How to make gaming friends

As a teen you make friends by default: school, the neighbourhood, the club. As an adult you have to do it on purpose, and it's normal for that to feel intimidating. The good news is that gaming is one of the best grounds for it: a shared passion, shared moments, and an endless conversation topic.

The trick isn't to be an extrovert, but to go where people already share your interests. When the common ground is obvious, the ice is already half broken.

There's no point pretending to enjoy a trendy game. Strong friendships grow from authentic taste: your favourite genre, the anime you rewatch on loop, the tabletop game that gets you going. The more specific your profile, the better the people it attracts.

List your platforms, your current games and your play times. On Zlobby (pronounced 'the lobby'), that information is used to connect you with compatible players rather than drown you in a giant chat.

A friendship isn't declared, it's cultivated. After a good session, suggest another. Keep in touch through messaging, share your finds, cheer the other on. Bit by bit, a simple teammate becomes a friend you plan your evenings around.

Accept too that not everyone will become your best mate, and that's perfectly fine. Meeting more people simply raises your odds of finding the few who truly matter.

Zlobby is built for this: a social network for gamers and geeks where you post, comment and spot players by games and passions. No dating pressure, unless you turn it on.

Want more than a one-to-one friendship? You can also build or join a team through lobbies, or explore dating whenever your heart says so.