Unless you happen be one yourself, you might have a somewhat negative opinion of gamers. You might imagine the typical gamer to be a basement-dwelling teenager, who prefers virtual murder simulations to social interaction. But what if I told you that video games offer a different kind of social interaction? Or that gamers can form strong bonds with each other, even if they never meet face-to-face?

Well before I get any further, I want to make something absolutely clear. I am not suggesting that gamers should be allowed to spend every waking moment playing video games. Nor am I implying that video games are completely harmless. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified “gaming addiction” as a disorder. But that’s an entirely different issue, and I will instead be focusing on my own experience with the social aspects of gaming.

Although there are many different types of gamers, two of the most popular are those who prefer single-player games and those who prefer online multiplayer games. Games like “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” and “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” offer massive virtual worlds, enthralling narratives, and a cornucopia of activities and items for players to enjoy by themselves.

Conversely, games like “Call of Duty: WWII” and “Overwatch” offer little to no single-player content, and instead offer different ways for players to compete against each other. I am personally the type of gamer who prefers single-player games, since I’m pretty awful at first-person shooters and I don’t enjoy getting insulted by random players when I’m just trying to have a good time.

But there is one online multiplayer game that I have played more than almost any other game I own, and that is “Grand Theft Auto Online.” Technically, “Grand Theft Auto Online” is just the online multiplayer mode for “Grand Theft Auto V,” which is an open-world, action-filled satire/parody of American culture. The reason I’ve played “Grand Theft Auto Online” more than anything else is a simple one: it was a significant part of a long-distance relationship.

Now before you get too uncomfortable, my ex and I first met in college, but we were only friends when she left. Our primary form of communication then became playing “Grand Theft Auto Online” together. Eventually, the conversations we had while playing led to the revelation that we had romantic feelings for each other. After this revelation, we met up in person and decided to date, fully aware of the difficulties that long distance relationships entail.

Admittedly, playing “Grand Theft Auto Online” together is an unusual way for any couple to spend time with each other. But it also presents several opportunities to spend time with each other in ways that aren’t possible over text, Snapchat, Skype, or FaceTime.

Most of “Grand Theft Auto Online’s” revolves around completing jobs (such as stealing cars or shooting rival criminals), participating in races, pulling off heists, or simply causing chaos. While my ex and I enjoyed doing all of those things together, we also found more mundane ways to spend time with each other inside the game.

For example, we played the game’s versions of golf, darts, and tennis. We took relaxing drives in the countryside portion of the game’s map. Basically, we did what couples do together in real life, only in “Grand Theft Auto Online” instead.

I realize this sounds incredibly nerdy and borderline pathetic, and we even joked about how strange it was to go on “dates” in a video game. But it was ultimately a way we made up for the distance between us, and it helped fill the time between the few opportunities we had to spend time with each other in person.

I doubt we were the only two people to ever play a video game together in such a way, but I realize such experiences are probably unusual in gaming. Despite this, I still believe it represents gaming’s potential as a different kind of social interaction. Not only for long-distance relationships, but also for lasting friendships.