One of the best parts of being a collector is sharing your personal treasure trove with others. It’s a lot like the adult version of “Show and Tell” when you can boast to an uninformed friend just how rare or cool a given item is.
Pride in one’s library is part of the reason why people spend so much money on their display, whether it’s slabs for trading cards or binders for coins. Some go so far as to hang their most prized pieces along the walls of their home! For trophy hunters beholden to the elusive platinum, the equivalent measure comes in the form of trophy cabinets.
In this article, we will define what a trophy cabinet is and discuss several different approaches one can take when designing their own. Will you choose the tried-and-true style, or workshop something unique to you?
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What Is a Trophy Cabinet?
A trophy cabinet is a curated list of video game achievements that you choose to display on your trophy hunting profile. Since it is one of the first things a visitor will notice when they look at your profile, it is important to consider what kind of impression you’d like to make.
While the verbiage may differ depending on your preferred trophy hunting website, there is generally always a way to feature particular games or trophies on your account. It is called the “Trophy Cabinet” on PSN Profiles and the “Trophy Case” on TrueTrophies, for example.
What to Feature on Your Trophy Cabinet
There really isn’t a wrong way to go about decorating a trophy cabinet. So long as you display one or more achievements to fit your vision, you’re in good shape.
Some trophy hunters forgo the option entirely, choosing not to personalize their profile at all. In fact, there are several players near the top of the leaderboard who do not have a trophy cabinet. While you can certainly do the same, I’d argue that it isn’t in line with the spirit of trophy hunting. Why go to such lengths to complete games to the fullest if you don’t like them enough to share with the world? If not for others, then for your own gratification.
That is, of course, assuming that the feature isn’t locked behind a paywall. Either way, let’s start with the most straightforward option for designing a trophy cabinet.
Show Off the Trophies You’re Most Proud Of
We work hard for the trophies we earn. Whether they require an insane level of skill expression, take hundreds of hours, or have been collectively earned by the fewest number of players, some achievements don’t need to make a case for their quality. In a hobby that values rarity so highly, it can be tempting to sort your trophy cabinet in the same manner.
It’s popular because it works. Using your trophy cabinet as a means to brag about your toughest trophies can show how dedicated a completionist you are. If you’re the type of trophy hunter that revels in sub-1% completion rates and wants everyone to know about it, this approach might appeal to you. (Our article about some of the most difficult platinum trophies might also be right up your alley, by the way!)
However, using your trophy cabinet to display your rarest trophies might lead to some redundancies on your profile. Both PSN Profiles and TrueTrophies have separate lists to account for what they believe are the most impressive achievements on your profile. Careless selections in your trophy cabinet might make your profile look awkward to others.
If multiple copies of trophies across the highlighted sections of your profile bother you, but you still want to focus on the hardcore over the mundane, you’re not out of luck. You can always highlight difficult games that have artificially inflated completion scores due to their popularity in the community.
For example, Splasher is rated at a 10/10 difficulty level according to the trophy guide on PSN Profiles, but it only qualifies for a “Very Rare” rating due to its 6.17% completion rate. This game might not make it on your “Rarest Trophies” showcase, but it would certainly be worth showing off in your trophy cabinet.
Highlight Your Favorite Series
Although trophy hunters are generally well-rounded enthusiasts of video games as a medium, that doesn’t mean we are immune to picking favorites. If there is a particular video game series that you’re passionate about, consider using your trophy cabinet as a makeshift shrine to it.
This approach benefits from its simplicity and effectiveness. Anyone can see the type of player you are based on what your favorite series is. Plus, you don’t have to think too hard about your display outside of keeping it up-to-date with new additions.
There are two downsides to this design choice that bear mentioning. Any exclusions in the featured series will be readily apparent, so it may be wise to hold off until you have a complete set of their platinum trophies. Secondly, if the series has more entries than there are slots on your trophy cabinet, you may run into a space issue. You can either select the standouts or fit as many as you can in order.
Wondering what titles other trophy hunters might appreciate seeing on your profile? Check out our post about the 12 video game series that all completionists should respect for some ideas.
Pick Your Favorite Games
This is an offshoot of the previous entry. Rather than highlighting a specific series, you can also simply choose to show off a selection of your favorite games without any regard to their relation to one another.
This can be a great compromise if you’d like more variety in your trophy cabinet. Every addition is likely to convey something about you. Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy? You might be a Pokémon fan who enjoys cute things. Naughty Bear? You’re a masochist with a penchant for suffering. I’m in Love with Your Dead Grandmother? Well… I’ll let that one speak for itself. (But you’re probably the life of the party.)
The nice thing about displaying your personal Hall of Fame is that anyone who happens to share some favorites in common with you will be more likely to check out the ones they’re more unfamiliar with. In a way, you become a Subject Matter Expert in what makes a good game since your taste seems to align with theirs. That means you might just be turning more people onto the games you love!
Unlike the option for highlighting a series, this method also allows for more creativity. You can choose to drop and add any games freely when the mood strikes you.
Follow a Theme
Maybe you have too many great games to pare down the list enough for your trophy cabinet. If you’re a highly accomplished trophy hunter, your platinum trophy count may be in the hundreds or thousands already. It might feel impossible to choose just a handful when you feel that so many games deserve a space. Or, perhaps you play so many games that you feel mostly ambivalent about them at the end of the day.
If this sounds like you, it might be better to think about your trophy cabinet in a different light. Rather than highlighting anything about your gaming habits, why not use the space to make your profile pop from the page? In other words, why not design it with a theme in mind that’s aesthetically pleasing and leaves a lasting impression?
There are tons of different ways to theme your trophy cabinet. Rather than viewing each entry as its own, why not try to find a way to make them into a cohesive image? Death Mark, pictured below, has several images that span multiple achievements in their design. Other games might have similar trophy icons that you can use to create a larger impression.
You could also choose to theme your trophy cabinet around a particular color scheme or gradient. It might be fun to have your trophy cabinet begin with white colors with a smooth transition to black as you scroll down. Or, you could make every trophy in your favorite color for a striking look.
Another theme might be to style your trophy cabinet with animals in mind. If you love animals, maybe you’d like to highlight your most adorable trophy icons in one spot. In fact, we made a list of some trophies with animals not too long ago if you need any inspiration!
Lastly, you can always lean on your username for something truly unique to you. If your gamertag consists of anything material, you can try to find trophies that match. For example, this highly ranked player has “King” in their username, and has chosen to highlight trophies with the word in their trophy cabinet. It is a very cool way to make your trophy cabinet truly yours.
These are just a few off-the-cuff ideas to get you started. Whichever theme you choose, your trophy cabinet is likely to stand out from the pack.
Write a Message
A lot of players buy games on Steam for the sole purpose of decorating their profile with messages written from the letters present in their achievement images. This is so popular, in fact, that a guide was penned to share dozens of different font options.
While the pickings are much slimmer on the PlayStation Store, there is at least one option. The image below was snagged from another highly decorated trophy hunter’s profile and shows one possible option.
You can always use a trophy set like this to create your own unique message. If you need duplicate letters, you could also try combining different region stacks of the game to stitch together what you need.
While this player’s trophy cabinet display gave me a hearty laugh, you don’t have to rely on humor to make a memorable message. You could recreate your username as a pseudo-signature, or perhaps write something meaningful to you.
Look for Iconic Trophy Names
Lastly, a frequently overlooked component of a trophy is its name. While our eyes are naturally drawn toward an achievement’s icon, that doesn’t mean it is the only thing that matters. And, just as we described making a cohesive image in the theme section, you can always try to make a “profound” statement across multiple trophies.
One way to do this is to look for trophies with questions in their titles and come up with fun answers. “What Have I Done?” from Surgeon Simulator is a great option for a starter. Also, trophies that end in “-ing” are perfect for connecting with others. “I Love Sucking” from Justice Sucks, for example, has the potential for some silly shenanigans. Similarly, finding trophies that have subordinate clauses can add more layers to the chaos. “Because of the nightmares” from Edge of Reality is one such example.
Get creative and come up with something clever! Your trophy cabinet will surely be one of a kind.
Conclusion
Coming up with a unique design for your trophy cabinet can be an exhausting task. Although it can take a lot of work, making it your own is absolutely worth it. What games will you feature on your trophy cabinet? Will you be focusing on a specific theme or message?
While on the topic of decorating your trophy hunting profile, you may want to consider what milestones you should be planning for. Doing so might just give you more freedom in how you can use your trophy cabinet!
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