Review of the Girls Like Girls Game
by Alyssa Sileo
I played the Girls like Girls digital game with my friends last weekend, and we had a grand ole’ sapphic time. I’m here to tell you about why you should buy the game and plan some fun with you gay gal pals!
This is a drinking game for players of all sobriety levels and statuses — I myself literally used water because I don’t drink, and the game was just as fun. The game comes with built-in audio and video capacity, so all players can hear the prompts, experience each other’s reactions, and have conversations/explanation sessions about shocking answers and stories. You don’t have to enable the camera and video though, you can use another video chat platform as the gamestarter manages the cards, or you can find another way to play that protects people’s outness or works with their WiFi at the moment.
The cards ask questions about sapphic fashion, movies, TV shows, books, icons — you name it, it’s there in the game. There’s also some raunchier questions, which means this game is probably better for young adult and adult sapphics.
It’s great for sapphics of all identities, there’s even a card that gives a shout out to the bisexual ladies and theydies on our community. I find that particularly nice because sometimes sapphic culture leaves out bisexual, pansexual, and other sapphic people who are attracted to folks of other genders as well as women. There’s a question that asks if anyone in the group is a “gold star lesbian,” which is something I’m iffy about because I don’t like the cultural term, but no one’s saying that question can’t prompt some important conversation in the middle of the game.
Last weekend, I was playing in a group of old friends and new friends. For as much as we laughed, we also had some really sentimental moments. One of the cards prompted our coming out stories and we bonded in a way that I think becomes extra special during times of physical distancing. We all have different situations and backgrounds, but pride for ourselves, love for our community, and excitement for the future all unites us.
Sapphics find common ground in both our joys and our struggles. During the game, many of us named the elementary school teacher we crushed on (and laughed and cringed), as well as the childhood best friend that we really liked before we knew that we really liked them (and sighed and wished). Being in a (digital) room of LGBTQ+ womxn and non-binary people means it’s safe to bring up memories, a-ha moments, and our favorite parts about being ourselves.
I am super grateful to say that throughout quarantine I’ve managed to make new friends, through the generosity of my old friends introducing them to me. Not only are they cool folks, but by virtue of our similar identities I can send them queer memes or LGBTQ-related news and we can celebrate or commiserate depending on the context. We all have respect for each other’s varying sapphic identities and I’m looking forward to when we can meet up and have sapphic game night in person!
I found the Girls Like Girls game from a Tik Tok on my For You Page, and I’m so glad I have it! So many sapphics find their first community online so it is so important to celebrate it in uniquely digital ways. You can purchase the game here on this link to Moonshop, and there’s a sale right now, so I advise to take advantage, grab a group of sapphic friends or strangers, and have a great time!
About the Author:
Alyssa Sileo’s Thespian identity comes first and foremost in anything she carries out. As a member of the Drew University Class of 2022, she studies theatre arts, women’s and gender studies, and Spanish. She’s a proud NJ Thespian Alumni and member of their state chapter board. She is the leader of the international performances network The Laramie Project Project, which unites worldwide productions and readings of the acclaimed Tectonic Theater Project play and encourages community-based LGBTQ+ advocacy. Alyssa is humbled to serve as the 2017 Spirit of Matthew Award winner and as a Youth Ambassador for Matthew Shepard Foundation. She believes there is an advocacy platform tucked into every piece of the theatre catalogue and intends to write outreach into the canon.
