Water TD Achievements: All 13 and the Odd Ones
Every Water TD achievement with its real unlock rate, plus the fastest route to Minimalist, Close Call, Fireproof, Pest Control and Flawless Victory.
Water TD ships with thirteen achievements, and the global unlock rates tell a story the descriptions do not: almost everyone loses a turret to the water, almost everyone gets a clean clear, and almost nobody finishes the challenge modes.
The full list
| Achievement | Requirement | Global unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Washed Out (hidden) | Lose a turret to the water | 100.0% |
| Student | Spend a point in the skill tree | 100.0% |
| Persistent (hidden) | Lose ten runs | 97.6% |
| Untouchable | Win a level without the base taking a hit | 91.7% |
| Hands Off | Win a level without using an ability | 71.7% |
| Challenger | Win a challenge | 69.0% |
| Specialist | Take any skill to its last rank | 62.3% |
| Full Arsenal | Unlock every turret | 35.7% |
| Close Call (hidden) | Win a level with less than 10 HP on the base | 23.1% |
| Minimalist | Win a level with one turret or none | 10.8% |
| Pest Control | Win SWARM on every level | 0.1% |
| Fireproof | Win LAVA on every level | 0.1% |
| Flawless Victory | Win every level without the base taking a hit | 0.1% |
These percentages come from Steam's global achievement stats on 15 November 2026, two days after release. Small samples move fast; treat them as a snapshot.
The four you will get without trying
Washed Out, Student, Persistent and Untouchable are effectively participation awards. Student is a single skill point. Washed Out happens the first time erosion takes a turret, which is why its rate is 100%. Persistent needs ten losses, which most players reach while learning the third map.
Hands Off (71.7%)
Win a level without using an ability. The easiest route is an early map with a heavy AUTO line, since abilities are not required to survive the first levels. If you have already upgraded heavily, replay level one and do not touch the ability bar.
Challenger (69.0%)
Win a single challenge. This is the gateway to the two 0.1% achievements, and it is far easier than the pair that follows. Clear one LAVA or SWARM map after you have a few build diamonds, and you are done.
Specialist (62.3%)
Take any skill to its last rank. Pick the cheap AUTO damage branch and pour BASIC into it. The last rank is expensive, but it is a straight line rather than a broad investment.
Full Arsenal (35.7%)
Unlock every turret. This is a pure currency milestone: AUTO, FLAME, TESLA, LASER, FAN and MORTAR. Because it requires every family rather than every upgrade, it arrives before the expensive tail of the tree.
Close Call (23.1%)
Win a level with less than 10 HP left on the base. This is the only achievement that rewards playing badly on purpose, and it is harder than it looks because a losing base tends to keep losing.
The reliable method is to set up a defence that wins slowly, let the water chip the base down to single digits, then finish the wave. Do it on a map you have already mastered, and keep one ability in reserve as the finisher.
A base at 8 HP on unfamiliar terrain usually becomes a loss, not a win. Use a map you can clear with your eyes closed.
Minimalist (10.8%)
Win a level with one turret placed, or none. The wording matters: zero turrets is allowed, which means the achievement is about a single-turret strategy rather than a no-build challenge.
The practical route is an early level, one upgraded AUTO on the best chokepoint, and heavy use of terrain. If the map lets you dam a channel with the terrain itself, one turret plus one ability can hold a wave that would otherwise need five.
The three 0.1% achievements
Pest Control and Fireproof require winning SWARM and LAVA on every level. Flawless Victory requires winning every level without a hit on the base. All three are endgame goals: they assume a full tree, every turret unlocked, and a player who has memorised each map's flood.
Flawless Victory is the strictest, because one drop reaching the base on any map resets the attempt. Pest Control and Fireproof are more forgiving per level but require the same map twice under two modifiers.
A realistic completion order
- Student, Washed Out, Persistent — automatic.
- Untouchable, Hands Off — early map, clean defence, no abilities.
- Challenger — one challenge after your first diamonds.
- Specialist, Full Arsenal — currency milestones.
- Close Call — a controlled near-loss on a mastered map.
- Minimalist — single-turret puzzle on an early map.
- Flawless Victory, Fireproof, Pest Control — the long tail.
The challenges→ explain the LAVA and SWARM achievements, levels→ explains the per-map clears, and skill tree→ covers the point-spending ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many achievements does Water TD have? Thirteen, including three hidden ones: Washed Out, Persistent and Close Call.
Which achievement is the hardest? Flawless Victory, because it requires every level to be clean rather than one. Fireproof and Pest Control are close behind and share the same 0.1% rate.
Does the demo have achievements? The demo is a separate app from the main game. Its achievement list is not part of the 13 counted here.
Do achievements unlock retroactively? Steam achievements are tracked per app. Anything you did in the demo is not credited to the full game.
Sources
Community source: Achievement names, descriptions and global rates: Steam achievements for Water TD ↗ Official source: Game and demo listings: Water TD on Steam ↗ Official source: Patch history: Water TD news hub ↗