I Played Fortnite Nonviolently—Here’s How It Went

I’ve been playing Fortnite Battle Royale. It’s a video game in which 100 players run around an island shooting each other until only one player survives. There is a huge variety of things you can do, but as you might guess a lot of the game play focuses on shooting people.

I wondered if it might be possible to win without shooting people.

Earlier, of course, I didn’t have the skills to even consider trying. And it looks like I’m not the first person to ask this question. But eventually I decided to try, and I think I might be the first person to use such strict rules:

• No weapons in my possession
• No shields or health kits
• No building or harvesting
• No fighting of any kind
• Don’t even swing the pickaxe (the harvesting tool)

That’s right: I wouldn’t pick up potions or medical kits, wouldn’t build anything, and would wander the island without any weapons at all.

Round 1: Fight!

Or, actually, don’t fight. The strategy is to hide. If anyone attacks, you’re a goner. I went from shrubbery to shrubbery, hiding in each one. My plan was to get to the center of the circle as fast as possible and hope I could hide there too. I was able…