Play games and contribute to the community to earn the cards

May 15, 2013 19:23 GMT  ·  By

After a few leaks and rumors, Valve has officially confirmed the Steam Trading Cards system that's currently in beta stage.

The system allows users to earn virtual cards by playing games that in turn give them access to discount coupons, as well as new customization items like badges, profile backgrounds, and more.

Steam is the most popular digital distribution service in the world, giving users on PC, Mac, or Linux access to lots of games and software.

Now, developer Valve has just revealed a new mechanic in the form of the Steam Trading Cards that can be used to score coupons for discounts on games, not to mention different customization options, like backgrounds for profile pages, badges, and even emoticons for the Steam chat.

Check out the full list of details about the Steam Trading Cards straight from Valve's website below.

- 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 cards: Play 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 badges: Once 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 Up: All 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.

As of right now, only a few games support the Steam Trading Cards, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Dota 2, Portal 2, Half-Life 2, and Don't Starve.