A standard game of badminton is played to 21 points , and you must win by at least 2 points (for example, 21–19 or 22–20). If the score reaches 29–29, the player or pair that scores the 30th point wins the game.

Basic scoring target

  • A regular game is played to 21 points in both singles and doubles.
  • The side that wins a rally, regardless of who served, scores 1 point.

Win by two rule

  • At 20–20 (often called “20-all”), you need a two-point lead to win, such as 22–20 or 24–22.
  • This “win by 2” rule keeps the game from ending on a single lucky point when the score is tied late.

Maximum points in a game

  • There is a hard cap at 30 points in modern rally-scoring badminton.
  • If the score reaches 29–29, the next point decides the game, so a 30–29 score is the absolute maximum.

TL;DR: In most formats today, you need 21 points to win a game of badminton, with at least a 2‑point lead; if it gets to 29–29, the first to 30 wins.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.