If you know me, you know I love We’re Not Really Strangers. From regularly playing their game to wearing their merch around campus, it sometimes feels like my life is branded by white blocked letters on a red background. I first played this game with my freshman year roommate/best friend shortly after moving in together. I went to bed that night with the warm fuzzies — I felt connected and in touch. Since that night, it’s been a staple. I even brought the game with me to quarantine and isolation housing. That’s how much it means to me.
If you’re not familiar, We’re Not Really Strangers is a card game intended to forge meaningful connections between its players. Its iconic, red box holds three “levels” of cards: perception, connection and reflection. In each round, a player draws a card. Depending on the round, they either answer for themself or the group answers for them. The perception round, for example, contains a card asking, “What does my style tell you about me?”, which the group would answer. Rounds become deeper as they go, with the connection round asking questions like, “What are you currently trying to unlearn?” or “What’s the last thing you lied to your mom about?”. Questions in this round are answered by the player who drew the card. The third round assumes the same format of the first but with deeper questions.
So, why the hype? What’s so special about We’re Not Really Strangers?
To me, it’s about connection. In the same way that college facilitates meaningful connections, it’s also easy to fall into surface level relationships. So far, I’ve spent winter quarter running around with a million things on my mind all of the time. As a college student, it takes conscious effort to reflect on your relationships when you’re also scrambling to finish lab reports on time and speed-watching lectures while getting ready to go out with friends. When I commit an hour to playing We’re Not Really Strangers with a group of friends, I feel connected. I feel productive in the time I’m spending getting to know my friends on a deeper level, and I feel present because of the introspection that this game requires. Questions like, “What are you lying to yourself about?” not only force internal reflection, but also encourage vulnerability with the people you love. The brand itself is all about vulnerability, from affirmation-branded merch to subscription texts that ask the important questions.
I’ve played We’re Not Really Strangers with all of my best friends, and I can safely say it brought me closer to all of them. I encourage you to do the same.