When Netflix released the first season of The Circle U.S. in January 2020, I was immediately intrigued by the concept. What began as a British series in 2018, The Circle is a reality competition show where contestants live in isolated apartments and communicate with each other through a voice-activated system called “The Circle.” The object of the game is to set up a profile, based on truth or lies, and become the most popular player by the end. Since 2018, there have been four seasons: two seasons of The Circle U.K., The Circle U.S. and The Circle Brazil. With The Circle France premiering on Netflix April 9, I decided to compile tips for winning the competition based on data from past seasons to see if these tips hold up to the new season. Warning: major spoilers for all previous seasons ahead!
- To Catfish or Not to Catfish
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One of the most intriguing aspects of The Circle is the ability to play as someone you are not in order to hopefully get closer to the win. Does catfishing help or hurt your chances of winning? Generally, I would say the producers seem to favor genuine profiles, often praising them in interviews for being themselves. The game itself seems to become a hunt for fake profiles as a method of eliminating people, which could put a target on your back as a catfish. In the past four seasons, only one person won while playing as a completely different person. In the first season of The Circle U.K., Alex Hobern won as “Kate,” a 25-year-old woman. The other three winners have played mostly as themselves, only changing small details such as age and occupation (Marina Gregory). In conclusion, if you are going to create a fake profile, make sure that it is believable and has traits that you are knowledgeable about. Otherwise, you might end up like Seaburn Williams, who played as his girlfriend and got stuck describing period cramps in a group chat, or like João Akel, who played as a doctor but had no knowledge of anatomy during a trivia game.
- The Ultimate Profile
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In order to create a profile that will help you win, here are some tips based on past winners. There have been two “women” (Alex Hobern playing as “Kate”) and two men who won, so there is no obvious gain of being one or the other. The ages of the past winners have been around the mid-twenties to early thirties. Their pictures are fun and full of personality, and look like someone anyone would already know. Nearly all of the winners also mentioned partying/drinking in their profiles as well. Practically everyone plays as single even if they are not, which seems to work in their favor as it allows the ability to flirt (even though I would not recommend flirting with everyone as a good strategy). The best profiles appear to promote a non-threatening, genuine and fun player.
- Rating Strategy
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Becoming an influencer (one of the highest-rated players) several times throughout the season does not work in your favor, according to past seasons. The players that became an influencer the most times have never won in the end, possibly due to the other players seeing them as a threat. Joey Sasso, Marina Gregory and Alex Hobern all became influencers twice and Paddy Smyth never was an influencer. If you are consistently in the middle of the ratings, you are probably safe from being blocked.
- Making Alliances
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The object of the game is to be the highest-ranked player in the end. The winners of The Circle are popular with most of the players, which involves making some alliances. However, if I were playing the game, I would never invite someone into an “alliance,” as it can expose you for being a game player (even though everyone is there to win). The players seem to favor when others are being genuine and want to make a connection with them beyond the game. If you play to this strategy of making friends instead of allies, it could strengthen your chance in the game. I believe Joey Sasso won The Circle U.S., in part, due to the players thinking that he was just a lovable goofy guy instead of a threat. The only strong alliance that seemed to work in favor of the players was in the second season of The Circle U.K., when three players created “The Circle of Trust” alliance that caused them to all rank in the top three in the finale and caused Paddy Smyth to win.
- Making Enemies
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Try your best not to make enemies, but also do not be afraid to say what is on your mind and call people out. The players seem to value honesty at all costs, so do not lie about anything that happens in the game. When Lorayne Oliver in The Circle Brazil was chosen to receive a luxurious breakfast from new player, Renan Marconi, and later was exposed for lying to the other players about it, she was eliminated in the following ratings. If you are not seen as a major threat by the players, you are in a good position.
- Factors Beyond Your Control
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There are certain factors in the game that could help or hinder your chances of winning that you cannot control. The players that enter the game at the start of the season usually have a better chance of winning, with exception of Paddy Smyth who won despite entering The Circle U.K. during episode 10. If you enter the game late, you will have to work harder by acting extra charismatic and genuine to the players so you can catch up. Another factor, ironically enough, is if you have pictures for your profile that look fake or “too perfect.” In the first episodes of The Circle U.S. and The Circle Brazil, the players that were blocked complained that people always judge them for their looks and the players believed immediately that they were catfishing.
I hope you enjoyed these fun tips about the best strategies for winning The Circle. I am excited to see if my tips apply to the new season of The Circle France, coming to Netflix very soon!