High School Brawl Ames, Iowa

Mobile games have always held a chokehold among K-12 students. Dozens, maybe even hundreds of different games come and go throughout their cycles of relevancy. However, none of these have contributed as much to creating real, in-person relationships and fostering genuine school community as has Brawl Stars.

Screams and whispers, curses and laughter - a typical game of Brawl Ball or Gem Grab draws out the full spectrum of human emotion. Furthermore, these emotions are displayed among both friends and strangers alike, the medium of Brawl Stars allowing them to lower their veils and express themselves to their fullest. The removal of these emotional barriers allows people to become closer - enemies become friends and friends become brothers.

In a school day defined by a monotonous schedule and filled with mediocre food and mundane classwork, students are constantly searching for a way to express strong, genuine feelings. Brawl Stars provides a common outlet for these feelings and serves as a catalyst for community building. Community, by definition, is the sense of fellowship created through common attitude, and Brawl Stars is what allows students to share with each other feelings of happiness and escape.

Cillian Grover, 18, a senior at Ames High School, says Brawl Stars has helped him form connections with people he had never previously talked to. “When you meet someone new, it’s a pretty good bet that they play Brawl Stars. That gives you something in common.”

Ames High Lunch tables have been turned into mini Brawl Stars hubs. Hundreds of students, from all walks of life, bonding through teenage angst and a shared emotional outlet. It’s somehow beautiful - a microcosm of all the little things that bring us, as humans, together.