How Video Games Helped Me Expand My Social Circle

How Video Games Helped Me Expand My Social Circle

I grew up playing video games; from my Playstation One when I was 7 to my current Nintendo Switch at 26. I am obsessed with gaming and its culture. If you take a stroll through my Instagram, you’ll know how much I post about gaming— in fact, my entire Instagram and creative space is fueled by my passion and love for video games.

As a casual gamer, I play games in my free time. Weekends are reserved for indulging in my fictional game world. Weekdays after work, I would randomly pick up my Nintendo Switch for a few good hours of gaming. I integrate my hobby into my lifestyle at this point and I have to say that I am at the happiest moment of my life.





Most people might say that gaming is a lonely hobby, but I beg to differ. How is my love for video gaming a lonely hobby when it has brought me new friends and experiences, as well as encouraged my confidence in making new friends? Contrary to popular belief, my love for video games has brought so many friends into my life and expanded my social circle in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

You must be wondering: 

How exactly have video games helped me expand my social circle?

1. Playing social games

Defining social gaming is not a difficult concept. The word ‘social’ itself is a dead giveaway, don’t you think? Social games are games where you need to engage with other people (or your friends) to play with or against them. You can include your real-life friends or meet new friends in the game to play together.

The latest social game that I’ve been enjoying these days is called Among Us. I’m sure you have played it too, right? Funnily enough, this game has reacquainted me with my high school mates. Now, we have a dedicated Discord server to plan our gaming nights. We went from “Oh, I went to the same school as her,” to “Oh yeah, she’s my friend!”, which is a huge leap for me in my social circle.

2. Globally connected with other gaming ‘kakis’

The people I’ve been lucky to come across are not limited to one geographical location but are from different parts of the world. Imagine having friends from multiple countries around the world.

A simple way to get to know one another is via the in-game chatroom. Games have this wonderful befriending system (much like Facebook’s!) where you just have to send a friend invitation and bam — you’re now friends who can schedule game sessions together! If you’re a shy person, using this simple feature is a great way to build connections and also your confidence in making friends.

3. My “odd” hobby is a conversation-starter

I used to be a shy person, lacking self-confidence due to my “odd” hobby. While most teenage girls obsessed over fashion and makeup back then, I was an odd duck with my love of video games. I was embarrassed as I was teased by other girls for being “different”. As I grew up, I noticed that all that teasing did nothing but fuel my love for video games even more.


While I initially struggled to express myself and to make friends, video games offered me warmth and comfort to fully express my thoughts through the game. As time went by, I became more thoughtful and expressive with my words. Today, I proudly tell people that I love to play video games. This invites more curious questions and starts conversations. And when conversations begin, we become more acquainted with the other person, thus expanding our social circle!

4. The gaming community

Like how K-POP fans have their fandoms and communities, gamers also have the same. In Malaysia, gaming communities or groups are abundant on Reddit and Facebook. We share our thoughts on the latest games and our game reviews, and we even buy, sell, and trade items in the group itself.

When someone publishes a post about needing help to understand a certain feature of a game, the comment threads will be filled with helpful information, details, and suggestions.

That’s how we connect. We share many things on these groups as long as they abide by the rules of the community. In many ways, we have bonded with each other by sharing inside jokes, poking fun at weird games, and so on. The gaming community is huge and it’s filled with friendly faces.

As mentioned above, loving video games is not a lonely hobby. More than anything, I have made many friends and met many interesting people throughout my entire journey of being a gamer. The interactions we have with each other are all so pure and supportive. This is exactly how video games have helped me expand my social circle.

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This article was originally published on CrunchbyNuffnang on 3rd November 2020. You can find it here.