International Friendship Day — July 30
Today is international friendship day.
That might sound like just another nice-sounding calendar event, but it’s actually a reminder of something quietly powerful…how much better life is when we’re not in it alone.
Friendship isn’t flashy. It’s not a product you can sell or a moment you can stage. It’s just people choosing to show up for each other, sometimes every day, sometimes just when it matters most.
Where the day comes from
The idea of a day for friendship has been floating around since the 1930s, when Hallmark tried to popularize it with cards and slogans.
It didn’t really stick. But in 2011, the United Nations made it official, calling on people everywhere to celebrate the relationships that bring peace, trust, and connection into our lives.
Not the big, world-leader kind of peace. The everyday kind. The kind that lives in group chats and quiet check-ins and “hey, you good?” messages. The kind that makes the weight of things a little easier to carry.
A Gaming story
A few years ago, I became friends with someone I in a co-op game, something simple, a few shared missions. We didn’t have much in common on paper. We lived on opposite sides of the world, had totally different routines, and probably would’ve never crossed paths outside that space.
But…we kept showing up in the same digital place and eventually started talking more.
At first it was small stuff. Quick chats. Shared jokes. Then longer conversations. Music. Life. Work. Things we were excited about, and things we weren’t saying out loud to anyone else. Slowly, without really planning it, we became part of each other’s day.
We’ve still never met in person. But for a while, during a strange and quiet time in both our lives, we kept each other going. It wasn’t dramatic. Just dependable. Light when it needed to be, honest when it mattered.
That’s the thing about friendship, it doesn’t always come dressed like you expect it to. But you feel it when it’s there.
What Gaming Makes Possible
Games are often seen as an escape from real-world stress, pressure, or routine, overstimulation from news, social media, or daily life. but games are really more of a space. A place where people gather.
That might be one of Exscape’s biggest strengths, it isn’t just about playing, it’s about presence. About showing up. Again and again. For the fun, for the points, for the prizes, and also for each other.
Some friendships in games are loud. Group chats. Big energy. Others are quiet. A teammate who always has your back. Someone who notices when you go quiet and checks in. Either way, they count. They’re real.
At Exscape, we’ve seen strangers turn into teammates, and teammates turn into people who genuinely care. Who stick around after the match ends. Who share playlists and inside jokes and small kindnesses that matter more than they know.
Why this day is special
Friendship isn’t always about long talks or being in the same place. Sometimes, it’s just about energy, the people who make things more fun, more exciting, more you.
On Exscape, that feeling shows up in all kinds of ways. A familiar name in the leaderboard. A quick chat that turns into a running joke. A shared moment in Survivor Zone where you’re both giving it everything, even though you’re competing.
It’s a space where connection builds through play. Not forced, not formal, just people showing up, bringing their best, and making the experience better for everyone.
So today, if someone’s made Exscape more fun, more welcoming, or just more worth logging into, let them know. Drop a message. Start a chat. Celebrate that connection.
Because the real win is who you share the space with.
Happy International Friendship Day.
And thanks for making Exscape what it is.
