Achievement hunting in Half-Life 2: Episode Two can be a rewarding experience, with a mix of quirky, challenging, and story-based goals. This guide breaks down all 23 achievements and how to obtain them, most of which can be completed in a single playthrough — with the exception of one that requires a dedicated second run.

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Automatic & Story-Based Achievements

• No-Magnon – Automatically unlocked upon launching the game. A lighthearted nod to Gabe Newell and the infamous “Gnome Chompski.”
• Into the Breach – Help Griggs and Sheckley fend off the antlion waves in the mine shaft. This is a story mission and cannot be missed.
• Secondary Silo Secured – Complete the objective of sealing missile silo 2 after speaking with Magnusson.
• Defense of the Armament – Defend White Forest missile base from the Combine assault during the final large-scale battle.

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Combat and Gameplay Achievements

• Grave Robber – Use the Gravity Gun to steal a live grenade from a zombine. This can be done in several encounters, including early in the game.
• Acid Reflex – Kill a green-glowing acid-spitting antlion worker. You’ll encounter plenty in the caves.
• Deadly Harvest – Kill an enemy using a hopper mine. These can be planted during the mine shaft defense segment.
• Twofer – Defeat both antlion guards during the encounter outside White Forest. Use explosive barrels for an easier fight.
• Bone Breaker – Kill 30 enemies with physics objects. Zombies make great targets for gravity-flung crates and barrels.
• Hit and Run – Run over 20 enemies with the car. This accumulates over time as you drive across multiple areas.
• Meet the Hunters – Survive the first hunter ambush alongside Alyx.
• Payback – Kill a hunter with its own flechettes. Let it fire at an object like a tire, then fling it back using the Gravity Gun.
• Hot Potat0wed – Kill a Combine soldier with their own grenade. Catch and return it with the Gravity Gun.
• Put on a Clinic – Defeat the hunter-chopper with no misses. Catch each mine and toss it back accurately until it’s destroyed.
• Gunishment – Destroy the auto-gun turret at the junkyard by infiltrating the building and disabling it with a grenade.
• Quiet Mountain Getaway – Survive the White Forest Inn ambush and reactivate the power to escape.

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Exploration and Collection Achievements

• Get Some Grub – Squish all 333 antlion grubs throughout the game. A time-consuming task that requires diligence. (There’s a full video guide available.)
• Piñata Party – Destroy all web caches. Most are tied to grub collection and located throughout the cave systems and elevator area.
• Cache Checker – Find all five hidden Lambda item caches. Use the car-mounted radar to locate them:
  1. Inside a van after regaining the car.
  2. In a wall-embedded van (rocket launcher access).
  3. Under floorboards in a shack among storage crates.
  4. In a small cave behind a fallen tree.
  5. Hanging off a platform in a tree — shoot the boxes.
• Gordon Propelled Rocket – Open the locked rocket launcher cache by launching yourself with a grenade under a metal panel, then pull the lever to unlock the door below.
• Neighborhood Watch – During the strider battle, prevent any building outside White Forest from being destroyed. A high-difficulty achievement that requires sharp aim and prioritization. (See full strategy video for this.)
• Pedal to the Metal – Beat Dog in the race to the White Forest base. Drive clean, take shortcuts, and don’t miss the wooden post at the finish.

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Second Playthrough Achievement

• Little Rocket Man – Carry the garden gnome (found near the start) through the entire game and place it in the rocket before launch. Requires a dedicated run with patience and careful driving. (A full guide is available for this achievement.)

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By the end of this guide, you’ll have all 23 achievements in Half-Life 2: Episode Two — from smashing bugs and tossing grenades, to tossing a literal gnome into space. Achievement hunters, you’re cleared for 100%.

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