One of The Circle. In addition to the American version, Netflix also released a French and Brazilian version. This show requires contestants to communicate only through an app called "The Circle". Based on these communications, they rank each other and players are evicted from the game. At the end, one person wins a cash prize.
Each of the players approached the game very differently. Some of these players were very successful and others, not so much.
Worst: Tammy and Ed
This mother/son duo played as a pair on the American version of The Circle. For their profile, they used pictures of Ed and it was mostly his personality that shown through. It often seemed unclear why Tammy was even there as she often just reacted to what the son said instead of actively working with him to create a strategy.
In fact, these two were completely void of any strategy. They didn't go out of their way to work on their relationships or rank the other contestants with any strategy, so it was no surprise that they didn't last long.
Best: Dumaresq
Dumaresq was a contestant on The Circle Brazil. He chose to play as himself on his profile and it really worked for him. Dumaresq is flashy and fun. He used his sense of humor to get him far in the game. Dumaresq was also smart about his moves. He made sure to check in with his friends and formed alliances. He shared information when it benefited and he wasn't afraid to say how he felt.
In a game where most people try to be overly kind to others so as not to be singled out, Dumaresq took risks when he didn't agree with something - such as leaving the all-boys chat. While burning bridges may not seem to be the best move, Dumaresq did well because the other players could tell he was being genuine and real. Had he pretended to be happy with every conversation, he probably would have been eliminated sooner.
Worst: Paloma
Paloma was another player on The Circle Brazil. She chose to play the game as a straight male named Lucas. While she formed a strong connection with Marina, Paloma relied too much on this relationship to protect her. She wasn't great at defending herself when she was called out and she started a guys group that didn't go over well.
Too often, she waited for others to approach her rather than beginning her own conversations. And when she did begin conversations, it didn't seem that she had a plan in mind.
Best: Cedric
Cedric was an incredible player. This The Circle player came in with strategy at the forefront of his mind. Every decision he made was carefully crafted. He chose the perfect profile pictures and worked hard to cultivate his relationships with each player, forming strong alliances.
His biggest downfall was Lou's departure as she left a particularly damning goodbye message. Although he tried to lie his way out of the mess and was successful in getting some of the players to believe him, the contestants were split on who to believe and this eventually led to him being kicked out of the circle.
Worst: Lou
Lou picked the worst possible profile picture. Her highly edited model picture made people immediately suspicious. She also kept her profile extremely brief, trying to seem mysterious. She thought this would encourage others to talk to her but it only made them wary of her real identity. In the chats and during a game, she said things that seemed to conflict with her profile.
Her choices directly led to her demise. Instead of accepting that she had made bad choices in the game, she decided to get angry and take her frustration out on Cedric for eliminating her. There is no doubt she is one of the worst players on The Circle.
Best: Lucas and Marcel
Lucas and Marcel were contestants on The Circle Brazil playing as a woman named "Luma." These two worked just as a duo should. They discussed plans, devised a strategy, and made adjustments to the messages being sent - even wearing a wig to get into the mindset of their character.
Through their careful planning, they were able to convince all of the players that they were exactly who they said they were. While waiting for Luma, the contestants were shocked to see two men walk in.
Worst: Jo and Monique
These sweet elderly ladies were hilarious to watch, but they did not play the game well at all. They chose to pretend to be a young male named Nicolas, using pictures of one of their grandchildren and combining the personalities of both of their grandchildren. Alarm bells went up for the other contestants right away when they used older phrases and didn't know popular sayings or entertainment.
They also made a joke about ing a contestant in the bath which came off as extremely forward and inappropriate. Though they brought materials with them to reference when asked difficult questions, the amount of time it took them to research the answer and respond spoke volumes. Had these ladies played a character closer to themselves, they could have been very successful.
Best: Raf
Raf took a very strategic approach on The Circle Brazil. He played as his friend Ana using much of her personality. He often used his humor to stand out and form relationships in the game. He kept notes on everything that happened and reached out individually when he felt that his connection with another player wasn't as strong as it could have been.
Everyone believed he was who he said he was and he managed to leave a strong impression, especially considering he was one of the later players to enter the game.
Worst: Alex
Alex is likely the worst player The Circle has ever seen. He chose to play a character named Adam who was the complete opposite of him in every way. Alex also tried to flirt his way to the end, expcept he was absolutely awful at flirting. His gameplay led to many uncomfortable conversations and fans were not sad to see him get blocked.
Best: Maxime
Maxime, playing as his wife Valeria, is likely the best contestant of all. He was calculated, forming alliances and observing the way each player interacted. Maxime was careful to hide behind allies who were a bigger target, using them to deflect attention away from himself.
He was kind to all and although he was in a popular alliance with a lot of power, he was careful not to burn his bridges with players outside of his group. He even created a fake relationship with another player in the house and shocked everyone with his reveal.