During quarantine, many students, including us and our friends, struggled to stay in touch. We tried numerous ways of communicating, like video calling, messaging and occasionally meeting in person. 

As time progressed, we discovered a new way to maintain our bonds while adapting to new online norms — in the form of “Roblox,” “Among Us,” “Valorant” and other online games. 

Since coming back to school, this cycle of playing and connecting online has continued and become an integral part of our friendship.

Last summer, after numerous attempts at making plans to catch up, the two of us simply decided to play “Roblox” with each other. In the process, we discovered that playing games with a friend online can be much more entertaining than a one-time, in-person meetup over the summer.

Instead of bothering our parents to drive us to different places, we chose to stay inside and play games while calling. Not only that, but it also allowed us to spend more time with each other since we could easily play late into the night.

Since it was so convenient to start a Facetime call and pull up “Roblox” on our computers, we were able to start playing more and more. This led to a routine of playing games for three to four hours every day — and now, it is one of the defining characteristics of our relationship. 

Throughout the journey, we have created our fair share of memories and unserious inside jokes, such as always going to the same hiding spots in Hide and Seek Extreme and arguing with 9-year-olds in Total Roblox Drama after getting voted out.

After so many “Roblox” games with each other over the summer, we have made countless inside jokes and unforgettable memories. With endless laughter and by playing for hours because of fun games, online games have only strengthened our friendship. We still continue to hop onto “Roblox” while Facetiming, and we encourage those who haven’t yet to do the same.