Achievement file format

This is a technical description of the achievement file format, used by Factorio to store player's achievement progress in the files achievements.dat and achievements-modded.dat.

Yes - this information can be used to "cheat" Factorio by simply writing to the achievement file(s) in such a way as if you had met all the achievement requirements, open up Factorio, and then suddenly have all achievements unlocked. The goal of this document is to share how to read the achievement file(s) - so that third party applications can do new and interesting things with that information.

See the page on data types for an explanation of the different types of data used in this document.

Factorio 2.x

Factorio 2.x uses the same format for both achievements.dat and achievements-modded.dat.

File Format

Type	Description
short[4]	The version string of Factorio that generated this file.
bool	A bool that is always false
short array<bytes>	Achievement header info. Variable length. See the section for more information.
array<bytes>	Achievement content info. Variable length. See the section for more information.
byte[*]	Unknown. Probably tracked achievements like in #Factorio 1.x, but this is not confirmed.

This format is valid as of version 2.0.72.

Achievement Header Info

The header contains information about what type of data fields each achievement has.

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement type. This determines what kind of data fields this achievement contains in the content array.
short array<Header Subobject>	An array of achievements that use this achievement type.

Header Subobject

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement string id - the one used internally by Factorio.
byte[2]	Unknown. Probably an index number like in #Factorio 1.x, but this is not confirmed.

Achievement Content Info

This contains the actual data of each achievement. It's important to note that not every achievement listed in the header has a matching content section here.

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement type. This determines what kind of data fields this achievement contains in the progress field.
Space optimized string	Achievement id - the one used internally by Factorio.
byte[*]	The achievement's progress information. The structure and length of this is determined by the achievement's type. See the table below for a list of achievement types.

Achievement Types

If new achievement types are added in the future, the achievement files will be unparse-able. Please add any new types you find here.

See the Defines.prototypes and bas AchivementPrototype documentation for more information about achievement types and data structures.

Achievement Type	Binary Fields(s)	Field(s) Description
achievement	byte[0]	Unknown format, 0 bytes long.
build-entity-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
change-surface-achievement	byte[1]	Unknown format, 1 byte long.
combat-robot-count	int	The greatest number of combat robots you've had following you.
complete-objective-achievement	byte[0]	Unknown format, 0 bytes long.
construct-with-robots-achievement	int byte[4]	Total number of objects constructed using robots. Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
create-platform-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
deconstruct-with-robots-achievement	int	Total number of objects deconstructed using robots.
deliver-by-robots-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
deplete-resource-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
destroy-cliff-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
dont-build-entity-achievement	byte[5]	Unknown format, 5 bytes long.
dont-craft-manually-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
dont-kill-manually-achievement	???	Unknown format, unknown length.
dont-research-before-researching-achievement	???	Unknown format, unknown length.
dont-use-entity-in-energy-production-achievement	double	Maximum number of Joules produced per hour, only including power produced from entities listed under "included", and excluding those listed under "excluded".
equip-armor-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
group-attack-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
kill-achievement	double	The greatest number of an entity killed (e.g. trees, spawners).
module-transfer-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
place-equipment-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
player-damaged-achievement	float bool	The maximum amount of damage you've taken in a single hit. True if the you survived that hit, False if you died.
produce-achievement	double	The total number of the item you've produced.
produce-per-hour-achievement	double	The maximum amount of the item produced per hour.
research-achievement	byte[0]	Unknown format, 0 bytes long.
research-with-science-pack-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
shoot-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
space-connection-distance-traveled-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
train-path-achievement	double	The longest path (in tiles) planned by a train.
use-entity-in-energy-production-achievement	byte[5]	Unknown format, 5 bytes long.
use-item-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.

Factorio 1.x

Factorio 1.x uses different formats for achievements.dat and achievements-modded.dat.

achievements.dat

File Format

The overall file format is as follows. Note that in this file, array length is stored as a short, not an int!

Type	Description
short[4]	The version string of Factorio that generated this file.
bool	A bool that is always false
array<bytes>	Achievement header info. Variable length. See the section for more information.
array<bytes>	Achievement content info. Variable length. See the section for more information.
short[*]	Currently tracked achievements, given as a series of shorts up until the end of the file, with each representing the index number of an achievement. The order of achievements in this series matches the order of which the player has them tracked in game. Some shorts may have a value of 0, it is unknown currently why, but they don't seem to store meaningful data.

This format has been valid since at least version 1.1.0.

Achievement Header Info

The header contains information about what type of data fields each achievement has.

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement type. This determines what kind of data fields this achievement contains in the content array.
array<Header Subobject>	An array of achievements that use this achievement type.

Header Subobject

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement string id - the one used internally by Factorio.
short	Achievement index number. This number is used to map achievements between this header info array, the content info array, and the tracked achievements list in this file. These index numbers are non-normative, so they won't always match up with the same achievement. Note: the mapping of index numbers to achievement ids are continuous, but start at index 1 (there is no index 0) - because Lua tables start at 1.

Achievement Content Info

This contains the actual data of each achievement. It's important to note that not every achievement listed in the header has a matching content section here.

Also note that this array always ends with an index number of 0. When reading, either ignore this, or manually add in a blank achievement into your meta table at index zero with no fields.

Type	Description
short	Achievement index number. This matches up with the index number in the Achievement header info.
byte[*]	The achievement's progress information. The structure and length of this is determined by the achievement's type. See the table below for a list of achievement types.

Achievement Types

If new achievement types are added in the future, the achievement files will be unparse-able. Please add any new types you find here.

See the AchievementPrototype base prototype page for more information about achievement structure.

Achievement Type	Binary Fields(s)	Field(s) Description
build-entity-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
combat-robot-count	int	The greatest number of combat robots you've had following you.
construct-with-robots-achievement	int byte[4]	Total number of objects constructed using robots. Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
deconstruct-with-robots-achievement	int	Total number of objects deconstructed using robots.
deliver-by-robots-achievement	byte[8]	Unknown format, 8 bytes long.
dont-build-entity-achievement	byte[4]	Null bytes, 4 bytes long.
dont-craft-manually-achievement	byte[8]	Null bytes, 8 bytes long.
dont-use-entity-in-energy-production-achievement	double	Maximum number of Joules produced per hour, only including power produced from entities listed under "included", and excluding those listed under "excluded".
finish-the-game-achievement	byte[4]	Null bytes, 4 bytes long.
group-attack-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
kill-achievement	double	The greatest number of an entity killed (e.g. trees, spawners).
player-damaged-achievement	float bool	The maximum amount of damage you've taken in a single hit. True if the you survived that hit, False if you died.
produce-achievement	double	The total number of the item you've produced.
produce-per-hour-achievement	double	The maximum amount of the item produced per hour.
research-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
train-path-achievement	double	The longest path (in tiles) planned by a train.

"combat-robot-count" is the only achievement type in 1.x that doesn't end in "-achievement". This is not an error.

achievements-modded.dat

File Format

The overall file format is simular to the non modded version but slightly different. Note some arrays here will use an int and others a short for storing their length, assume they use an int unless referred to as short arrays, in which they will use shorts for their length

Type	Description
short[4]	The version string of Factorio that generated this file.
bool	A bool that is always false
short array<bytes>	Achievement header info. Variable length. See the section for more information.
array<bytes>	Achievement Content info. Variable length. See the section for more information.
short[*]	Currently tracked achievements, given as a series of shorts up until the end of the file, with each representing the index number of an achievement. The order of achievements in this series matches the order of which the player has them tracked in game. Some shorts may have a value of 0, it is unknown currently why, but they don't seem to store meaningful data.

This format has been valid since at least version 1.1.0.

Achievement Header Info

The header contains information about what type of data fields each achievement has.

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement type. This determines what kind of data fields this achievement contains in the content array.
short array<Header Subobject>	An array of achievements that use this achievement type.

Header Suboject

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement string id - the one used internally by Factorio.
short	Achievement index number. This number is used to map achievements between this header info array, the content info array, and the tracked achievements list in this file. These index numbers are non-normative, so they won't always match up with the same achievement. Note: the mapping of index numbers to achievement ids are continuous, but start at index 1 (there is no index 0) - because Lua tables start at 1.

Achievement Content Info

This a object representing achievements, their type and their data

Type	Description
Space optimized string	Achievement Type
Space optimized string	Achievement string id - the one used internally by Factorio.
byte[*]	The achievement's progress information. The structure and length of this is determined by the achievement's type. See the table below for a list of achievement types.

Achievement Types

If new achievement types are added in the future, the achievement files will be unparse-able. Please add any new types you find here.

See the AchievementPrototype base prototype page for more information about achievement structure.

Achievement Type	Binary Fields(s)	Field(s) Description
build-entity-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
combat-robot-count	int	The greatest number of combat robots you've had following you.
construct-with-robots-achievement	int byte[4]	Total number of objects constructed using robots. Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
deconstruct-with-robots-achievement	int	Total number of objects deconstructed using robots.
deliver-by-robots-achievement	byte[8]	Unknown format, 8 bytes long.
dont-build-entity-achievement	byte[4]	Null bytes, 4 bytes long.
dont-craft-manually-achievement	byte[8]	Null bytes, 8 bytes long.
dont-use-entity-in-energy-production-achievement	double	Maximum number of Joules produced per hour, only including power produced from entities listed under "included", and excluding those listed under "excluded".
finish-the-game-achievement	byte[4]	Null bytes, 4 bytes long.
group-attack-achievement	byte[4]	Unknown format, 4 bytes long.
kill-achievement	double	The greatest number of an entity killed (e.g. trees, spawners).
player-damaged-achievement	float bool	The maximum amount of damage you've taken in a single hit. True if the you survived that hit, False if you died.
produce-achievement	double	The total number of the item you've produced.
produce-per-hour-achievement	double	The maximum amount of the item produced per hour.
research-achievement	byte[0]	Unknown format, 0 bytes long.
train-path-achievement	double	The longest path (in tiles) planned by a train.
achievement	byte[0]	Unknown format, 0 bytes long.

"combat-robot-count" is the only achievement type that in 1.x doesn't end in "-achievement". This is not an error.
Also for some reason, in the 2nd Header the research-achievement type has no data bytes.