Let me paste what it says in the Help section about Merits.
On each userpage, there is an area that numbers how many merits you have earned. Merits are earned by writing constuctive,original, and thoughtful comments in the Games section. We reward those who take the time to think out a good comment, as it contributes a lot to the website and sets a good example for others. The post does not have to be a book in length, but should be interesting enough to grab our attention. For each merit you recieve, you will earn 25 AP and your post will stand out. Only moderators and administrators give out merits. You can help us choose who gets the merits by hitting the "up-vote" arrow next to comments on the game pages.
Do not bug the moderators or admins to give you merits. They will most likely be sad for the rest of the day if you do.
Note that as time has gone by, Carlie has stated that merits have become harder to get as the qualification points have been narrowed down to slow down how many people are getting merits.
