We’ve all been there – either our friend is completely wrecking us, or they’ve taken the lead at the last moment. Either way, they beat us at Mario Party – and we were salty about it. They rubbed it in our faces, which made us rage even more. You don’t know which you hate more, the player or the game. But rather than throw the controller (or your friend) out the window, here are some helpful tips for maintaining your cool while playing the ultimate friendship-destroying game.

Rethink your strategy.

While Mario Party isn’t much of a strategy game, you can still switch up your gameplay a little. Instead of trying to repeatedly hit 10 on the dice block, stick to high numbers in general and try utilizing the paid express paths more (I know they cost a lot at the start of the game, but they pay off later). Changing even part of your strategy can make all the difference after the first star.

Remember your own talents.

So they’re winning more mini-games – good for them. An hour before that you owned them in Smash, defeating them 10 matches in a row. Last week you got your math tests back, and you had aced it while they totally bombed. Losing at Mario Party doesn’t mean you suck at life – it just means that your abilities shine elsewhere, be it in Smash, League of Legends, or somewhere outside of gaming altogether.

Eat a snack.

Food makes everything better! It’s a great way to pass the time when it’s not your turn, so head on over to the kitchen to grab your favorite bag of chips while your friend and the computers are moving around the board. If anything, you’ll be less likely to curse your friend out if your mouth is already occupied with scarfing down food. You don’t even have to share with your friend if they’re being obnoxious.

Go over your to-do list.

Let’s see... I have to finish my literature paper, apply for that internship, call Mom… This is a simple, but great way to take your mind off the game for a bit. Quickly rattle off the things you have to do while your friend is hitting the dice block. You won’t even care about the kind of luck your friend has for that turn because you’ll be too busy trying to decide what to tackle first.

Don’t take it personally.

Your friend isn’t crushing you mercilessly because they hate you – they’re probably just as competitive as you are. Not only is competition a part of human nature, it’s one of Kohl’s 13 American values that we live by. They’d be pretty salty too if they were the one losing. So if anything, don’t hate the player – hate the game, because at least you’ll still have their friendship even after the console is turned off.

At the end of the day, it’s just a game, something both you and your friend need to be reminded of. The scores really only matter for five seconds before you either start a new game or turn the console off, then you’ll most likely be laughing about it with your other friends. Besides, there are other games to play (and beat your friend at).

How do you maintain your cool during a game of Mario Party (if you can at all)? Tell us in the comments!