glitch: if another player joins at the exact moment that the Survivors have boarded the rescue vehicle, during the ending cutscene, the achievement will unlock. As of February 2023, this glitch remains unpatched on both PC and Xbox 360.
  • A good way to get this achievement is to go to the finale on the Dead Air campaign and stand in the back of the map on the left corner. The bots should take care of all Infected including Tanks, leaving the human player(s) completely safe. This also works on the PC version.
  • Furthermore, the game doesn't track player's stats, including damage, when idle; with two or more human players, as soon as the finale starts, hit Esc by default on PC or START on Xbox 360, and select Take a Break. Wait until the finale is over and almost everyone is in/next to the escape vehicle, then re-enter the game.
  • If a Survivor takes pain pills, the temporary health reduction will count as damage and prevent the achievement from being earned.

L4d red mist
RED MIST (20G)
Kill 1000 Infected with a mounted machine gun.
  • This is ludicrously easy, albeit very time-consuming, to obtain by playing Survival mode. Just select levels with machine guns.
  • In finales & Crescendo Events, there is usually a mounted minigun; use it as frequently as possible.
  • A somewhat useful trick is to throw a pipe bomb in front of the line of sight of the minigun and kill the Infected that gather.
  • "Red mist" is a term for a cloud of blood.


Full Campaign Achievements[]

Note: for all the following achievements, it is recommended to play on Crash Course, as it is only 2 chapters long. Additionally, if you sacrifice yourself during The Sacrifice's finale, you will be exempt from earning any of these, as when the campaign finishes, you're technically dead (with the sole exception being "What Are You Trying To Prove?", because The Sacrifice is not part of that achievement's criteria).

L4d stomach upset
STOMACH UPSET (20G)
All Survivors complete a campaign without being vomited on.
  • The player should always spam melee if they hear a Boomer. All it takes is one trigger-happy Survivor to ruin it for everyone.
  • It is highly likely that restarting a campaign in-game via vote instead of returning to the lobby will count as one large campaign, frustratingly nullifying the achievement.
  • Playing on Easy is recommended if going for this achievement. The Boomer will have a 5-7 second delay before barfing on nearby players. If you play on difficulties such as Advanced or Expert, the Boomer will immediately puke on the Survivors without any delay. He can even puke from even further away than usual in Expert.
  • The fastest way to get this achievement is to start a Single Player game on Crash Course, as it is the shortest campaign, with captions full on and the difficulty set to Easy. The player should rush through the two levels, and every time a Boomer spawns, look for him carefully and kill him themselves. When the finale is reached, make a stand at the top of the two buses in front of the ammo spot, so it becomes impossible for the Boomers to surprise Survivors during the hordes, as it is in the middle of an open area.
  • The name of this achievement is a play on the term "upset stomach", a term often used to describe nausea, which is a common cause of vomiting, and hence the Boomer's involvement.

L4d saftey first
SAFETY FIRST (30G)
Play an entire campaign with no Survivors taking friendly fire damage.
  • Although friendly fire does not cause damage on Easy, it still registers and the achievement will not be unlocked.
  • When a Survivor is surrounded, allow him to help themselves, or use melees to assist them.
  • This can be easily done in Single Player, because the bots won't cause friendly-fire damage from firearms. However a bot can cause friendly fire damage if one accidentally sets off a gas can or propane tank next to the player. So just as long as the player avoids hitting the bots, and stands clear of explosive items, they will get the achievement.
  • This can also be done by 4 players shoving through the entire campaign, although it is impossible to deal with the Tank head-on in this way.
  • An alternative way is to play through a Single Player campaign in Easy (preferably Crash Course, as it is only 2 chapters long), then shove through the entire campaign, letting the AI do the shooting.
  • The image of the achievement might be a hint to use the Hunting Rifle, as it is more precise than the other weapons and has less chance of hitting another Survivor with unexpected bullet spread.

L4d do not disturb
DO NOT DISTURB (20G)
Sneak past all Witches in a campaign without disturbing one.
  • This only requires the player to get through ONE campaign without startling (but not killing) a Witch. Simply listen for the signs on a Witch. Cr0wning her will not count as startling her: only when it says "(Player's name) has startled the Witch" will it count against the achievement. If she is directly in the player's way, have one or two people run by her at a time.
  • Play on Easy. There will be some instances where a Witch is literally sitting IN a doorway the Survivors must pass through, and cr0wning will be necessary. Cr0wning is obviously easiest to do on Easy.

L4d zombicidal maniac
ZOMBICIDAL MANIAC (30G)
Survive any campaign on Expert.
  • Simply survive one campaign on Expert to get this achievement.
  • Only the Survivors who make it to the rescue vehicle will get this achievement.
  • The name of this achievement is a reference to the common phrase "homicidal maniac".
  • An easy way for this achievement is to play a campaign online with more than 2 players at least. Do Chapters 1-4 on a campaign on Easy, then when at the finale, don't open the safe room door and vote to return to lobby. Change the chapter of the campaign being done to the Finale and the difficulty to Expert. At this point, players only need to finish the finale on Expert, not the whole Campaign.

L4d stand tall
STAND TALL (20G)
Survive a campaign without being incapacitated.
  • This can be done on any difficulty, so play on Easy if specifically going for this one. It's very doable in Single Player, but having a good human-controlled team practically makes this achievement guaranteed.
  • Avoid attacking Witches, as they can cause instant incapacitation and will ruin the chances of getting this achievement.
  • Players should heal themselves or consume pain pills whenever their health value falls below 50, just in case things take a turn for the worse. High health is better than low health and being downed.
  • Be very cautious when dealing with a Tank within a vicinity littered with environmental objects (such as cars and dumpster bins), as he can punch them towards and instantly incapacitates you, ruining the chances of getting the achievement. The best thing to do is to lure the Tank away from them.

L4d what are you trying to prove
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE? (35G)
Survive all campaigns on Expert.
  • "Simply" complete all the campaigns on Expert to get this achievement.
    • Crash Course and the Sacrifice are not required due to the achievement predating these campaigns' release date.
  • A 'cheat' for this is to play campaign online with more than 2 players at least. Do Chapters 1-4 on a campaign on Easy, then when at the finale, don't open the safe room door and vote to return to lobby. Change the chapter of the campaign being done to the Finale and the difficulty to Expert. At this point, players only need to finish the finale on Expert, not the whole campaign.
  • The achievement's name may be a reference to another Valve game, Half-Life 2, where the antagonist Wallace Breen asks the silent protagonist Gordon Freeman "What are you trying to prove?", since the player must go through many hardships to survive. It is also a direct reference to the fact that the game doesn't offer other rewards for completing Expert aside from achievements.

L4d unbreakable
UNBREAKABLE (30G)
Finish a campaign without being healed by a first aid kit.
  • Being healed by another Survivor counts as being healed.
  • Pain pills don't count against this achievement.
  • If players attempt this with Survivor Bots who then try to heal them, they should pull out a first aid kit or Pain Pills to cancel the healing. However, they will have to constantly stop and do this every few moments if they are low on health. It is generally a much better idea to do the achievement with human players and on lower difficulties.
  • If players are playing an online campaign, going idle before the heal process completes will allow them to be healed, but won't count against the achievement. This way, they can be healed and still get the achievement.
  • If players have low health and are near the end of the level they can have a human partner kill them. When the next level begins, they will come back with 50 health (if players die in a safe room all of their supplies will carry over to the next level as long as they are IN the safe room).
  • If players are at the finale and are incapacitated, as long as they don't die before everyone else reaches the Rescue vehicle, the achievement is still unlocked.
  • The achievement's name may be a reference to the film Unbreakable staring Bruce Willis playing the role of a man who never requires medical treatment due to self-healing powers.

L4d nothing special
NOTHING SPECIAL (30G)
Survive a campaign with no Survivors taking damage from Special Infected.
  • Special Infected are usually very tenacious, so use your weapons with equal tenacity.
  • It is possible to do this with ease on Versus mode. Gather up a group of friends, and when playing as Infected, do not harm the Survivors in any way. Unless there has been an update, this has been confirmed to work on Crash Course in Versus. It is possible that it would work on other campaigns, but Crash Course is much easier to complete as it is only 2 chapters.
  • Another way (although a bit selfish) is to join Crash Course campaign online and wait until rest of the team reaches the safe room of the 1st map before taking control of a Survivor. If the Survivor is still alive, then go into play right before going into the safe room. This way, players only have to pass the 2nd map with no damage, which is pretty easy, as the only choke point where they have no room to avoid eventual attacks is the container after the ammo pile near the metal supply. If their character was dead on the 1st map, it's even better; they'll respawn in safe room with 100 HP, not usual 50, although they'll be lacking a Tier 2 weapon for a while.
  • Killing oneself in order to restart a chapter will not reset the status of this achievement. The campaign must be done from lobby to finale with no Special Infected damage taken.
  • Witches don't count as Special Infected for this achievement, but Tanks do.
  • An easy way to get this achievement is to play campaign online with 1-3 other players and and do Chapters 1-4 on a campaign on any difficulty (Easy difficulty highly recommended). When at the Finale, don't open the safe room door (or it'll mess it up) and vote to return to lobby. When at the lobby, the host of the room changes the Chapter of the campaign you were doing to the Finale. Then, when the game is started, this is when they can't take damage from Special Infected. Essentially, this allows them to to get the achievement by only completing the Finale without any Survivors taking damage from Special Infected, rather than the whole campaign.
  • (Xbox 360) Another way to achieve this is to go to the Runway Finale on Dead Air on Easy difficulty. Have the Survivors use two Assault Rifles and two Auto Shotguns (thus, the player should play as Zoey so her AI doesn't use the Hunting Rifle). Clear all of the Infected, and stock up before activating the rescue. Players should run past the large aircraft parked in front of the C-130 Hercules plane, all the way until they are touching what appears to be police line tape. From there, the horde will primarily come from in front of the Survivors but have spawned from behind the tape as well as down the broken aircraft shaft to the right. Special Infected will spawn while on the tape but will not engage or advance to the Survivors, with the exception of The Tank, until players make their run back to the C130 during the escape. The first Tank will usually get stuck on the opposite side of the large aircraft, making it an easy and relatively effortless target to kill. The second Tank will come from just to the right of the large aircraft over a nearby truck. Keep in mind that this Tank will throw chunks of earth before reaching the Survivors. This method helps earn both the NOTHING SPECIAL and UNTOUCHABLES achievements simultaneously. It may take several tries to accomplish this. The glitches in this method have not been patched.
  • Another easy way on the PC version requires the use of the Developer Console. It can be activated in the Options menu (go to "Keyboard/Mouse", then Enable the "Allow Developer Console" option) and then displayed by pressing the tilde (~) key. Start a Single Player game, and as the host of the server, you are able to kick Special Infected in the game. Type into the console: bind "h" "kick Smoker; kick Hunter; kick Boomer; kick Tank". Pressing the "H" key will now remove any Special Infected in the game. This does not require turning on cheats and thus the achievement can be obtained.

L4d akimbo assassin
AKIMBO ASSASSIN (30G)
Survive an entire campaign using only pistols.
  • Players may use single or dual pistols. They can use environmental advantages but cannot use primary weapons or mounted miniguns.
  • Grabbing a primary weapon, as long as it is never shot, is allowed.
  • Molotovs and pipe bombs can be used.
  • Players should use pistols to their advantage; while they are crouching, they have very high accuracy. This can be used to take out Special Infected from a distance.
  • When players are forced to fight a Tank or a Witch, let the bots take care of them. Stay out of the way and avoid engaging them, as the pistols are not powerful against either of them if they close in.
  • Although its original meaning is starkly different, dual wielding is sometimes called akimbo style.
  • An easy way to get this Achievement is to play through Crash Course on Easy, staying low when a Tank spawns.
  • When playing online, players should make sure their team doesn't mind before you attempt this achievement. It is simply common courtesy (and it will probably keep them from being kicked).
  • Another way to get this is to go on Single Player mode and do it. Bots' primary fire will not mess up players getting this achievement. Only the player has to survive the campaign only using pistols.


Versus Mode[]

L4d double jump
DOUBLE JUMP (20G)
Pounce two different Survivors in one life as a Hunter.
  • This is down mostly to the eventual lucky opportunity of a Survivor using their melee attack to get players off another Survivor. They then need to get away without being killed. It works best to wait for the Survivors to get separated. When this happens, pounce on the lone one. As soon as they're dead, flee to avoid the other Survivors. The next time players pounce, they will get the achievement.
  • Players can also pounce on a Survivor in a group and hope to be punted off without being shot to death afterward. They can then simply recover and pounce again. This is risky however, as while being stumbled from the melee, Hunters are vulnerable to being shot to death.
  • A double jump is a common skill in many video games. It allows a character to jump mid-air.
  • A good tip for this achievement is to keep holding the button or key that allows players to crouch (CTRL on default on PC, LB on Xbox 360) after they pounce a Survivor; that way, when they get shoved, they will crouch almost instantly, be able pounce the second Survivor immediately and get the achievement.

L4d achievement cause x pounce damage
JUMPIN' JACK SMASH (25G)
Pounce a Survivor for 25 points of damage in the Crash Course campaign.
  • Getting a 25 damage pounce can sometimes prove difficult; however, sticking to high places will improve chances. Remember that the Hunter arcs in flight, so aim a little high.
  • (Xbox 360) Like most Crash Course achievements, this is a broken or glitched achievement and will only unlock if playing a Versus game on a local server (See Crash Course for information on forcing the game into a local server).
  • An easy way to do this is to set up a Versus, friends-only game with two controllers and bots (the guest should be a survivor). Force the game onto a local server. Grab the second controller and, using the shotgun, incap and kill the three Survivor bots. In front of the nose of the downed helicopter, there is a guardrail that looks almost like a border for the "safe area". Position the Survivor on the opposite side of the guardrail from the downed helicopter and towards the beginning of the guardrail. The Infected should start out as a Smoker. Run into the line of sight of the Survivor and then switch controllers and kill the Smoker. Next, the Infected side should get a boomer, which must also be killed. Now should spawn a Hunter. Climb up to the roof of the warehouse behind the tail of the helicopter. There should be a chimney/smokestack that overlooks the "safe area." Climb on top and crouch. This next part might take some practice. Since the Hunter is on the high ground, they want to set up the jump in order to land directly on the Survivor at that height. If they aim directly at the Survivor and jump, they'll come up short. Players should aim at a spot above the Survivor, a little higher than the skyline of the city off in the distance. If arced correctly, players should deal 25 points of damage and unlock the achievement.
  • This is a reference to the song Jumpin' Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones.

L4d chain smoker
CHAIN SMOKER (20G)
Constrict two Survivors in one life as a Smoker.
  • The strategy is largely the same as DOUBLE JUMP. Players need to hold on to the Survivors long enough to cause damage, then be freed without dying.
  • Stay on the rooftops. When someone is freed, back away from the roof edges to avoid gunfire. When the Survivors forget about the Smoker, constrict someone again.
  • A chain smoker is a person that has a habit of smoking multiple cigarettes in succession, usually one right after the other.

L4d big drag
BIG DRAG (20G)
Drag a Survivor 100 feet with your tongue as a Smoker.
  • Spawn behind the group and nab the Survivor in the back. Eventually, players will get lucky enough to have the Survivors not notice, and they will survive long enough to get the achievement.
    • Try to do this when the enemy team is busy fighting either a startled Witch or a Tank, especially if they are already on low health. In despair, they probably will ignore the Smoker and try to deal with the Witch/Tank first.
  • This can also easily be done by hiding among the trees in the first section of Blood Harvest, as Smokers will rarely be spotted before they can grab a Survivor.
  • If possible, pull a Survivor right into a pipe bomb. The explosion will do good damage to the victim and also add distance to the pull without breaking the tongue.
  • Despite specifying 100 feet, pulling a Survivor only a distance of over 61 feet is required. The maximum attack range for the Smoker's grapple is only 750 in-game units, which can be slightly increased from various circumstances, but is nowhere near 100 feet.
  • "Big drag" is a play on words, referring to both the act of dragging a survivor, and taking a drag (i.e. inhaling smoke) from a cigarette.

L4d achievement drag biled survivor
SLIPPERY PULL (25G)
Smoker pull a bile-covered Survivor until you hold him during Crash Course.
  • As a Smoker, once a Boomer pukes on any Survivor, pull them until they reach the Smoker and he begins his clawing animation; therefore the Smoker should be on the same elevation as the victim. The achievement will not unlock by simply pulling Survivors covered in bile until an obstacle prevents them from reaching the Smoker.
    • A fast way to get this achievement: when you are a Smoker and you notice that there is a Boomer at a strategic spot just waiting to puke on the Survivors, hide at a high place nearby. Shortly after the Boomer puked succesfully (before the Infected appear), drop down near the Boomer's victim and grab him/her. If you jumped close enough and grabbed the victim fast enough, the achievement will unlock before the other Survivors can kill you or the common infected appear to hinder you.
  • (Xbox 360) Like most Crash Course achievements, this achievement is broken or glitched and cannot be unlocked if playing on a dedicated server. It can be unlocked offline via system link or online using a local server (see Crash Course notes section for directions on forcing a Versus game into a local server).
  • Note that at least 3 players are needed to unlock this achievement if trying to get it easily (Boomer player, Smoker player, Survivor victim).

L4d dead wreckening
DEAD WRECKENING (20G)
Dole out 5000 total Survivor damage as a Special Infected.
  • Simply play Versus long enough and players will eventually get it.
  • This achievement is a reference to the name of the vehicle used in Land of the Dead by the mercenaries in the film.
  • A way to get the achievement faster is, when players get the chance to play as a Tank, to try bashing incapacitated Survivors. They should get 25 damage per punch.
  • The achievement title is a play on the term "dead reckoning", which is a process for estimating the value of a variable quantity by using a previous value and adding any changes. It is commonly used in navigation for estimating one's position.

L4d barf bagged
BARF BAGGED (20G)
Cover four Survivors with Boomer bile at once.
  • Dying and exploding on Survivors doesn't count. Players must vomit (use primary fire: MOUSE1 default for PC, RT on Xbox 360) on all 4 in one attack.
  • Vomit on all four of the Survivors at once. If even one is missed, players will not get the achievement. One of the most important things to remember when trying to get the achievement is relative location. If the Survivors are huddled into one corner, go for it.
  • Remember that if the Survivors are huddled too close, it will be tricky to hit the ones at the back of the group.
  • Another tactic to avoid this situation is to look for an opportunity to ambush the Survivors when they are very slightly spread out, and spraying them all with bile in one horizontal motion.
  • A "barf bag" is a slang term for the air sickness bags provided on most airlines, intended for passengers that get sick during the flight to vomit into.

L4d all 4 dead
ALL 4 DEAD (30G)
Incapacitate or kill all four Survivors in one life as a Tank.
  • Getting hit by a car instantly incapacitates a Survivor. If players can knock a car down a narrow hallway as all four Survivors are together, they can knock them all out in a single hit.
  • This achievement tends to be easier to get in the beginning of a campaign, when the Survivors have only Tier 1 weapons, as they do much less damage to a Tank than Tier 2 weapons that tend to be found later in a campaign. Just keep playing Versus, hope to get to become a Tank early in the game, keep attacking, and the opportunity should come.
  • Although it is frowned upon, you can "steal" kills from teammates who have constricted or pounced players that are not yet incapacitated.
  • Note that it must be the Tank that incapacitates each survivor to earn this achievement. If players incapacitate three Survivors and a teammate incapacitates the last one, they do NOT receive this achievement.
  • The name is likely a play on the phrase "One for all, and all for one", as well as a reference to the game's title.

L4d lamb 2 slaughter
LAMB 2 SLAUGHTER (20G)
As an Infected, incapacitate a Survivor who has entered and left a safe room.
  • It is possible that pouncing a Survivor as a Hunter just as they close the door can earn players this achievement.
  • One of the easiest ways to do this is to wait outside the door after someone decided to rush ahead to the safe room without their teammates.
  • Another way to do this is use a Smoker to drag a Survivor out of the safe room and incapacitate them. You may have to choose a Survivor low on health to incapacitate them before other Survivors can react.
  • The name is a reference to a short story by Roald Dahl titled Lamb to the Slaughter, as well as to the game's title.

L4d 20 car pile-up
20 CAR PILE-UP (20G)
As a Tank, hit 20 Survivors with a car in the Crash Course campaign.
  • This achievement is cumulative, so it is not all in one game. The best place to get this will be the parking lot with the alarmed cars.
  • Dumpsters also affect the progress of this achievement, despite not being cars.
  • Hint: a car spawns on the finale, inside of the truck depot, near the fence that the Survivors crossed to enter there. Since that's the place with the highest chances of becoming a Tank, players must always try to use this car in order to earn the achievement faster.
  • With an update which restored lost achievement progress to players, many players received this achievement despite not having completed the requirements. The Crash Course campaign need not have even been downloaded for this to happen.

L4d achievement wipe all after truck
TRUCK STOP (35G)
Your team wipes all Survivors after the rescue vehicle has opened in Crash Course.
  • Mostly comes down to luck. Simply incapacitate all the (remaining) Survivors after the escape vehicle appears in the Crash Course campaign. Probably easiest by being the Tank that spawns when the vehicle has arrived.

L4d achievement incapacitate 3 in 5 sec
WIPEFEST (35G)
Your team incapacitates three Survivors within five seconds in the Crash Course campaign.
  • To earn this achievement, players or their team simply need to incapacitate three Survivors within five seconds of each other. The easiest way of achieving this is having a Tank incapacitate multiple Survivors in one strike by hitting a car/forklift/object at them. The damage source doesn't matter, as even friendly fire from other survivors counts as long as they get incapped.
  • (PC) Steam's description for this achievement fails to include "in the Crash Course campaign" which might mislead players into thinking the achievement can be obtained on another campaign; it is exclusive to Crash Course.
  • Players can get this achievement as a Survivor using the following scenario: Set up a Versus Friends-only game hosted on a local server, using two controllers and bots (See Crash Course for an explanation on forcing game into a local server). Make sure the 2nd player guest is a Survivor, and the primary account is an Infected. After the game has loaded, do not spawn as an Infected. Using the second controller, do not leave the safe area. Grab the shotgun and shoot a Survivor bot until they start to heal themselves. When the bot starts to heal himself or herself, repeat the process with a different bot until all three bots have used their health packs. Now, shoot each survivor until their health is just above the point of incapacitation. Now, all players have to do is shoot the three bots and incap them all within 5 seconds and the achievement unlocks for the host account.


PC Exclusive This information only applies to the PC version of Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2[]

Survival Mode[]

None of the Survival Achievements are present in the Xbox 360 version of the game since it is an update and not DLC.

L4d bronze mettle
BRONZE METTLE
Earn a Bronze medal in Survival mode on any official level.
  • It is a pun on the word "medal" and "mettle".

L4d silver bullets
SILVER BULLETS
Earn a Silver medal in Survival mode on any official level.
  • A common myth is that silver bullets are effective at slaying werewolves. Less common myths are that silver bullets will also kill or highly damage vampires and zombies - this references Francis repeatedly referring to the Infected as vampires.

L4d violence is golden
VIOLENCE IS GOLDEN
Earn a Gold medal in Survival mode on any official level.
  • A play on words of the term "silence is golden."

L4d distinguished survivor
DISTINGUISHED SURVIVOR
Earn at least a Bronze medal on every official Survival level.

L4d heroic survivor
HEROIC SURVIVOR
Earn at least a Silver medal on every official Survival level.

L4d legendary survivor
LEGENDARY SURVIVOR
Earn a Gold medal on every official Survival level.

L4D last stand
LAST STAND
Complete one round of Survival on The Last Stand.


Miscellaneous[]

Achievements that don't fit anywhere else.

L4d outbreak
OUTBREAK
Catch a rare strain of infection, then pass it on to someone else.
  • This is unlocked by being vomited on by a player-controlled Boomer who already has this achievement. Most players should unlock this easily simply by playing Versus mode.
  • This achievement originated from Boomers controlled by Valve developer players.
  • This is the only achievement that essentially rewards the player for being attacked by enemies.


Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2[]

The Sacrifice[]

Supreme sacrifice
SUPREME SACRIFICE (50G)
Complete The Sacrifice.
  • In Left 4 Dead, only the person who sacrificed themselves gets the achievement. In Left 4 Dead 2 all players get the achievement, including the player who sacrifices themselves.

Killbill
KILL BILL (50G)
Have Bill sacrifice himself for the team.
  • Self-explanatory. This is the only achievement which requires a specific Survivor.
  • In the Left 4 Dead 2 version of the campaign, if the three other Survivors are either dead or incapacitated, it is still possible to reactivate the generator as Bill and unlock the achievement, but the finale will fail and the game will restart from the safe room. It's unconfirmed if it works in the Left 4 Dead version.
  • Similarly to the above achievement, in Left 4 Dead, the achievement is only obtained by the player who plays as Bill and successfully sacrifices himself. In Left 4 Dead 2, the achievement will be obtained by everyone on the team if the sacrifice is made by Bill.
  • This achievement shares its name with the 2004 movie of the same name.
    • Additionally, this achievement could have been made to encourage players to follow The Sacrifice Comic's canon, in which Bill dies.

Chaos generator
CHAOS GENERATOR (50G)
Have all three generators running at once in The Sacrifice finale.
  • To accomplish this, get two other players, and then situate everyone near a generator and start them at the same time. If done quickly enough, the achievement will unlock.
  • Every time a generator is started, a Tank will spawn, so be prepared to fight with three Tanks..
  • This achievement will not unlock simply if all three have been started and are running at the same time — all three need to be started simultaneously.
  • (Xbox 360) This achievement is broken or glitched in Left 4 Dead and will only unlock if playing a game on a local server or via system link (see Crash Course notes section for directions on forcing a game into a local server).

Barrel rolled
BARREL ROLLED (50G)
Kill a Special Infected with an exploding barrel.
  • The achievement is unlocked through flame damage and not by the explosion itself.
  • This is most easily done on Xbox 360 by using split screen and two controllers, one on each team.
  • This achievement is easier to obtain in Left 4 Dead 2 instead of Left 4 Dead, since Chargers can be easily lured into charging into the barrels, and a single explosion should be able to kill it without the bots interfering. It can be similarly done with Hunters; however it is more risky and if players get pounced, the Hunter will likely be killed by their teammates or bots.
    • Also, in Left 4 Dead 2, the Flu Season Mutation gives players more opportunities to earn this achievement, since Boomers and Spitters spawn all the time, both of which are much easier to kill with a barrel than other Special Infected.
  • One way to get this achievement on Left 4 Dead is to start a Single Player game on The Docks on Expert, then incapacitate the Bots with a shotgun and change the difficulty to Easy. Near the beginning of this map, there is a thin alley where numerous barrels can spawn; just stay at this alley until a Special Infected appears, then lure him to nearby barrels. Note that this may take numerous attempts: since players are alone, a Hunter or Smoker can instantly screw up the attempt. As such, a Boomer is highly preferred. This technique also demands players to know how the Special Infected's AI works, and how to lure them to a certain spot.
    • Players can also try to get this achievement in Versus by luring a player-controlled Special Infected to the barrels, but it's not recommended: unless they are playing with friends, loitering on a Versus match will quickly get them kicked from the session.
  • The name most likely comes from a phrase spoken by Peppy Hare from the Nintendo 64 game, Star Fox 64, where he tells the player to "do a barrel roll", a phrase that became a popular meme on the Internet.

Sacrifizzle
SACRIFIZZLE (50G)
As a Special Infected, incap someone who is trying to sacrifice themselves.
  • In Left 4 Dead, players will always take control of a newly spawned Tank. Players should use this to their advantage. Be quick, however: if the Survivors reacts fast, they might not even be able to get to them.
  • In Left 4 Dead 2, players will not take control of a Tank; instead, they will still have to choose their own spawn point. This can make things both easier and harder: they don't have to move all the way to the generator, but still have to spawn, and need to incapacitate a Survivor with a standard Special Infected, which is challenging unless the Survivor is injured.
    • Be aware of AI controlled Tanks, as sometimes they can accidentally kill players trying to grab a Survivor (or even after grabbing them).
  • The Survivor doesn't have to be starting the generator — he or she only needs to jump off the bridge.
  • Note that players only have to deal the incapacitating hit.
  • (Xbox 360) This achievement was previously completely broken for the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead, making it unobtainable. However, this achievement was later patched in an update to the Xbox 360 version and became obtainable, although it remains glitched as it will not unlock on dedicated servers; it will only unlock on local servers or system link games (see Crash Course notes section for directions on forcing a Versus game into a local server).


Left 4 Dead 2[]

Campaign[]

Price chopper
PRICE CHOPPER (20G)
Survive the Dead Center campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • The name is a pun on the setting of the campaign in a mall (where prices on goods are cut, or "chopped") and the use of newly introduced melee weapons that can "chop" Infected.
  • "Price Chopper" is also the name of two grocery store chains in the United States. One is headquartered in upstate New York, and the other is headquartered in Kansas City.

Torch-Bearer
TORCH BEARER (20G)
Survive The Passing campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • A "torch bearer" refers to a legacy being passed on (a.k.a. "passing the torch"); the original four Survivors' journey may very well have come to an end, which coincided with the new Survivors meeting them and continuing on their own journey.

Midnight rider
MIDNIGHT RIDER (20G)
Survive the Dark Carnival campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • The achievement name is a reference both to the term "midnight rider" (a person who visits an amusement park late at night, which the Survivors do on the 3rd chapter) and to the fictional in-game band, the Midnight Riders.
  • The achievement, as well as the band's name, could also be a reference to the Greg Allman song, "Midnight Rider".

Ragin cajun
RAGIN' CAJUN (20G)
Survive the Swamp Fever campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • "Cajun" refers to both an ethnic group and their cuisine that are common in the area in which the game is set.
  • "Ragin' Cajun" is a common term in the Deep South: there is a restaurant chain called the Ragin' Cajun, and several sports teams. James Carville, chief campaign strategist for the Clinton campaign of '92, was nicknamed the Ragin' Cajun.

Weatherman
WEATHERMAN (20G)
Survive the Hard Rain campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • This campaign features torrential rain and extreme weather resulting from an approaching hurricane.

Bridge burner
BRIDGE BURNER (20G)
Survive The Parish campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • The name of the campaign is a pun: the campaign finale involves the Survivors crossing a two-level bridge being bombed by F-18 Hornets, and the phrase "burning bridges" refers to doing an action that is irreversible and has major consequences.

PC Exclusive[]

Streamcrosser
STREAM CROSSER
Survive the Cold Stream campaign.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.


Survivor[]

Head honcho
HEAD HONCHO (15G)
Decapitate 200 Infected with melee weapons.
  • When using melee weapons, aim around the height of a Common Infected's head to decapitate them. Note that not all melee weapons cause decapitation.
  • Using the Crowbar may also work, as it may decapitate Common Infected, but mostly takes only part of the head off, not all of it.
  • Despite being blunt melee weapons, the Baseball Bat, Cricket Bat, Golf Club and the Guitar can be used to earn this achievement as the two-handed wide swings are capable of decapitating Common Infected.
  • Using the Chainsaw can also earn this achievement, but is quite difficult; its attacking speed is very high and the only area that counts towards the achievement when hit is the neck.
  • Despite the achievement's description, it is still possible to achieve it with gore disabled.
  • The term "head honcho" refers to an individual who is in charge of something.

Club dead
CLUB DEAD (15G)
Use every melee weapon to kill Common Infected.

Chain of command
CHAIN OF COMMAND (15G)
Kill 100 Common Infected with the chainsaw.
  • Players can get a lot of credit towards this during gauntlet events, particularly the one at the end of The Barns.
  • Players should make sure their team knows that they will use a Chainsaw if they're not playing on Easy. Friendly fire on Normal and higher can be devastating.
  • The name is a reference to a military term describing ranks, tied in with the pun of "chain"saw.
  • Using a Bile bomb can spawn a good number of Infected who are most likely to be distracted with the effects of the bomb. Make sure there are no Boomers nearby or its effect will be nullified, and take caution in using it on Hard Rain, as the Worker Infected are immune to its effects unless another Infected is covered in bile.
  • The easiest way is to play the Mutation Chainsaw Massacre, as the Chainsaw has unlimited fuel in that mode.

Tank burger
TANK BURGER (30G)
Kill a Tank with melee weapons.
  • The Tank can only take melee damage for this to count for anybody; no one can shoot or burn it.
  • This is easiest to do if a player's entire team uses melee and at least one person has a Chainsaw.
  • As long as the Tank is killed using only melee weapons, every Survivor gets this achievement, regardless of if they dealt any damage to the Tank or not. It is possible (although extremely rare) for three Survivor Bots to melee a Tank to death by themselves, giving the player the achievement for no effort.
  • Except in Mutations that force the Survivors to use only the melee weapon(s), such as Chainsaw Massacre or Four Swordsmen, it is impossible to achieve with bots, as they will always use primary weapons on the Tank, and their coding will eventually force them to switch from melee weapons to pistols.
  • To win this achievement alone, start a Single Player game with the Four Swordsmen Mutation on the Sacrifice on Easy difficulty. Once at the Tank in the train car, be sure to repeatedly slice the Tank until it dies. Make sure none of the AI becomes incapacitated, as they will fire with their Pistol and ruin the attempt.
  • This is likely a glitch, but if the Tank is completely skipped (which is unlikely, except in the Bridge Finale) with no damage or only melee damage being done, when the Survivors escape/reach the safe room, all players who haven't yet will get this achievement. It has been confirmed on the Xbox 360, and it unlocks right when the rescue vehicle is leaving.
  • The title is a reference to the in-game restaurant chain, the Burger Tank, as well as Tanks being turned into "burger meat" upon being hit with melee weapons.
  • Note: this is not obtainable through the TAAANNNKK!! mutation.

Shock jock
SHOCK JOCK (30G)
Revive 10 dead Survivors with the defibrillator.
  • If players want to get this achievement quickly, play the first chapter of Dead Center and find at least one defibrillator (obviously, it's easier to get more if you have human team members). Play the level normally until you reach the safe room, then switch the difficulty to Expert and let at least one of your team members die. Switch back to Easy, clear out the Infected, and defibrillate the dead survivor. From there, you can get someone else killed if you had more than one defibrillator, or restart the chapter to do it again.
    • Additionally, players can load up a Survival game on The Atrium, grab a guaranteed defibrillator next to the health kits, and jump from the third floor bridge to the set of stairs. The AI should repeatedly follow the player, and eventually fall and die. Players can then defib the bot, vote to restart round, and repeat. This also works for THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, albeit when the bots hang instead of falling and with Adrenaline.
  • This may also be easier to unlock playing the Bleed Out Mutation, since defibrillators spawn and deaths are rather common.
    • Alternatively if Mutations are not available, The Sugar Mill on Expert will help, as deaths can be rather common due to the large amount of Witches on the level. Note that there will not be enough defibrillators to revive 10 dead players in one sitting, but this chapter will help as it is often rare to die in other chapters.
  • Note that reviving the same person more than once in a single session won't count toward the achievement. Restart the chapter or defib someone else.
  • There tends to be a larger number of defibrillators in Hard Rain than other campaigns, making it a good choice for earning this achievement quickly.
  • Killing a Survivor via friendly fire and then using the defibrillator on them does not count towards the score; Survivors must die from fall damage or Infected. Incapacitating a Survivor has no effect.
    • Environmental damage counts as well: pushing an AI survivor into a fire (such as near the end of Dead Center's "Hotel") and then defibrillating them does count towards achievement progress.
  • The name is a pun: a "shock jock" is used to describe a type of radio broadcaster or disc jockey who entertains listeners or attracts attention using humor and/or melodramatic exaggeration that a notable portion of the listening audience may find offensive, and the player "shocks" dead teammates with the defibrilator.

The quick and the dead
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (30G)
Revive 10 incapacitated Survivors while under the speed-boosting effects of adrenaline.
  • Players should simply grab any Adrenaline Shot they see and save it for an incapacitated Survivor.
  • Incapacitating a Survivor with friendly fire and then reviving them while under the adrenaline's effect does not count toward the achievement, teammates must get incapped from Infected or fall damage.
    • Pushing a Survivor Bot into a fire (such as near the end of The Hotel) and then reviving them does count towards the achievement, as well as helping a Survivor from a ledge.
  • To get this achievement quickly, start Hard Rain's Sugar Mill or Mill Escape and get to the top of the empty building (just before/after the cane field). Make sure to have at least one Adrenaline Shot. The Survivors can just walk towards the gap, hang on the ledge, and players can use their adrenaline to quickly save them.
  • Another easy method of achieving this is to start a game on the map Atrium on Survival mode and continually let someone hang from a high ledge. If done right you can get about three revives with one Adrenaline shot, since there are many both near the spawning area and on the 3rd floor bridge.
  • "The Quick and the Dead" is a phrase from the King James version of the Bible, and is also the title of several movies.

Armory of one
ARMORY OF ONE (15G)
Deploy an ammo upgrade and have your team use it.
  • Self-explanatory. Find an ammo upgrade and deploy it somewhere near the Survivors. It is best to do it on Single Player, as Survivor Bots are programmed to pick up the upgrade when one is deployed. Make sure they can reach it as they may occasionally be unable to reach it due to navigation errors.
  • The name is a reference to the US Army slogan "An Army of One".

Burning sensation
BURNING SENSATION (15G)
Ignite 50 Common Infected with incendiary ammo.
  • This can easily be earned by combining incendiary ammo with a shotgun (preferably an Auto Shotgun) during a horde. Because of the wide spread of the buckshot, each shot ignites multiple infected simultaneously. A Hunting Rifle and Sniper Rifle can also be used, as their rounds penetrate through multiple Commons.
  • This is incredibly easy to earn in one sitting when players combine a M60 with the upgrade, especially in the Mutation Gib Fest, as it gives them 150 bullets (assuming players haven't wasted any of it yet or are in Gib Fest). This means that players can miss, on average, two of every three shots and still get this achievement without requiring another ammo upgrade.
    • If there is no M60 available, a regular or Silenced Submachine gun can work, but players must be precise with every bullet shot as those inexperienced will shoot 2 at a time and can miss. The achievement is cumulative, so not all 50 have to burn in one attempt.
  • Progress can be made easily on Swamp Fever due to the large number of ammo packs found in the early chapters of the campaign.
  • A burning sensation is a feeling of burning pain unrelated to actual burns, usually caused by an irritant of some sort.

Dismemberment plan
DISMEMBERMENT PLAN (20G)
Kill 15 Infected with a single grenade launcher blast.
  • This achievement can be earned by throwing a Pipe bomb or a Bile bomb on the ground during a horde and simply shooting in the middle.
  • "Dismemberment Plan" is probably a reference to the Washington D.C. based indie rock band The Dismemberment Plan.
  • The name is also a reference to the "Death and Dismemberment Plan", an insurance policy taken out by Phil Connors (Bill Murray) in the 1993 film Groundhog Day.

Septic tank
SEPTIC TANK (15G)
Use a bile bomb on a Tank.
  • Self-explanatory. Players usually have to be pretty close to the Tank to reliably hit it with a Bile bomb, so be ready to act fast.
    • An incoming Horde will appear after the bile jar explodes, so be prepared to deal with them too if they are not killed when the effects of the bile wear out.
  • An easy way to get this achievement is to play the second chapter of Dead Center on Easy difficulty. Progress through the map and eventually will encounter Infected CEDA agents who carry Bile Bombs, so it will be easy to get them and use against the Tank later. Also, the chance of the Tank spawning in this chapter is rather high.
  • The Bile Bomb has to hit the Tank directly and give him a purple outline; hitting the ground, walls, or other Infected does not count.
  • A septic tank is a sewage-disposal container, usually positioned below ground, in which a continuous flow of waste material is decomposed by anaerobic bacteria.

Crass menagerie
CRASS MENAGERIE (20G)
Kill one of each Uncommon Infected.
  • The CEDA Worker Infected, Worker Infected, Mudmen, and Clowns must be killed.
    • It is NOT required to kill a Riot Infected in The Parish, despite being portrayed in the achievement image. This is due to Riot Infected being absent from the game in certain countries where depictions of violence against authority figures are prohibited.
    • Jimmy Gibbs Jr. is not required either, due to his rarity.
    • Finally, the Fallen Survivor is also not required due to this achievement predating their appearance in the game as part of The Passing DLC.
  • The achievement title is a reference to the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, which is also set in New Orleans.

Dead in the water
DEAD IN THE WATER (20G)
Kill 10 swampy Mudmen while they are in the water.
  • Mudmen are encountered only in Swamp Fever and the ported versions of No Mercy and Death Toll (PC only). They also make another appearance in Cold Stream and the Left 4 Dead 2 version of The Last Stand.
  • If players toss a Pipe bomb into the water during a horde, they will usually get a lot of progress towards this achievement.
  • The Bile Bomb is also a good weapon to get Mudmen kills in one spot if it is tossed into the water.
  • The achievement title is a nautical term used to describe a vessel that can no longer function or move. It is often applied metaphorically to describe anything with a similar circumstance of immobility or helplessness.
  • It may be hard to kill Mudmen in the water, as the swampy water may hide them well. Let them come to the player and shove them to reveal them, then shoot them before they recover.

Robbed zombie
ROBBED ZOMBIE (15G)
Collect 10 vials of Boomer vomit from infected CEDA agents you have killed.
  • This achievement can be harder than it may sound, considering CEDA Worker Infected have only around 5% chance of spawning, and only one in 10 of those will have a Bile bomb (1 in 200, or 0.5% chance). They also only spawn in Dead Center as well as the Left 4 Dead 2 versions of The Sacrifice and No Mercy. It is extremely easy to get this on the first chapter of the Sacrifice, as many CEDA Worker Infected spawn.
  • Players can get this easily if they find a Bile Bomb. If they throw it, there's a good chance that one or more of the members of the ensuing horde will be a CEDA Worker Infected with another bile bomb. Kill the infected, pick up any bile bombs dropped, and repeat.
  • An easy way to obtain this achievement is during The Streets' crescendo event. By staying near the counter with the ammo pile and allowing hordes to spawn, CEDA Workers will spawn and can carry bile bombs. Players may want to do this in Single Player or with friends as most teams in online modes will be unwilling to wait for them to obtain the achievement.
  • The name is a reference to the musician and horror filmmaker, Rob Zombie.

Cl0wnd
CL0WND (15G)
Honk the noses of 10 Clowns.
  • The name is a reference to the Left 4 Dead achievement CR0WND.
  • Players can hit the same Clown Infected more than once for progress towards this achievement. However, they will eventually die from 4 melee shoves, so players will need to find more Clown Infected to proceed with this achievement.
    • In the Mutation Headshot!, all Infected are immune to any attack other than headshots. This allows players to shove the same Clown Infected endlessly and score the achievement.
  • In the German and French descriptions for this achievement, for unknown reasons, it says to kill 10 Clowns, which is unnecessary and will not award the achievement if completed.

Fried piper
FRIED PIPER (15G)
Using a Molotov, burn a Clown leading at least 10 Common Infected.
  • During Dark Carnival, when there's a horde, throw a Molotov into the groups of swarming infected; odds are that there's at least one Clown in there. Be wary that during such events, the Infected may not follow the Clown but instead players.
  • The name is a play on the legend of the Pied Piper, a man who led a horde of rats using his flute. In this case, the Clown is leading a horde of Commons and they are being "fried" by the fire.

Level a charge
LEVEL A CHARGE (15G)
Kill a Charger with a melee weapon while they are charging.
  • Unlike all other Special Infected (aside from the Tank and Witch), the Charger needs two melee hits to die, so someone will need to shoot the Charger a few times for this to be done properly.
    • The melee weapons do more damage if an Infected's head or upper body is targeted. With the correct timing, it is possible, though very hard, to kill a Charger with one hit without first dealing damage by hitting him in the head.
  • This is a hard achievement to earn naturally. Players should ask their team to let them walk in the front, and to shoot a few bullets at all Chargers but not enough to kill them, in order for them to be able to melee them when they charge. It is almost impossible to get this achievement with bots, as they will either shoot the Charger too little or too much for the player to kill him while he charges.
  • The Last Man on Earth mutation is the perfect opportunity to earn this achievement. Just kill any other Special Infected and players will be facing the Charger alone with no bots, teammates or Common Infected to get in their way.
    • In particular, the second map from Swamp Fever has a fixed melee weapon spawn near the initial safe room and the safe room itself is a straight corridor. You can pick up the melee weapon, return to the safe room, and wait until a Charger appears. You can use the four first aid kits for multiple attempts.
  • Another way to get this achievement is to start a friends-only Versus game. Once someone on the Infected team becomes the Charger, have the Survivors damage them but not too much. After the hit points of the Charger player drops below 300, have them charge into a wall while the Survivor is preparing to attack with a melee weapon. Then, swing the melee weapon as soon as the Charger passes the Survivor; it may take several tries to get it right.
  • In extremely rare cases, the player can unlock the achievement if the player swings the melee weapon directly before being grabbed by a Charger whose health is 300 or below, saving themselves and unlocking the achievement.
  • To "level a charge" means to accuse someone of some crime or misdeed.

Acid reflex
ACID REFLEX (15G)
Kill a Spitter before she is able to spit.
  • It is easy to spot Spitters from far away because of their neon-green drool. Spitters almost always spit as soon as they are spotted, so crouch for improved accuracy and fire quickly. Remember that you can shoot through most thin walls, so if a Spitter ducks into a doorway, spray the wall in front of it with lead.
  • Killing a Spitter that hasn't used their primary attack in Versus Mode will count towards this achievement.
  • This is the most common achievement according to Steam statistics: over 80.6% of Left 4 Dead 2 players on Steam have unlocked it.
  • This achievement shares its name with a Half-Life 2: Episode 2 achievement.
  • The achievement title is a play on the term "acid reflux", which itself is a colloquial name for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which the stomach contents (food or liquid) leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms. "Reflex" comes from the player's quick reaction time in shooting the Spitter.

A ride denied
A RIDE DENIED (15G)
Kill a Jockey within 2 seconds of it jumping on a Survivor.
  • Shoot the Jockey with a Tactical or Combat Shotgun at close range to deal the most damage possible within 2 seconds.
  • Alternatively, let the Jockey jump on a Survivor then attack it with a melee weapon. It will immediately die from the swing.
  • Be careful not to be too close to the victim, as a Jockey jumping on a Survivor will stumble other nearby Survivors, not allowing enough time to kill it.

Stache whacker
STACHE WHACKER (15G)
Prove you are faster than Moustachio.
  • Players must get a total score of 42 on the Whack-A-Mole game in Dark Carnival, which is in the The Barns.
  • Every player who whacks at least one Moustachio will get the achievement.
  • Completing the requirements for this achievement will trigger a horde.
  • This can most easily be done in the Survival version of the appropriate map, which will eliminate all distractions while attempting to complete the achievement.
  • The score is possibly referring to the title of the game, Left 4 Dead 2.
    • It could also be a reference to the book and 2005 film The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which the number 42 is considered the answer to "the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything".

Gong show
GONG SHOW (15G)
Prove you are stronger than Moustachio.
  • Players must use an Adrenaline Shot and a melee weapon on the Strong Man game in Dark Carnival's The Barns. It does not matter what melee weapon they choose to complete this achievement; even the Chainsaw can be used. Be ready to fight a horde right afterwards.
    • It is recommended that players have full health prior to playing the minigame. They should inject themselves with the Adrenaline and hit the Strong Man's base pedal with any melee. It is better to choose a weapon with good hit detection (such as the Fireaxe or Katana). Higher health will also help in dealing with the horde that comes after.
  • In Versus mode, a human-controlled Tank can hit the pad and successfully break the gong. Players won't get the achievement that way, but it may put pressure on the Survivor team to deal with a horde and Tank simultaenously.
  • The Gong Show was an American television program from the 1970s in which marginally-talented contestants performed various stage acts that were then judged by a panel of D-List celebrities from the era. If a contestant was particularly bad, the act would be interrupted by someone on the panel banging a huge gong behind them on the set.
    • The name may also be a play on the phrase "gun show", describing the event where a person flexes their muscles. This can be inferred because of the requirement of being "stronger" than Moustachio, and strong people usually have large muscles that they show off. It could also refer to the Tank's large muscles, and the fact that he can break the gong as well.

Guardin gnome
GUARDIN' GNOME (30G)
Rescue Gnome Chompski from the Carnival.
  • The title is a play on "garden gnome", the type of lawn ornament that Gnome Chompski is.
  • "Gnome Chompski" is also a play on the name of the political writer "Noam Chomsky".
  • The gnome can be found on the shooting gallery in The Fairgrounds. Push the button and score 750 points by shooting the targets. The box to the left of the gallery will open and the gnome can be picked up. From then on, players have to carry him through the entire campaign, bring him to the rescue helicopter with them, and leave the carnival on the helicopter while still holding him.
  • The Achievement is a reference to the Half-Life 2: Episode 2's achievement "Little Rocket Man". Similarly, the player had to carry the gnome from the first level to the last level of the game and fire it into space by putting it into a rocket.
    • The Gnome uses the same model and textures as in Half-Life 2: Episode 2, with only slight changes on bump-maps and the size of the model itself.
  • Even Survivors who don't make it onto the helicopter will get this achievement as long as the gnome and at least one Survivor escape.
  • Sometimes the gnome just disappears or falls through doors. Make sure to keep an eye on it.
  • If players drop the Gnome in the very middle of the tracks on the Roller Coaster Crescendo, it will sometimes fall through, forcing them to take a detour to retrieve it or abandon it.
  • A good strategy for The Coaster is to toss Gnome Chompski over the fence near where players start the Roller Coaster Crescendo Event. This way, they can run the majority of the roller coaster unencumbered, and come back to retrieve him after they've stopped the alarm.
  • A good strategy for The Barns is to toss the gnome over the fence towards the entrance of the stadium. Players will be able to complete the vast majority of the level unencumbered. Simply retrieve him during the Gauntlet Crescendo.
  • This achievement is actually quite easy to obtain via the "Last Gnome on Earth" Mutation. One can even start the game at "The Concert" on Easy and the achievement will be unlocked when the survivors escape with the gnome.

Wing and a prayer
WING AND A PRAYER (30G)
Defend yourself at the crashed airliner without taking damage.
  • To do this achievement, start the game in Swamp Fever on Easy, in The Swamp. Grab an automatic weapon from the safe room. Next, go through the level; try to pick up a few throwables on the way. When the player gets to the crashed aircraft, trigger the event and dash back to the area with the shed and the campfire. All of the Infected will spawn in front of the plane, allowing the Survivors to focus their fire in one direction. One can also simply throw a Molotov or light a Gas Can and watch all the Infected run directly into the fire.
  • An alternative method would be to camp in an area just to the right, slightly behind, the plane. It takes Infected a while to get to the Survivors, giving ample time to eliminate them. Just throw a grenade ahead, and if players need extra protection, have someone stand in front to take care of Special Infected that could cause problems and draw the full attention of Common Infected towards them.
  • Using Adrenaline or pills will make this achievement almost impossible, as the the game checks that your permanent health upon completing the event is greater than or equal to your permanent and temporary health combined upon activating the event. However, if you manage to get to the plane with 100 or 99 of health, you can use an Adrenaline and rush back to the safe room. The achievement unlocks regardless of the survivor's location.
  • This is NOT a party achievement. To be more specific, the only person whose health must not decrease during the event is the person attempting to get the achievement, and only they will receive it.
  • Taking friendly fire — even if no change shows in the health bar — will also stop players from getting this achievement.
  • By far the easiest method to complete this in Single Player is, in fact, to stay inside the plane. Players should arm themselves with a melee weapon, and preferably a bile bomb or pipe bomb, then simply trigger the door and walk "down" the plane (towards where the tail would be, with the emergency door on your left) and slip in to the left behind the last row of seats players are able to get behind. The Infected will not come in behind the group, and the AI Survivors will take all the heat off of the player. Alternately, go towards the forward part of the middle section and use the C-shaped hole where the window seat is missing from the forward row, and focus attention forward. However, a Spitter can cause damage if they spit in the correct area, and a Smoker might ensnare the player behind the plane.
  • (Xbox 360) An easy way to get this achievement is to simply use two controllers in split screen. Leave the player who is trying to get the achievement in the safe room while the other player goes and activates the event. As long as one Survivor stays inside the safe room, they will get the achievement.
  • To have a "wing and a prayer" is to hope for something that is unlikely or difficult because of a lack of appropriate preparation. In this case, the Survivors are hoping to get past the Crescendo, walking on the fallen plane's wing.

Sob story
SOB STORY (30G)
Navigate the Sugar Mill and reach the safe room without killing any Witches.
  • Keeping flashlights off during the entire time spent in the sugar mill and being more alert than usual goes a long way. Players should back off immediately into the direction they came from if a Witch starts to growl; this is often enough to avoid fighting them. Note that players CAN use bile bombs to kill Witches and still get this achievement — they just need to be far enough in order for a Witch not to register that they have attacked her. Players can't, however, get enough bile to kill all the Witches discreetly on this level, so be prepared to sneak in order to get this achievement.
  • If players disturb a Witch, it is still possible to receive this achievement. This can be accomplished as long as the Witch isn't killed. Generally, this means allowing her to kill the disturber.
    • Witches in the sugar tank area can be forced to retreat by going onto the double wire stack and shooting at them. Upon being startled, they will immediately retreat.
  • Everyone who enters the safe room will receive this achievement upon entry.
  • A pretty easy way to get this achievement (requires Cold Stream DLC) is to play the mutation "Last Man on Earth" and start directly at the Sugar Mill on Easy. Bots won't startle Witches and Common Infected won't spawn, making the level (almost) a walk in the park aside from the occasional Special infected and again, the Witches.
  • It can be achieved with bots; however, this is extremely hard and will require playing either on Expert or being lucky enough to have Witches not spawn in their way. Do not use shortcuts, as Survivor Bots do not use them and will invariably startle several Witches along the way.
  • The achievement cannot be unlocked in Versus, as the game compensates for player-controlled Special Infected by spawning far fewer Witches than usual.
  • A sob story is a sad tale, especially one intended to elicit sympathy for the teller. This is a reference to the Witch always crying when not startled.

Violence in silence
VIOLENCE IN SILENCE (30G)
Navigate the impound lot and reach The Cemetery safe room without tripping any alarms.
  • This achievement is best done by using exclusively melee weapons in the impound lot with no AI controlled teammates. Bots will not fire within the proximity of the car, so players will receive limited support from AI controlled teammates.
  • Watch out for Boomers, as their explosions upon death will set off car alarms.
  • Players can manipulate car mechanics by being far enough from the car and shooting Infected from there. Even if bullets hit the car or a Boomer near an alarmed car is killed by a player, if they are far enough, the alarm will not go off. Use this to snipe distant Infected and use a melee weapon to kill any stray Infected up close.
  • Incendiary ammo does not set off car alarms, so deploying an incendiary ammo upgrade before or immediately after entering the impound lot will make this achievement much easier. Note that this will only help on Single Player as bots will still not fight often near an alarmed car.
  • This can also be easily obtained through the "Last Man on Earth" mutation, as since no bots are present (nor Common Infected), accidentally setting off any alarms is highly unlikely.
  • Having a Tank spawn in the impound lot can actually be a blessing in disguise; the Tank may punch the cars with alarms out of the way (and at the same time disable the alarm without triggering it) while you and your teammates retreat to the sewer. However, if the Tank punches an alarm car towards the Survivors, it will set off.
  • The name of this achievement may be a reference to the Depeche Mode (which is advertised on Rochelle's shirt) song "Enjoy the Silence" with its lyrics "Words like violence break the silence…".

Bridge over troubled slaughter
BRIDGE OVER TREBLED SLAUGHTER (30G)
Cross The Bridge finale in less than three minutes.
  • This is reference to the Simon and Garfunkel song "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
    • Trebled means "three times", referring to the number of minutes players have to cross the bridge.
  • Try to keep left: Infected tend to bunch up near this area, giving players less need to shoot aimlessly.
  • The best weapons are melee weapons and automatic weapons such as Tier 2 rifles or shotguns.
  • Note that this achievement requires the ending to trigger in under 3 minutes from the start of the bridge finale (i.e. the gate crashing down).
  • Killing off any bots is advised, as they trail behind human survivors rather than running alongside them.
  • In order to make it in time, players will probably have to skip the Tank. Distract him with the cars, take Adrenaline, and rush over the tanker, across the last strip of bridge, and onto the chopper.
  • This can also be obtained with ease through the "Last Man on Earth" Mutation. Since only Special Infected spawn and no cumbersome AI players follow, keeping left and constantly running will mean the Tank is the only problematic encounter. Defeating the Tank won't help, so simply inject Adrenaline and dash away from him.
  • Another good way to earn this achievement is by playing the Room for One Mutation, even in Single Player. Although Common Infected will spawn, the AI bots will help players, killing from behind (with no friendly fire) any Common and Special Infected (with a lower spawn rate than Last Man On Earth) that harass them. As players don't need to wait for them (they will probably stop to kill infected), they can calmly leave them behind and get the achievement.

Fore
FORE! (25G)
Knock off the heads of 18 infected with the Golf Club.
  • The name of this achievement is a reference to the word commonly called out when swinging a club to alert people to watch out for the golf ball.
  • The 18 headshots required references the number of holes in a standard golf course.
  • This can be achieved easily; simply wield the required weapon and aim high.

Til-it-goes-click
TIL IT GOES CLICK (20G)
Using the M60, kill 25 infected without letting go of the trigger.
  • An easy way to get this is by using the M60 in The Sewer Crescendo Event. At the last tunnel (before players reach the ladder to the safe room), a Horde will always spawn, and is perfectly lined up by the narrow entrance for them to mow down.
  • Another way to get this is to play a Survival map on any level of The Passing, as an M60 will always spawn. Players can easily mow down the never-ending hordes.
  • It can also be used in conjunction with a Bile Bomb to attract a horde of Infected.
  • Contrary to the name of the achievement, players do not have to hold the trigger 'til it goes click' to get it, unless you happen to run out of ammo around the same time that you obtain the achievement.
  • It is trivial to obtain this achievement when playing the Gib Fest Mutation, as the M60 has unlimited ammo; simply hold down the trigger for an easy kill. It is best to just allow infinite hordes of common infected approach (such as Gauntlet Crescendo Events), and continuously hold down the trigger.
  • This achievement refers to a line spoken by John Turturro's character in the movie The Big Lebowski: "I'll take it [the gun] away from you, stick it up your ass and pull the fucking trigger 'til it goes 'click'."

Killing-Them-Swiftly-To-This-Song
KILLING THEM SWIFTLY TO THIS SONG (20G)
Play the new Midnight Riders song on a jukebox.
  • The new song is "Save Me Some Sugar (This Won't Take Long)"; the achievement will be unlocked for all Survivors, even if only one of them hits the jukebox.
  • The name alludes to the 70s hit song "Killing Me Softly With His Song" originally sung by Roberta Flack and covered in 1996 by The Fugees.
  • The jukebox can be found during the second chapter of The Passing, located in the pool hall before the road construction zone and the Finale chapter of the same campaign, on the ground floor of the House where the original Survivors snipe from.

Kite-Like-a-Man 2
KITE LIKE A MAN (30G)
Kill a Tank only with damage from the original Survivors.
  • "Kiting" is a common MMORPG tactic in which a player holds the attention of a boss and proceeds to run away without the intention of escaping, similar to running from a Tank, but staying close enough to keep it from switching targets.
  • The title 'Kite Like A Man' is a play on words with the term 'fight like a man'.
  • This achievement is possible in Single Player, although it somewhat relies on luck. If the team is far from the generator and a Tank spawns there, the original Survivors may be able to kill it, as Louis can quickly kill it with his Heavy Machine Gun.
  • A simple way to do this (even on Single Player) is to wait at the bridge (after the generator has already been activated) until a Tank spawns. As soon as the player has an indication that it has spawned, run to the car before any of the Left 4 Dead 2 Survivors can shoot it. Once the ending is triggered, it should unlock, even if the original Survivors haven't killed it yet. This is because the Tank dies automatically upon ending the campaign. It's better if the player have human teammates that are told beforehand, so they cooperate.
  • If the player is unsure of whether or not a Tank will spawn, simply kick all other bots on the team and tell all human Survivors to cease fire, then take out a melee weapon and hide near Louis. Wait out the horde until the Tank arrives. He usually will spawn either very far away, or behind the fence. Either way it will take him a long time to reach the area. Staying near Louis means that the player has the strongest of the Left 4 Dead survivor-mounted weapon on your side, and on Easy will shred the Tank in no time. If the Tank does close the gap, circle around the building to buy some time and to let the bots whittle his health down.
  • Another simple way is to wait until a Tank comes, then hide on the second floor of the house with the bar and jukebox. Make sure it is far away; if it is near, the original Survivors won't have the time necessary to kill it before it goes through the door.

Grave-Robber
GRAVE ROBBER (25G)
Collect 10 items dropped by a Fallen Survivor.
  • This achievement shares the name with one from Half-Life 2: Episode One.
  • (PC)To get this achievement, you must play in The Passing, Swamp Fever, or the Left 4 Dead 2 versions of No Mercy, Crash Course and Death Toll, which are the only campaigns where the Fallen Survivor spawns.
  • (Xbox 360) This achievement can only be unlocked in the Passing, as Fallen Survivors are not found in any other campaigns.
  • Though Fallen Survivors have a tremendous amount of health, headshots will still instantly kill them. Keep this in mind to prevent them from escaping after initially dealing damage to them.
    • Using the Magnum will kill the Fallen Survivors in two hits (headshots not required).
    • If players have a melee weapon, use it to kill them; they die from a single hit.
  • A "grave robber" is someone who steals from graves and cemeteries, usually taking valuable property that was buried with the deceased.

Cache-Grab
CACHE GRAB (20G)
Open 5 Foot Lockers.
  • There are Foot Lockers scattered throughout The Passing that contain a cache of unlimited items. Simply be the first one to open them 5 times.
  • The achievement title is a play on the phrase "cash grab" which is a derogatory term for a cheap, substandard quality product produced simply to make money.


Full Campaign Walkthrough[]

Still something to prove
STILL SOMETHING TO PROVE (35G)
Survive all campaigns on Expert.
  • The name is a reference to the Left 4 Dead achievement WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE?, which also involved surviving all the campaigns on Expert.
  • This achievement was added when Left 4 Dead 2 was released. Therefore, the only campaigns needed for the achievement are Dead Center, Dark Carnival, Swamp Fever, Hard Rain, and The Parish, as these campaigns were the only available campaigns during that time.
  • Surviving a campaign on Realism Mode with Expert difficulty counts towards this achievement (doing so unlocks THE REAL DEAL achievement if it isn't unlocked already).
  • (PC) When trying to get this achievement with a Mutation, remember that the player firsts need to start a normal game on Expert difficulty, then quit and launch the Mutation through the console (see Mutations for details). The Expert difficulty will then "carry over" from the previous game. Running the Mutation on non-Expert and then changing the difficulty in-game will NOT count.
  • Beating the mutation mode Last Man on Earth on Expert can also give you this achievement. With surround sound and good coordination, you should be able to beat campaigns in an average of about 30 minutes each.
    • Gib Fest is a great Mutation for getting this achievement and it is made much easier by playing alone with three Bots as they cannot deal friendly fire damage to the player. In addition, they have faster reaction times when spotting Infected along with perfect aim. Always try to avoid Witches and keep an Adrenaline shot at all times for fighting the Tank, which is much easier to kill with the M60s.
    • This can be completed in less time through the "Room for One" mutation (note, the player does not have to be the one who gets on the rescue vehicle in order to gain credit for this achievement; all that matters is that they are not dead nor incapacitated).
  • (PC) It is possible to earn this achievement in servers modded to allow console commands. For example, with console commands players can stop the Special Infected from spawning, become invincible, fly through the map, and even warp straight away to the safe rooms.
  • (PC) Since the Last Stand Community update, due to a new bug, if the player goes idle and then back to the game during the escape cutscene, the game will think they are dead in the credits and their survival will not count towards the achievement progress.

The real deal
THE REAL DEAL (35G)
Survive a campaign on Expert difficulty with Realism mode enabled.
  • Dead Center is probably the easiest way to get this achievement, since it is (more or less) the shortest. Expect a very difficult time with the mall and the gas can finale, though.
    • Contrary to popular belief, the white auras around the gas cans still show up through walls in the Realism finale of Dead Center and The Passing. The yellow auras will also still appear when the gas can is dropped.
    • (Xbox 360) A very easy way to get this is to skip to the finale (assuming it's Dead Center), leave the game and let teammates do the finale. When they only have one gas can left, tell them to change difficulty to Expert. Join the game, run to the vehicle and the player should get the achievement. This works because it says to "survive" Expert Realism: the player finished it, AKA survived to the end, even if it was a short time. (Tip: save Bile bombs to use while the player is joining the game, and to protect Survivor Bots).
  • If the Scavenge style finale is too hard, Hard Rain may be another option as there are no gauntlet crescendo events, though the hurricane panic events will present a problem. Yet another possibility is Swamp Fever, which also doesn't contain gauntlet crescendo events; however, the second wave at the Finale consists of two Tanks. Swamp Fever is also better choice if you play with bots, because it's hard to keep them alive in the Sugar Mill.
  • One can also attempt Crash Course, though the finale may be quite hard.
  • (PC) Just like STILL SOMETHING TO PROVE, it's possible to earn this achievement in servers that allow console commands.
    • Again, just like STILL SOMETHING TO PROVE, going idle and then back to the game while the cutscene of the rescue vehicle leaving plays causes the game to think the player is dead in the credits screen, which does not unlock the achievement.

Confedaracy of crunches
CONFEDERACY OF CRUNCHES (30G)
Finish a campaign using only melee weapons.
  • The name refers to the book A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, which also takes place in New Orleans.
  • Shooting a Pistol while incapacitated will invalidate this achievement. However, using the Heavy Machine Gun, Pipe bombs, Bile bombs or Molotovs will not count against this achievement.
  • The Passing is a good campaign for this achievement, since it's the shortest and three extra Survivor Bots will help during the finale. Crash Course is also a good option due to its short length.
  • The player can also start in Single Player on Easy and only pick up a melee weapon. The bots are allowed to shoot with any guns.
  • This achievement can also be done with the Chainsaw Massacre or Four Swordsmen Mutations, granted the player does not shoot their pistol if incapped.


Adversarial Modes[]

PC Exclusive[]

0456c61b83feb90ce2a2d0765b1ecf8671396085
CONNECTING FIGHTS
Play a Versus game on Dead Air from start to finish.
  • This achievement can be earned by playing a whole game of Versus without quitting the game, win or lose. The player must play the game starting from the lobby, not merely joining in during the first round.
  • The prerequisite needed to earn this achievement addresses the issue of rage-quitting, an action in online games where a player quits the game prematurely, mainly due to losing; this is a very common issue in online Left 4 Dead gamemodes. The achievement encourages people to not quit before the game has ended.
    • Additionally, the player can arrange a long amount of time and a lot of friends for this achievement. Make sure they are willing to help.
  • This achievement may require a few matches to unlock.
  • The title refers to the very similar-sounding term "connecting flight", which is when a person flies to one location and takes another plane to another location, connecting the flight.
  • This achievement was added to the PC version of the game during the gradual releases of the Left 4 Dead campaigns alongside the development of Cold Stream. Valve stated that they'd release the Left 4 Dead 2 version of Blood Harvest early if at least 60,000 players earned this achievement within a particular timeframe - this goal was met successfully.


Survivors[]

Heart warmer
HEARTWARMER (20G)
In a Versus round, leave the safe room to defibrillate a dead teammate.
  • This cannot be earned if a human Survivor kills the player they revive through friendly fire. The Infected or fall damage need to kill the Survivor in order to unlock it.
  • Throughout levels, always try and take a defibrillator, and if possible, near the safe room (if there is no horde and the player's team is doing well), send out a teammate with the lowest health to die at the hands of the Infected. Run in and out of the safe room, then defibrillate them. Note that tone may be vulnerable to player-controlled Infected at any moment.
  • Hard Rain is a great campaign for this achievement, as the Sugar Mill safe room, which ends both the first and the third level, always spawns a defibrillator.
  • According to Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2012, only 2% of players that have purchased Left 4 Dead 2 have obtained this achievement.
  • Be warned that attempting to unlock this achievement decreases the final team score by -25 points due to defibrillator penalty.
  • If something is heartwarming, it is emotionally touching and uplifting. In this case, putting oneself in harm's way by leaving a safe room to save the life of a teammate might be considered heartwarming.

Strength in numbers
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS (15G)
Form a team and beat an enemy team in 4v4 Versus or Scavenge.
  • Since team games are unpopular and lobbies are much quicker to use, you will probably have to organize a game with friends to get this achievement.
    • Refer to this website for more help in getting this achievement.

Gift-grab-2011
VALVE GIFT GRAB 2011 - L4D2
Collect three gifts dropped by Special Infected in Versus Mode.
  • Gifts were randomly dropped by dead Special Infected during the holiday sales on Steam that ran through the last several weeks of December 2011 and December 2012. This achievement can not be obtained outside of holiday times, and was only available on the PC and Mac versions of the game for the duration of the holiday sale. This achievement was one of many that were introduced to various games on Steam as part of the promo for the sale and, in December 2011, like most of these achievements, gave a piece of coal or a coupon to each player who achieved it.
  • This achievement became irrevocably impossible to obtain by normal means. However, players can still use some external ways to get it:
    • Some community servers still allow the players to get this achievement on Versus, every year, in December. Just play Versus on one such server and kill the Special Infected until they drop a gift. Repeat twice to unlock.
    • Additionally, a player can unlock it by using console commands to force a Versus match on Single Player and changing the date on their computer to December 15th, 2011. Tutorials for this method can be found here, here, here,

and here.

  • In recent years, players noticed that they unlocked the achievement without having to change the date or joining the community servers;, but simply having to play a Versus match during the month of December in any year to collect the gifts.
  • Along with Gnome Alone, this is the only achievement whose title does not appear in all capital letters.

Nick achieve
GOOD GUY NICK
Plays games with free weekend players and helps them survive a campaign.
  • Only available during any period where the game is Free to Play, such as the Halloween season on Steam that ran through the last couple of weeks in October 2012, the Independence Day season that lasted through the weekend of the Fourth of July in 2013, the Spring Cleaning event that ran through the four days in May 2018 and 2019, the Last Stand update that lasted through the last weekend of September 2020 and during the charity event that lasted through late July 2022. This achievement could only be obtained on the PC, Mac, and Linux versions for the duration of those weekends.
  • This achievement is a reference to the popular Internet meme "Good Guy Greg". It is also a sarcastic reference to Nick, who is usually portrayed as abrasive and rude.
  • Once a free weekend is active, the best method is to find a public lobby in Easy or Normal difficulty and hopefully join a game with a free weekend player. Players can also get a friend who don't own the game to help them with the achievement.
  • The players who own the game do not need to survive the campaign to get the achievement; as long as the free weekend player reaches the rescue vehicle, the achievement will be unlocked for everyone else.

Ghost-of-christmas
GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT
Spread cheer by helping a free holiday player survive a campaign.
  • This can only be achieved by playing in a game with a player that received Left 4 Dead 2 for free during a holiday promotion, making sure they reach the rescue vehicle.
  • Players have to wait the ending cutscene finish. This achievement only unlocks when the credits start to roll.
  • It seems that the free player must have played most of the campaign in order to unlock the achievement for the others. For example, if the free player joins during the last chapters of the campaign or during the finale, the achievement will not unlock. The players who earn the achievement, however, may have joined at any point.
    • There is a faster way to earn this achievement. If players set the campaign to start in the finale right away and a free player joins from the lobby, they will earn the achievement should they survive the finale.
  • This achievement will not unlock in custom campaigns or modded servers.
  • If the free player sacrifices themselves at the end of The Sacrifice, the achievement will still unlock.
  • The title of this achievement is a reference to the 1843 Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol.


Infected[]

Qualified ride
QUALIFIED RIDE (15G)
As the Jockey, ride a Survivor for more than 12 seconds.
  • Players need to attack a Survivor that has a significant amount of health (with a green outline) in order to be able to ride for more than 12 seconds. It is also necessary to ride someone separated from the rest of the Survivors, to insure that the ride is not cut short. Scavenge games often have separated Survivors and are ideal to earn this achievement. If possible, get a Tank or Charger to help.
  • On The Highway, wait until about 3 Survivors jump down the hill, then try to pounce on the fourth and ride them back into the motel. There will be little that the other Survivors can do about it, especially if a Charger blocks them off.
    • Alternatively, in the area mentioned above, jump on the first Survivor down the hill and steer him far away. It will take some time for the others to reach him, which will usually give the player enough time to obtain this achievement.
  • The name of this achievement refers to bull riding.

Back on the saddle
BACK IN THE SADDLE (15G)
As The Jockey, ride The Survivors twice in a single life.
  • An easy way to do this is to target a Survivor who is low on health. Incapacitate them and run and hide for cover from the rescuing teammates. Once the player can lunge again, attack any Survivor to unlock the achievement.
  • Be warned that even if the first Survivor that the player rides is incapacitated far away from the group, they will still be able to shoot the Jockey from the ground. As such, it's crucial that the Jockey retreats immediately.
  • The Mutation Riding My Survivor is an excellent gamemode to get this achievement, as all 4 infected players are Jockeys.
  • "Back in the Saddle" is also the name of a song by the band Aerosmith.

Rode hard put away wet
RODE HARD, PUT AWAY WET (20G)
As The Jockey, ride a Survivor and steer them into a Spitter's acid patch.
  • This achievement is easily obtained with coordination from a Spitter player. Players do not actually have to steer a Survivor into the acid; it is enough if a Spitter spits at you. Either way is fine, making this achievement easy.
  • This achievement shares the name with a Team Fortress 2 achievement.
  • There is a glitch that allows this achievement to be done if the player drives their victim into a Molotov fire. (Not tested on PC.)
  • This achievement cannot be earned if the target was already in Spitter acid before being ridden, unless players take them out of the acid and then back in.
  • The name of the achievement is a regional expression to describe someone who looks haggard or worn-out; it originally was used to describe horses.

Great expectorations
GREAT EXPECTORATIONS (15G)
As The Spitter, hit every Survivor with a single acid patch.
  • If the Survivors are cornered or are in a tight area, attempt to spit at them. This achievement will NOT unlock if they aren't hit with a single hit; they must all be standing in the acid pool when it forms.
  • They can also accidentally be hit in a single acid patch if a Charger forces them to move, or a Tank approaches.
  • (PC) Despite showing up in the in-game achievement list as "Great Expectorations", the pop-up box that appears when you earn the achievement and the "X achieved Left 4 Dead 2:" messages in the Steam Community window both list this achievement as "Spit Happens", suggesting a name change late into development.
  • An expectoration is the act of spitting up sputum.
  • "Great Expectations" is a novel by Charles Dickens.

A spittle help from my friends
A SPITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS (15G)
As The Spitter, spit on a Survivor being choked by a Smoker.
  • The achievement title is likely a reference to the song With a Little Help from My Friends by The Beatles.
  • Self-explanatory. During Versus or Scavenge, spit at someone who has been grabbed by a Smoker.
  • If a Smoker constricts a Survivor while standing on a ledge higher than its target, the Survivor will be suspended in midair just above the ground. In this position, a Survivor will still take damage from an acid puddle, and the achievement will still unlock.
  • If the player is standing next to a choked Survivor and dies without spitting, the acid from their dead body will count towards the achievement.
  • This achievement may take a few seconds to register after spitting on the victim.

Scattering ram
SCATTERING RAM (20G)
As The Charger, bowl through the entire enemy team in a single charge.
  • The name is an obvious pun of the term "battering ram", and how the Charger is like one. He rams the survivors and scatters them in order to weaken or even destroy them.
  • This achievement can be claimed easily by using choke points and tight corridors, since the Survivors will be forced to walk in a tight group that can be hit with a single charge.
    • A good place to do this is in the gauntlet event at the end of The Park. If all the Survivors have climbed to the top of the scaffolding, climb up after them. They have no room to dodge and the player should be able to charge through all of them to the end of the platform (also earning LONG DISTANCE CARRIER in the process).
    • Another good spot is in the sewers area on the next chapter; if the player charges successfully, any Survivor below the manhole has virtually nowhere to run.
    • A third spot is at the immediate beginning of Dead Center, the Hotel; if the Survivors decide to shoot at Common Infected through the first door, players can spawn in the starting area, jump down and ram into them.
  • Another good way to earn this achievement is to play the final level of the Dead Center campaign. When the Survivors enter the elevator, players can spawn on the ground floor and ram them all when the elevator doors open.
  • (PC) It is also possible to earn this achievement on servers modded for 8v8; only 4 Survivors need to be hit in order to unlock.

Meat tenderizer
MEAT TENDERIZER (20G)
As The Charger, grab a Survivor and smash them into the ground for a solid 15 seconds.
  • This is easiest to do during a Scavenge match on the last standing Survivor. The time spent pounding while the scoreboard is showing counts toward the achievement.
  • In the achievement picture, the Charger's left arm is his bulky one as opposed to his right arm.
  • A meat tenderizer refers to either a kitchen utensil or a chemical used for tenderizing meat. In this case, the Charger is "tenderizing" his victim.

Long distance carrier
LONG DISTANCE CARRIER (15G)
As The Charger, grab a Survivor and carry them over 80 feet.
  • The name of the achievement references a telephone company.
  • Falls count toward the distance, so charging someone off the balconies in Dead Center will earn players this.
  • Another good spot to get this achievement is on the Rooftop Finale of No Mercy. If players charge off the roof, taking a survivor with them, they will usually unlock the achievement before they hit the ground and die.
  • The Sugar Mill on Hard Rain works too, when they must turn the elevator on (as long as players don't hit pipes or the building).
  • The name may also refer to the fact that the Survivors may be carriers on the infection, and have "carried" the infection with them over a long distance throughout the Campaigns.

Wedding-Crasher
WEDDING CRASHER (30G)
As The Charger, grab a Survivor and crash them through 8 chairs at the wedding.
  • The chairs must be standing and untouched to count towards the achievement.
  • Players must charge from a sufficient distance lest the chairs stop their charge.
  • The term wedding crasher refers to a person who shows up at a wedding uninvited for various reasons, ranging from free food to flirting with the bridesmaids.
  • The name might be a reference to the 2005 movie Wedding Crashers.


Scavenge Mode[]

Hunting party
HUNTING PARTY (15G)
Win a game of Scavenge.
  • Self-explanatory. If players wish to get this achievement quickly, set up single-round games.
  • A hunting party is an organized group that hunts wild animals.

Gas guzzler
GAS GUZZLER (20G)
Collect 100 gas cans in Scavenge.
  • An easy way to earn this is to communicate with the team and ask them to let the player pour the gas in the generator/car.
  • This is a cumulative achievement, so don't worry about getting all cans in a single game. It is possible to achieve this in a single game, but it is exceedingly difficult and can only be done on specific maps and on five round games.
  • Coach is holding a gas can in the picture, although it looks like Louis.
  • "Gas-guzzler" commonly refers to a vehicle that consumes fuel inefficiently.

Cache and carry
CACHE AND CARRY (20G)
Collect 15 gas cans in a single Scavenge round.
  • The player does not have to collect them all; as long as their team scores 15 cans, everyone on the team earns the achievement.
  • The name is a reference to the "Cash and Carry" policy employed by the United States during the WWII era.

Scavenge hunt
SCAVENGE HUNT (15G)
Stop the enemy team from collecting any gas cans during a Scavenge round.
  • This is best done against a team with 2 or 3 bots; they won't pick up or pour the gas cans, providing little support for their human teammates.
  • Having a good Spitter helps a lot, since spitting on gas cans that have been picked up (with a yellow outline) destroys them, and Survivors can't pour fuel if the ground is covered in acid (or fire from a destroyed can). As a Spitter, hide near the generator (preferably above) and spit down whenever a Survivor with a gas can gets close to the generator. Ideally, a teammate in control of a pinning Infected should also strike at that moment to make the Survivor drop their gas can into the acid.
  • The name is a reference to a scavenger hunt. a game of searching for items on a list in a specific area.

Fuel crisis
FUEL CRISIS (15G)
Make a Survivor drop a gas can during overtime.
  • Simply pin a Survivor that is holding a gas can in overtime with the Charger, Hunter, Smoker, or Jockey. Players can also scratch a low-health Survivor (as a Boomer or Spitter) who is carrying a can until they are incapacitated.
  • A fuel crisis is an event where a region or country has very low reserves of petroleum, sparking a financial disaster.

Gas shortage
GAS SHORTAGE (20G)
Cause 25 gas can drops as a Special Infected.
  • Like the previous achievement, only pinning Infected can cause gas can drops directly (by pinning a Survivor). The Spitter and Boomer have to incapacitate to cause a drop.
  • This achievement is cumulative and does not need to be done in one game.
  • The name references a situation in which an area is low on petroleum reserves.

Port-of-Scavenge
PORT OF SCAVENGE (30G)
Play 5 full games of Scavenge on The Port.
  • This is pretty simple to achieve; start single-round lobbies to expedite the process.


Survival Mode[]

Beat the rush
BEAT THE RUSH (15G)
In a Survival round, get a medal only using melee weapons.
  • (PC) As of The Last Stand Community Update, this achievement is earned only if the entire team uses melee.
    • Due to this, it is impossible to unlock the achievement with Survivor Bots, as they are programmed to pick up the primary weapons and refrain from using melee weapons.
      • To get around this in Single Player, use admin commands to kick the bots. For example, "kick nick".
      • Custom Mutations can be used to make the mod easier (i.e., by removing Special Infected), and do not invalidate the achievement. Players can enable the Custom Mutations tab by installing mods such as Rayman1103's Mutation Mod. Then play Custom Mutation -> Survival -> Hordes on any map, including custom maps. This will disable all Special Infected (including Tanks) to make the achievement easier to complete on Single Player.
  • (Xbox 360) This is easy to achieve — both with human and bot players. Just pick a preferred melee weapon and use no other weapon (not even a Pistol if downed). Players can still use Pipe Bombs, Bile Bombs and Molotovs. Holding out for 4 minutes is enough to earn this achievement, and teammates can still use guns.
  • Keep in mind that players have to earn a NEW medal. That means if they lasted for 4 minutes on one map and attempt to get this achievement on the same map, they must earn a silver medal using only melee weapons to obtain this achievement.
  • Unfortunately, this achievement can be locked for some users if they earn all of the medals without getting it, as there are no other medals to earn.
    • (PC) However, through the use of custom maps that enable Survival mode, it would still be possible to still get this achievement.
  • To "beat the rush" is to leave somewhere early to avoid rush hour traffic.


Mutations[]

Mutant-Overloard
MUTANT OVERLORD (30G)
Play 6 Mutations.
  • Before July 24, 2012, this achievement would have taken a minimum of four weeks to unlock if players start on a Thursday because they have to play five different Mutations. An old mutation would return for an encore week every four weeks, and then the permanently added Realism Versus could also be played.
  • Players do NOT have to actually play through the rounds. All they have to do is join and start the round to make progress towards this achievement. The game will register them playing the mutation if their character dies.
    • The easiest way to get this achievement is to pick one Mutation to play and start the first chapter of Dead Center. When the game starts, just descend one floor from the starting area and commit suicide by falling from the height of balcony. When the player dies, the game will restart and they can exit to switch to another Mutation they want to play. Repeat the process 5 times; the game will register the chosen Mutation as played upon death and restarting. This means the player dies 6 times in 6 different Mutations (one death for each Mutation) when attempting to unlock this achievement.
      • (PC) Only Valve-made Mutations (excluding Dash, GunBrain, Holdout, Shootzones and L4D1 Mutation modes) and community-made Mutations that were made official before the Cold Stream update (all of them are categorized as Community in the Achievements graphical menu and counted as one Mutation) count towards this achievement, as tested in L4D2 update 2.2.2.0 Update 3. Newer mutations like RocketDude and Tank Run, along with other community-made Mutations from Steam Workshop do not count.
  • (PC) The achievement can also be earned by using the developer console. By typing map <map file name> mutation# players can start a map with any mutation they want and it will count as achievement progress. They will have to replace # with a number for a specific mutation. A list of all mutations that can be played can be found here.
  • (PC) Note that this achievement is bugged and may stop counting Mutations after the 5th, making the achievement unobtainable.


PC Exclusive[]

Campaign[]

Achievement Still Standing
STILL STANDING
Survive The Last Stand campaign on any difficulty.
  • This can be acquired by completing the campaign on any difficulty.
  • The name of the achievement is likely a reference to thee song ‘I’m Still Standing’ by Elton John.


Survivor[]

Achievement Elephant in the Room
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Revive an incapacitated teammate while a Tank is nearby.
  • The achievement can be relatively more difficult to obtain than what the description says, since the Tank often starts pounding the incapacitated one when attempting to revive them, resetting the revival progress bar. The reviving player won't get attacked, however.
  • An easy way to get this achievement is by having someone distract the Tank to move him away from the incapacitated Survivor. In this way, the player has an opportunity to revive them before the Tank switches to another target.
  • The achievement description is somewhat misleading; while it mentions while a Tank is nearby, the player can achieve the achievement even if the Tank is very far away. As long as the incapped Survivor is revived while the Tank is alive, the reviving player will get the achievement.
    • In the Chinese description for this achievement, it correctly says Revive an incapacitated teammate while a Tank is alive instead.
    • In co-op modes, when the Tank spawns on the map, it is possible to unlock this achievement before it becomes aggravated by the Survivors.
  • Players can also get this in Versus mode, which can be easily boosted if a friend is playing the Tank.
  • An "elephant in the room" is an important topic or question that is obvious, but not discussed. In this case, it would be the Tank being outprioritized by a downed teammate.

Achievement Get Skeeted On
GET SKEETED ON
Kill a pouncing Hunter with a shotgun.
  • To unlock the achievement, the player needs to kill a pouncing Hunter that is in midair with any shotgun. Killing the Hunter currently pinning another Survivor or lunging away (long-jumping while standing) does not unlock the achievement.
  • The Mutation Hunting Party is a perfect gameplay mode for this achievement as the only non-Boss Special Infected in that mode are Hunters.
  • "Skeeted" typically refers to Skeet shooting, a recreational and competitive activity where participants, using shotguns, attempt to break clay targets mechanically flung into the air from two fixed stations at high speed from a variety of angles.
    • Within the Left 4 Dead community, performing the achievement's requirements was described as "skeeting" even before the Last Stand update.
  • The achievement's name might also be a play on the phrase "get yeeted on", with "yeet" being a popular meme when the Last Stand update was released.

Achievement Household Names
HOUSEHOLD NAMES
Discover the hidden room in the Last Stand campaign.
  • The hidden room is located at a small cabin attached to the water mill house in the first map of the campaign. After getting out of the mill house, turn right, and turn right again to reach the room. A melee weapon is required to hit the door until it breaks, which takes extremely long (34 hits). Once the door breaks, players will find a dead body sitting in front of the computer in a room with the Last Stand update team member's names written on the wall. This unlocks the achievement.
  • Pressing the "use" button on the highlighted keyboard in the secret room will grant players a golden crowbar.
  • The achievement's icon is a hint of the secret room's location.
  • The name of this achievement is a pun on the phrase "household names", or names of people that are so recognizable that any household will recognize them, as well as referring to itself, as it is a house that holds names.

Achievement Lickety-split
LICKETY-SPLIT
With a sharp melee weapon, cut a Smoker's tongue before he ensnares you.
  • Players can only cut a Smoker's tongue in mid-air, before it touches them. This achievement requires perfect timing.
  • The only weapons able to cut a Smoker's tongue are the Fireaxe, Katana, Machete, Crowbar, Pitchfork and Knife, or any custom melee weapon with the "sharp" attribute. Players should move their view to the Smoker; wait for it to scream (indicating it spots a Survivor); swing the melee weapon the moment Smoker attacks with its tongue (when a wet "schlik" is heard).
  • Using a Chainsaw will not unlock this achievement, as it is far too easy to do.
  • The Four Swordsmen mutation is very good for attempting this achievement.
  • The phrase "lickety-split" refers to something that is extremely fast. In this case the name is a pun referring to the player's needed reaction time, as well as them "splitting" the Smoker's tongue (which he uses to "lick").

Achievement New Haircut
NEW HAIRCUT
Kill a Witch using only a sharp melee weapon, without anyone getting incapacitated or killed.
  • To obtain the achievement, start a campaign that takes place during the day (i.e. with Wandering Witches) and at least two players. Grab a melee weapon, find a Wandering Witch, and coordinate to attack her simultaneously. It is recommended to hold down the attack button (MOUSE1 by default) to swing as fast possible.
  • Using a Chainsaw will not unlock this achievement.
  • Killing a sitting Witch is not recommended since she will immediately start getting up and attack the Survivor when startled, which ruins the chance of unlocking the achievement.
  • This achievement will be unlocked for everyone, even if only one Survivor kills the Witch.
  • The Mutation Four Swordsmen is perfect to earn this achievement. While very difficult, it's even possible to earn it with Survivor bots.
  • If a Witch spawns near to a Safe Room, players can startle her and make her retreat by locking themselves inside. When the Witch is retreating, she will not try to harm the Survivors unless they block her way or light her on fire. It's safe to attack a retreating Witch from behind or from her sides.

Achievement Pole Position
POLE POSITION
Escape Liberty Mall's Atrium before the first Tank appears.
  • In order to earn the achievement, all Survivors need to keep moving fast, grab the gas cans and throw them at Jimmy Gibbs Junior's car. Then, the player with an Adrenaline Shot should use it and start filling the car with gas without hesitation.
    • Survivors can either split up all to collect gas cans or split up into a team of 2. The former is faster but also more risky, as the player must take great care from Special Infected and make use of the Boomer Bile (see below); the latter may be slower, but it is safer to do in case one of them gets caught by the Special Infected.
    • One player/team of 2 players should collect the gas cans on the 3rd floor first before collecting the 2nd floor. The player on the 3rd floor can simply jump down to the 2nd floor by breaking the glass ceiling and continue collecting the gas cans on the 2nd floor (and not vice versa), while the rest may collect the gas cans on the 2nd floor first and then 1st floor. Doing so minimizes time spent on taking staircases.
  • Generally speaking, the first Tank spawns after killing enough Common Infected during the first wave after the elevator doors are opened. In order to delay the Tank spawn so long as possible; every Survivor should ideally be carrying a Boomer Bile and throw it away from their position and avoid killing too many Common Infected that are present on the map. Bile Bombs are typically located near a gas can and are quite common in the Atrium finale.
  • It is almost impossible to achieve it with 2-3 bots, as they are not programmed to collect gas cans and will always shoot Common Infected on sight, which accelerates the Tank spawn rate.
  • The pole position is the starting position on the front row of a car race.

Achievement Pure Satisfaction
PURE SATISFACTION
Kill 20 Jockeys with the shovel or pitchfork.
  • Self-explanatory. Simply kill the Jockey with the aforementioned weapons.
  • To increase the chance of hitting the Jockey, run backwards and shove at the same time as it leaps to prevent it from riding the player (it starts clawing when it is close to the Survivor). Then, swing the weapon to kill it.
  • The Mutation Riding My Survivor is perfect to earn this achievement in a matter of few minutes, since all the Special Infected are Jockeys.
    • If players can't find a Versus match for Riding My Survivor, they can farm Jockey kills by playing the Mutation Last Man on Earth, as the Special Infected continuously spawn. You can even wait for them inside of a Safe Room, as it is possible to hit a Jockey through the door.
  • The achievement's name probably refers to many players in the community judging the Jockey to be the most annoying enemy Infected, since it is quite difficult to kill him with melee weapons without being grabbed.

Achievement Rocky Horror Picture Throw
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE THROW
Destroy a Tank's rock in mid-air.
  • The achievement name is a reference to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a 1975 musical comedy horror film.
  • Tank rocks have 50 "HP" before they break. With a strong weapon, the player will be able to destroy the rock before it hits them.
  • Stationary weapons such as the Minigun and Heavy Machine Gun are highly effective against the Tank's rock.
  • AI-controlled Tanks will start throwing rocks if the target Survivor is approximately five meters apart from the Tank.
  • All melee weapons are able to destroy the Tank's rock as well (including the Hunting Knife and the Riot Shield); however, this is not recommended, as it is extremely hard to do without rocks hitting the player.

Achievement Shotgun Wedding
SHOTGUN WEDDING
Kill the Witch bride with a single shotgun blast on expert difficulty.
  • A shotgun wedding is an American colloquialism to refer a wedding that is arranged to avoid embarrassment caused by premarital sex leading to an unintended pregnancy, rather than out of the desire of the participants to make a family. It is termed as such based on a stereotypical scenario where the father of the pregnant bride-to-be threatens the reluctant groom with a shotgun to ensure that he follows through with the wedding.
  • The Witch Bride can be found in The Passing chapter 1. Players can play through the campaign in Easy difficulty, and when they see the bride, vote to change the difficulty to Expert and crown her with a shotgun.
  • In addition to crowning the Witch bride, it is possible to get this achievement by shooting her weak point. The weak point of the Witch Bride is somewhere in her back, at her torso which is not covered by her ragged bridal gown. As players approach her without startling her, ensure that she is aware of the player before getting startled. When she slowly starts standing, shoot her back immediately and she will die in one hit. It is not necessary to crown her (tested in L4D2 version 2.2.0.0 Update 3).
  • Either by crowning her or shooting her weak point, this requires a lot of skill as the player has a tiny amount of time to kill the Witch on Expert before she is startled. Failure to kill the Witch will result in getting instantly killed by her, and having to restart the chapter from the very beginning.

Achievement The Main Attraction
THE MAIN ATTRACTION
On the concert finale, survive until the helicopter arrives without leaving the stage
  • This achievement is somewhat buggy, as players have noted they did not obtain this achievement despite every player staying on stage, while others have obtained the achievement even while bots wandered off it.
  • Despite its description not stating such, the entire team must remain on the show stage. If one of the Survivors leaves the spot, the achievement will not unlock for the others.
  • The best way to unlock the achievement is to start the Concert map in Single Player as Ellis (so the Survivor Bots will use only assault rifles and shotguns) on Easy difficulty. Then, when exiting the safe room, find and grab the Bile Bomb to use it for distracting the horde, and ensure all Survivors are on the stage before starting the finale.
    • When the Tank spawns, the player should immediately focus on killing him before he gets on the stage; the Bots will kill any Infected closest to them first before killing the Tank.
  • Be wary of Spitters when playing with Bots as the acid pool damage causes them to occasionally move out of the stage which nullifies the achievement progress.
  • You can still get this Achievement even while playing alone with no other Survivors by playing the Last Man on Earth or Lone Gunman Mutations. Players can stand on the stage without getting caught by the Hunter, Jockey, Charger, or Smoker as sometimes, they can drag them off the stage.
    • In Lone Gunman's case, it is extremely difficult to kill the Tank and remain on the stage, since a Molotov takes at least 75 seconds to kill the Tank on Expert, and the Magnum has such a low damage rate when compared to other weapons.
  • Another easy way is to play the Gib Fest mutation on Easy difficulty. With 4x M60s in the team, everything (even Tanks) dies very quickly.
  • Ellis can be seen performing the dab dance move in the achievement's thumbnail, which appears as an easter egg.
  • A main attraction is the primary person, group, or thing that a place uses to attract tourism or attention.

Achievement Three's a Crowd
THREE'S A CROWD
Rescue three Survivors from a single rescue closet.
  • This achievement's name is based on a 1984 sitcom with the same name.
  • This achievement can be easily earned by starting a Single Player game on Expert and killing all three Survivor Bots. Then, change the difficulty to Easy and progress long enough to rescue the bots (dead Survivors will respawn inside the closets after approximately one minute has passed).
    • In most finale areas, Survivors instantly respawn if they die before the finale sequence is started. This makes the achievement even easier, as The Director will stop spawning Infected.

Achievement Z-Genocidest 2 Episode 2
Z-GENOCIDEST 2: EPISODE 2
Kill 53,599 infected. You made sure the dead won't rise anymore!
  • Infected kills before the Last Stand update do not count towards the achievement.
  • This is a cumulative achievement; the player simply needs to kill 53,599 Infected across their combined entire play time.
    • If players want to earn this achievement faster, they can start the Mall map and wait in the Safe Room for the frequent hordes that spawn.
    • Another way to farm Infected kills for the achievement is to start Dark Carnival's Chapter 4 on Easy and reach the safe room at the end of the map. You can simply camp inside the safe room and kill the Infected without taking too much damage (the horde won't stop spawning until you close the door).
  • This is an continuation of the ZOMBIE GENOCIDEST achievement from Left 4 Dead. The number 53,599 is the final poking fun of the achievement "Z-Genocider 4: The Return" from Dead Rising 4 which requires the player to kill 53,598 infected. The achievement's description referenced this.
  • The name is also a reference to another Valve game, Half-Life 2: Episode Two.


Full Campaign Walkthrough[]

Achievement The Last Dash
THE LAST DASH
Complete The Last Stand campaign in 13 minutes or less, without any Survivors dying.
  • This achievement name is a wordplay on the campaign's name.
  • Since this achievement can be earned on any difficulty, playing the campaign on Easy difficulty is a great way to unlock the achievement as the Infected are much less of a threat. Simply pick your favorite weapons, run throughout the campaign, and ignore the Infected.
    • Playing Single Player on Easy difficulty will only require 6 gas cans for the finale.
    • Play on the Gib Fest mutation to make things even easier.
  • Adrenaline shot can help complete the campaign faster as it allows the Survivors to run at full speed while being attacked by Infected and in the water.
  • This achievement cannot be unlocked in one-Survivor Mutations, as the missing Survivors are counted as dead.

Achievement The Last Frontier
THE LAST FRONTIER
Survive The Last Stand campaign on Expert Realism.
  • For more info about how to survive the Expert Realism campaigns, see Tactics.
  • There's a glitch where if you instead finish Crash Course on said difficulty, you'll strangely get this achievement.


Adversarial Modes[]

Infected[]

Achievement Acid Bath
ACID BATH
As the Spitter, spit on a Survivor who is pinned by a Hunter.
  • Self-explanatory. Simply spit on a Survivor being attacked by Hunter.
  • An acid bath is a container that holds concentrated acids for cleaning purposes. It's also the name of a Louisiana-based sludge metal band that was active from 1991 to 1997.

Achievement Fat Ninja
FAT NINJA
As the Boomer, vomit on a Survivor without having direct line of sight with them.
  • The achievement image likely based on famous Naruto ninja pose.
  • This achievement requires some skill and luck to complete, the easiest way to get one is by puking below where survivor stands and hit at least one survivor (note that Boomer's vomit travels in arch trajectory).

Achievement Flight Deck
FLIGHT DECK
Instantly kill a Survivor as the Charger.
  • Some maps feature out-of-bounds or death zones which kill the Survivors instantly.
    • One of the easiest ways to get this achievement is to start Dead Center's first chapter in Versus mode and have someone playing as Survivor stand near the window. In this way, the Charger player will be able to grab them without hitting a solid object and land on the Hotel's roof.
    • Another good chance is at the Rooftop Finale scavenge map, as the Survivors inevitably will have to go near the building's edges to get gas cans that only spawn there.
  • See here for more death spots.
  • A flight deck is the area of an aircraft carrier on which aircraft take off and land.

Achievement I Spit on Your Grave
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
As the Spitter, spit on a Survivor who is pinned by a Charger.
  • The achievement name is based on a controversial 1978 film with the same name, which later remade on 2010 and subsequent sequels on 2013, 2015, and 2019.
  • Self-explanatory, simply spit on a Charger that is currently pounding the victim.

Achievement One Hit Wonder
ONE HIT WONDER
As the Hunter, land a 25 damage pounce.
  • Similar to JUMPIN' JACK SMASH achievement in Left 4 Dead, the Hunter player needs to jump very high and very far to increase the initial pouncing damage. Unlike JUMPIN' JACK SMASH, this achievement can be unlocked on any map.
  • It seems that the best map to unlock this achievement is, by far, The Atrium. Another good chance is jumping from the Memorial Bridge, as it is one of the highest fall distances in the entire game.
  • A "one hit wonder" is a music artist or band that is considered to only have one popular song.


Scavenge Mode[]

Achievement Spitfire
SPITFIRE
Destroy 20 gascans as the Spitter.
  • The gascans can be ignited only during Scavenge-style finales and Scavenge mode where the orange gascans spawn.
  • For a balancing reason, the Spitter can only ignite the gascans picked up and dropped by Survivors (denoted by the orange outlines); the gascans that have not been picked up (denoted by the white outlines) cannot be destroyed.
  • Considerably, the best Scavenge maps to earn this achievement are The Atrium and The Port. Both maps have hiding spots highly strategic for the Spitter to destroy gas cans.
  • This achievement probably was included on the game because many players never found out the Spitter is able to destroy gas cans.
  • "Spitfire" is a term for someone who is considered to have a very bad temper. It may also be a reference to the video game Dead Rising, in which a Spitfire mixed drink gives the player the ability to spit bullets.


Versus Survival Mode[]

Achievement The Big Ten
THE BIG TEN
Survive for 10 minutes on any official map in Versus Survival.
  • This achievement can be obtained effortlessly if the Infected team let the Survivor team live for ten minutes.
  • The Big Ten is the name of the oldest Division 1 Conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).


Survival Mode[]

Achievement Getting Started
GETTING STARTED
Earn a bronze medal on any official survival map.
  • Added as a part of The Last Stand update. The achievements were available before the official update was released, however.
  • Despite what the description said, custom survival maps also count.
  • Simply survive for 4 minutes to earn this achievement.

Achievement On Our Way
ON OUR WAY
Earn a silver medal on any official survival map.
  • Added as a part of The Last Stand update. The achievements were available before the official update was released, however.
  • Despite what the description said, custom survival maps also count.
  • "Simply" survive for 7 minutes to earn this achievement.

Achievement This is Where the Fun Begins
THIS IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS
Earn a gold medal on any official survival map.
  • Added as a part of The Last Stand update. The achievements were available before the official update was released, however.
  • Despite what the description said, custom survival maps also count.
  • Survive for 10 minutes to earn this achievement.
  • The name of this achievement is a reference to the 2005 sci-fi film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, where Anakin Skywalker says this exact quote in the opening scene.

Achievement A Little Hack and Slash
A LITTLE HACK AND SLASH
Earn a bronze medal on every official survival map.
  • Refer to KILLING SPREE.
  • Hack and Slash refers to a sub-genre of beat-em-up games that focus heavily on melee weapon-based combat.

Achievement Like Lambs to the Slaughter
LIKE LAMBS TO THE SLAUGHTER
Earn a silver medal on every official survival map.
  • "Like lambs to the slaughter" is an idiom that refers to someone doing something without knowing that something bad is going to happen and therefore act calmly and without fighting against the situation. In this case it refers to the infected mindlessly running towards the armed survivors who are openly shooting at them.
  • Refer to KILLING SPREE.

Achievement Killing Spree
KILLING SPREE
Earn a gold medal on every official survival map.
  • The objective of the achievement is to survive for as long as possible to earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals for holding out for a certain amount of time.
  • For more info about how to survive for the longest time possible, see Survival Mode and Tactics.
  • A killing spree is a series of murders. The title may also be a reference to the Halo game series, where the multiplayer famously gives players a "killing spree" medal for killing 5 opponents in a row.

Achievement Golden Freeman
GOLDEN FREEMAN
Find the golden crowbars hidden in the Left 4 Dead 1 survival maps.
  • The achievement name is pun of the legendary Gordon Freeman, the protagonist of the Half-Life series.
  • The Left 4 Dead Wiki has a guide with all the locations here.

Achievement Supreme Survivalist
SUPREME SURVIVALIST
Survive for 30 minutes on any official survival map.
  • For the tips and tricks of how to survive for the longest time possible, see Survival Mode and Tactics.
  • Despite what the description said, custom survival maps also count. [?]
  • This achievement cannot be earned in Versus Survival.
  • According to a member of the Community Update Team, this achievement was included in the game as a reference to Valve's scrapped platinum medal, which required the player to survive for 30 minutes.


Miscellaneous[]

Achievement Gnome Alone
GNOME ALONE
If you are reading this achievement, Gabe Newell has successfully launched Gnome Chompski into space.
  • This achievement was added on the 19th of November 2020 to commemorate the SpaceX Crew-1 space mission on the 16th of November 2020.
  • Successfully loading any map on any game mode after 5:30AM UTC on the 20th of November 2020 will instantly net the player this achievement.
  • Along with Left 4 Dead 2, this achievement was also simultaneously released for Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Half-Life: Alyx.
  • The name of this achievement is most likely a reference to the Home Alone movie series, as this achievement was added a few weeks before Christmas.


Xbox Exclusive Avatar Awards The following information only applies to the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead and/or Left 4 Dead 2[]

L4D2 El achv
BULL SHIFTERS SHIRT
Win 10 games of Versus to earn this avatar shirt
  • Getting this achievement awards you with Ellis' shirt for your Xbox Live avatar.

L4D2 Ro achv
DEPECHE MODE SHIRT
Rescue the Gnome from the Dark Carnival.
  • Getting this achievement awards you with Rochelle's shirt for your Xbox Live avatar.
  • Should unlock along with GUARDIN' GNOME.

L4D2 shirt achv
LEFT 4 DEAD 2 SHIRT
Win 10 games of Scavenge to earn this avatar shirt
  • Getting this achievement awards you with a shirt featuring the Left 4 Dead logo for your Xbox Live avatar.

L4D2 medkit achv
MED KIT
Beat all campaigns (any difficulty) to earn unique avatar reward
  • Getting this achievement awards you with a first aid kit prop for your Xbox Live avatar.
  • Should be done on Easy to obtain this award with maximum ease.

L4D2 zomhand achv
ZOMBIE HAND SHIRT
Kill 10,000 Infected to earn this avatar shirt
  • Getting this achievement awards you with a shirt featuring the Left 4 Dead 2 hand for your Xbox Live avatar.
  • The fastest way to get this shirt is by playing the Dark Carnival Campaign, especially in the Barnyards, as when you reach the last safe room you can just stay there killing the Infected as they spawn on average every 30 seconds regardless of difficulty.

L4Dhat
LEFT 4 DEAD 2 HAT
Unlock the Left 4 Dead 2 hat by playing any map in The Passing.
  • Getting this achievement awards you with a hat featuring the Left 4 Dead logo for your Xbox Live avatar.
  • You do not even have to play a full level to get this award. As soon as you start up a level, it should give it to you.
  • Voting to change the current campaign to The Passing will not award this. You must join or create a game that is already on The Passing from the get-go.

Gnome
GNOME
Unlock the Gnome by playing any 6 Mutations.
  • Getting this achievement awards you with a Gnome Chompski prop for your Xbox Live avatar.
  • Should unlock along with MUTANT OVERLORD.
  • This avatar award used to take a minimum of 4 weeks to unlock, but as of 7/24/12, the Mutations can be cycled through manually and played in quick succession. Since you do not actually have to play the chapter for the Mutation to count, this can now be earned in about 10 minutes. However, game doesn't register Community Mutations on the counter (it counts only one of them), so you may need to load up more than 6 for it to finally unlock.


External Links[]

  • Video made by Achievementor, who also shows walkthroughs for certain Left 4 Dead achievements:
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