Most of my friends have been using the social media app Snapchat for a while now, and they recently convinced me to download and start using it. It’s a neat little app, and I’m glad that I finally decided to get it. Ever since then, my friends and I have been playing a game called “Snapchat War,” where basically we are all in the same room, take horrible Snaps of each other, write incredibly vulgar or silly captions, and then send them to each other so we can all get a good laugh. We’ve joked before about what the official rules for a Snapchat War are, so I decided that I would write them down so that others can join in on the fun.

Snapchat War Official Rules

Basic Setup: A Snapchat War can begin at any point of the day, or night, in any location. All it takes is between one and three people in a group to start taking Snaps and sending them on Snapchat for a War to begin. Most people in the immediate vicinity will probably just join in and play along. The larger the group of friends, the better.

Criteria: Snaps taken must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• An “uncomfortable” close up of one’s face. The Snapchat camera is known for having very poor resolution. Please take advantage of this.
• A “caption-worthy” face. Snapchat allows you to write captions for your Snaps. If someone in the room happens to make a silly face or does something ridiculous, try to capture it.
• If for some reason you actually end up capturing a good picture of your friend, that is reason enough to keep it, despite the flaming desire to capture everyone's bad sides.

Captioning: A caption must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• It must be completely vulgar or simply horrifying. It is meant to enhance the image, so the ideal goal is that it teases whomever the Snap is of.
• It must reference an “inside joke” in the friend group.
• It accurately portrays what “could” be happening in the Snap, or what the person could be thinking/saying.

Notes:

i. You may ask a nearby friend to help you with captioning.

ii. Proper spelling and grammar can be easily overlooked. Some of the best Snaps are phonetically incorrect.

iii. Sometimes a caption is unnecessary. There are times where you may let the Snap speak for itself.

Sending: As a general rule, you should send the Snap to everybody in the room, as well as to people you have done Snapchat Wars with before, even if they aren’t there. If one of them is say, in class, and their phone starts “blowing up” they may dislike you at first, but when they finally look at the Snaps later, they will appreciate it and get a laugh out of it. At least in theory, that is.

Saving/Screenshotting: Saving or screenshotting a Snap is encouraged. A Snap may be brought up later in say a group text or group message. However, please note that Snaps in a Snapchat War are meant to be used only within a friend group, or to say show one of your roommates, or your significant other later, as in “This is what we did today.” Do not post them on the internet or other social media. You are having fun teasing your friends. You are not trying to outright humiliate them.

Filters: Snapchat allows you to use filters in your Snaps. These can be used whenever. However, from my experience, choosing and adjusting a filter takes a little extra time, in which by the time you finally get it just right, you already have at least five unopened Snaps, and most of them are pictures of you struggling trying to set the filter up. If the risk is worth the reward, or you are experienced in using filters efficiently, then you can definitely use filters more often.

Strategies/Tips:

• Leave your camera open and wait. During a Snapchat War, someone is bound to do something silly at any given moment. With a little patience, you can capture that moment if you just have your camera out and ready.
• Be discrete. Placing your phone not at your eye level but instead down by your hip, for example, adds a level of stealth to the War. I find hearing someone say “Wait, when did you take that picture of me?” very satisfying.
• Ask one of your friends to “pose.” Sometimes if you just ask, one of your friends will play along and do something silly upon request. Use this power wisely and sparingly.
• Selfies. While selfies are not prohibited, they are not always appropriate for a Snapchat War. The point of a Snapchat War is to take Snaps of other people, so selfies should only be used very rarely.
• Perhaps bring a phone charger. Snapchat is known for killing batteries. It never hurts to have a little extra insurance.

I have so much fun playing this game with my friends. By the time this article gets posted, most of us will be home for the summer. Snapchat Wars will have to be on hiatus for a few months. But that’s okay. When we all get back from break for the new semester, I’m sure the Wars will immediately pick up where they left off.