Steam badges explained

Steam badges are collectible emblems on your profile that you earn mostly by crafting sets of trading cards, and each one gives you XP that raises your Steam level. Some badges come from cards, others from events or specific actions, and a few have rarer foil versions worth more. This guide covers what badges are, how to craft them, how the XP works, and the special badge types. To see exactly how much XP you need for the next level, use our Steam level calculator.

What a badge actually is

A badge is a small graphic that sits in your Badges collection and shows on your profile. Most are tied to a specific game and are made by crafting a full set of that game's trading cards. There are also badges for milestones, like years of Steam membership, community activity, and seasonal events.

Every badge is worth XP. Collect enough XP and your Steam level ticks up. A higher level gets you more friend list slots, more showcase slots for your profile, and slightly better odds on booster pack drops. That is the practical reason people craft badges at all.

How to craft a badge from cards

Crafting is the core mechanic. Here is the process.

1. Play a game that supports trading cards until you have collected cards for it. Our guide on Steam trading cards covers how drops work.
2. Complete a full set, buying or trading for any cards you are missing on the Community Market.
3. Open your Badges page from your profile.
4. Find the game and click Ready, then confirm the craft.
5. The cards are consumed, and you receive the badge plus XP, and often a bonus emoticon, profile background, or booster pack.

Crafting removes the cards from your inventory, so if you were hoping to keep a set as a keepsake, sell duplicates instead and craft with the rest.

Steam badge levels and XP

Badges are not one-and-done. Most game badges can be leveled up.

• Levels one through five. Each time you gather and craft another full set of the same game's cards, that badge goes up a level, to a maximum of level five for standard sets.
• XP per craft. Every craft grants a fixed chunk of XP toward your Steam level, so leveling a badge five times gives five helpings of XP.
• Foil badges. Foil cards are rarer versions that drop much less often. Crafting a full foil set makes a foil badge, which is separate from the normal badge and grants its own XP. Foils are harder to complete because foil cards are scarce and pricier.

The steady grind of crafting many game badges is how most high-level accounts got there. There is no shortcut that skips XP, so anyone promising instant levels for a fee is running a scam. Our guide on how to level up on Steam breaks down the cheapest legitimate path.

Event and foil badges

Beyond ordinary game badges, Steam runs special ones.

• Event badges. During sales and seasonal events, Valve issues limited badges you earn by completing tasks, like browsing the store, voting, or playing featured games. These are only available during the event.
• Community badges. Some badges come from account activity, such as writing reviews, adding friends, setting up Steam Guard, or years of service.
• Foil badges. As above, these come from rare foil card sets and are a status symbol because they are hard to complete.

Event badges are the ones people regret missing, since they never come back once the event ends. If a sale is running and you see a badge quest, it is worth a few minutes of clicking.

What the community grinds for

On the Steam forums, the most common badge question is how to level up fast, and the answer is always the same: craft lots of badges, which means buying cheap card sets and crafting them. In the "how to lvl up on steam" discussion, users point out that cards are cheap enough that you can buy full sets for a few cents each and craft your way up, and that foil and event badges are the extra flourishes on top. Nobody has found a way around the XP requirement, which is exactly the point of a leveling system.

FAQ

How do I craft a Steam badge? Collect a full set of a game's trading cards, open your Badges page, find the game, and click Ready to craft. You get the badge plus XP.

How many levels can a badge have? Standard game badges go up to level five, one level per full set crafted. Foil badges are separate and grant their own XP.

Do badges raise my Steam level? Yes. Every badge and every craft grants XP, and enough XP raises your Steam level, which unlocks more showcase and friend slots.

What is a foil badge? A foil badge is made from a full set of rare foil cards. Foil cards drop far less often, so foil badges are harder to complete and act as a status symbol.

Can I get badges without spending money? Yes, partly. Cards drop free as you play, and many event and community badges cost nothing. Finishing card sets usually means buying a few cheap cards, though.

Do event badges come back? No. Event badges are only available during their event. Once it ends, they are gone for good.