In the USA Network show, The Anonymous, an underlying concept that turned a reality competition into a larger social commentary. The Season 1 winner, Nina Twine earned the coveted victory by keeping people guessing at every turn. During a recent conversation, Nina revealed how she turned social gameplay into a path to victory.
When The Anonymous was announced, the reality television show looked to "gameify" social media. Although some people feel emboldened by the free expression social media offers, in real life conversations can be more reserved. This particular show put that duality to the test. Can that in-person persona match the unknown persona typing in a chat?
For Nina Twine, her victory proved that strategy was integral to earning the coveted victory. The duality aspect allowed her to play to her strengths at every level.
When asked about playing different sides, Nina explained, “in person, I’m talkative, bubbly. I can have conversations that are light-hearted or serious depending on who I’m talking to. In Anonymous mode, no matter which handle I had, I was very direct, strategic. Sometimes I was sending out feelers and I made sure that my handle was always out there with something on the screen.”
That contrast of personalities gave her advantage. It was one of the reasons why she was so successful in the competition. She had strong game play throughout the season and no one could nail down her persona.
By being direct in Anonymous mode, she could steer the game in various ways. Nina said, “I could be direct, but in a neutral way. I never said anything that could have people guessing my gender. I never wanted my phrases to sound like a man or a woman. That way, anything could be ‘Nina’ or other people.”
Overall, Nina’s strategy paid off. She was able to secure her way into the finale and ultimately win. In some ways, her experience on other reality television shows, like Survivor Australia, and her mother’s success on Survivor, allowed her to understand the complexities of the competition.
Nina explained, “With my experience and my family members, I do think that it gave me an advantage in some aspects of the game. But, there were other firsts that were unique. It was the first season of this competition and no one is truly prepared for this. I don’t really think that anyone had a leg up.”
Even though the whole competition kept everyone on their feet, Nina pinpointed a moment when things changed. Nina shared, “The turning point for me was when I became ‘Anonymous for the first time. While the person that I selected to go home didn’t, I didn’t go home either. It forced a whole new path for me and I used it.”
Since she was able to pivot during the competition, Nina took a stand that can sometimes be different from other reality competition strategies. She said, “I didn’t care who was at the end. Most of us can agree that once you expect or hope for something, it will not happen as expected. I said to myself, no matter who’s at the end, I do not care. I’m going to learn, play, and give myself a chance. It did not matter who was next to me.”
Now that The Anonymous Season 1 has concluded, future players could look at her path and choices. Whether they will be as successful as Nina remains to be seen. Sometimes knowledge is power.
And, would Nina Twine sign up to compete for another round? She said, “100 times, yes.” It seems that drive to master strategic game play does not end even after earning the winner title.
The Anonymous Season 1 originally aired on USA Network. The entire season is available to stream on Peacock.