The purpose of this research is to clarify what kind of interaction is experienced through playing games with long-term inpatients of psychiatric wards, as well as reflecting on what that means. The researchers did not have it as their purpose to promote playing the game Othello, but only agreed to play Othello as it was requested by the inpatients. As more and more inpatients ended up participating, games of Othello were played continually till the end of the fieldwork. While desiring it, many of the patients were afraid of connecting with others. Games of Othello provided them with the opportunity to approach others. The games turned into a place for interaction and not just playing. One could observe commonality between patients' "problem behaviors" and their style of playing Othello, including "running away from conflicts" or "beating opponents without mercy." Such patterns mirrored their way of life. Patients can recover a connection with others and achieve growth by expressing themselves through game playing and by interacting with people. To support that, nurses need to be able to afford time and energy for playing such games with patients as their legitimate task.