Badges are the closest thing Tetris 99 has to a power-up system, and they are absolutely crucial for winning matches. You earn Badges by contributing to the K.O. of an opponent. When an opponent tops out, any player who sent garbage to them in their final moments will receive a Badge. The more garbage you sent, the higher your chance of receiving a Badge. You can collect up to 10 Badges. Each Badge you collect increases the amount of garbage you send to opponents by 25%. This means that with 1 Badge, you send 125% garbage; with 2 Badges, 150%; and with a full 10 Badges, you send a staggering 350% garbage! This exponential increase in attack power makes Badges the most important strategic element in the game. Prioritize earning Badges in the early and mid-game by targeting players close to K.O. or by consistently sending garbage. Losing a Badge is not possible once earned, so focus on accumulating them to become a true threat in the late game. A player with 10 Badges can send devastating amounts of garbage with just a single Tetris clear.
