PUGG is better than ever

After a long day of working, studying and going to class, relaxing with friends is a fun way to unwind. For students who enjoy role-playing games, that often means going to a meeting at the Purdue University Gamers' Guild (PUGG) for an evening of socializing with friends, meeting new people and sitting around the long, rectangular table as the evening's game host begins the night's activities.

Seven years ago, four students formed PUGG and spent Monday nights playing Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition. Now, PUGG - with 30 plus members - meets five days a week. The group also holds a campus-wide multi-genre gaming event once a semester in Calumet Falls and helps with Student Activities' new game nights on the first Thursday of each month.

As the fall semester of 2000 began, Will Race, a Griffith resident and PUC student, started PUGG in hopes of meeting other gamers and creating an environment where they discuss how to create the best gaming experiences possible. PUGG has come a long way from the weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. The group's fall semester activities include a biweekly Dungeons and Dragons game, and everything from a modified version of Marvel Superheroes to Warhammer 40K Table Top to a couple of GURPS (Generic Universal Role-Playing System). PUGG's fall schedule also includes a couple White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness games.

Vice-President Mike Daniels, a sophomore majoring in broadcasting, said he enjoys participating in PUGG activities not just because of the games themselves, but because of the people involved. "Everyone is friendly and open to people, turning no one away," Daniels said.

PUGG President Sam Conley, a senior majoring in networking systems, joined PUGG in 2005 as the group was focusing on recruitment and expanding to include activities such as involvement in National Games Week. In November 2006, PUGG - partnered with other campus gaming groups and sponsored by Student Activities - held a campus-wide National Games Week (an annual event since 2004 during which social groups around the country participate) multi-game activity in Calumet Falls - including card games, board games, role-playing games and video games. Several of the games included mini-tournaments for which prizes were awarded.

PUGG's 2006 National Games Week event was so successful, the group held their first annual PUGG Games Night in April. PUGG Games Night is modeled after the National Games Week events and was added because students wanted a spring semester games night. Conley said it is important for PUGG to host campus-wide activities. "Too many people think we only stick with one kind of game, or we are exclusive and won't allow new players in, but none of this is true. We welcome newcomers and are always looking for new ideas that fit with our desire to help students relax and enjoy the comforts of a good game with good people," Conley said.

Students interested in learning more about the organization can e-mail the officers at pucPUGG@yahoo.com. "Don't pass judgment on something you haven't tried. If you like solving puzzles, working out a strategy, or just hanging out and talking with friends, stop by - we'd be more than willing to explain what we're up to," Conley said.

Originally published in The Chronicle on October 12, 2007