Every StockMates game is free to join, for every signed-up player, from the moment you sign up — there's no game that unlocks later or requires a certain level to access. What does grow the more you play is your own profile: your level, your XP, and the badges you've earned.
XP comes from a few places: badges you've earned (worth more XP the rarer they are), how many trades you've closed, how many days in a row you've stayed active, and how long you've had an account overall. Each of these is capped, so no single thing can carry your whole level on its own — it rewards genuinely sticking with it, not just one lucky trade or one long streak.
There are 20 levels in total, from Rookie Mate at the start up to Trading Legend at the top, each with its own title. Your level and XP progress are visible on your Achievements page at any time, along with how much XP you need for the next one.
Badges are earned for specific milestones — things like your first trade, hitting a win streak, or finishing well on the leaderboard. Each one you earn also adds to your XP total, so levelling up and badge-hunting are really the same activity looked at two ways.
None of this affects which games you can join, your starting virtual capital, or your prize eligibility — those stay exactly the same for every player, from day one. Levels and badges are purely about your own progress and bragging rights as you keep playing.