Steam Trading Cards are virtual cards earned by playing games on Steam. Sets of cards can be turned into game badges and tradable Steam community items. Collect cardsPlay any of the participating Trading Cards Beta games to get trading cards. Up to half the card set is dropped through game play, the other half is earned through your collecting prowess. Craft game badgesOnce you’ve collected a set of cards you can craft them into a game badge. Like the current badges, they are tied to your account and are shown on your profile. Unlike the current badges, crafting games badges earns you marketable items like emoticons, profile backgrounds, and coupons. Level up your badge by collecting the set again and earning more items. Level UpAll badges now have XP which contributes to your Steam Level, a summary of your badge collection. You can view someone’s Steam Level by hovering over their avatar. Leveling up earns you non-tradable items like profile showcases, extra friends list slots, and more. Get rewards for crafting badgesDuring badge crafting you'll receive random rewards from a set of game related items. They are tradable and can only be used while you possess them. Profile backgroundsCustomize your profile with a background image. CouponsYou might earn DLC or game coupons. EmoticonsSteam emoticons can be used anywhere on Steam where you can type, like chat, discussions, and profiles. Profile ShowcasesChoose what you want to show off. What’s unique about you? Based on your Steam Level you can customize your profile with showcases. Show off your favorite games, items up for trade, workshop mods, Greenlight submissions, or maybe your favorite screenshots... and more. Show offShow off your badges, Steam Level, and gameplay with the new profile and mini profile. Feature a badgeChoose a badge to display at the top of your profile and in the mini profile you see when you hover over your avatar. Updated profileThe profile gets a visual refresh and a more concentrated focus on what you play and how you participate on Steam. And with showcases, you decide what to feature. Recent game activityGameplay, achievements, and content contributions all get rolled up into blocks in Recent game activity.
