Societies Life - Laser Tag

One of the more unusual hobbies I took up since coming to university was laser tag, after a chance encounter of the society's stand at the Freshers' Fair.

For those who don't know, laser tag is essentially a real-life first-person shooter. You put on a pack and go into an arena, scoring points by shooting the lights on other players' packs. If you're tagged, your pack goes offline for a few seconds, giving you a chance to run away. Games can be free-for-all or team-based, and can sometimes come with special rules. For example, "Friend or Foe" is a team-based game in which everyone's packs display the same colour and friendly fire is in effect, with penalties for hitting teammates.

Like a video game, it can be a mix between frustrating and cathartic.

We've also done special events at Halloween and Christmas, even a "prom" for the week Valentine's Day fell in, during which everybody wore suits. It's not often I'm dressed to kill. There have also been some nights in which we've been joined by other societies, such as the Harry Potter Society. Apparently gun does not beat wand.

In addition to laser tag, the society also does semi-regular sessions at a "board game cafe" in town. The venue has their own board games, but you get discounts if you bring your own. Which also lets us play a few less family-friendly titles, such as Joking Hazard, based on the dark and surreal comic strip, Cyanide and Happiness.