For Bobcats who enjoy running across campus playing a non-stop game of Humans vs. Zombies, Bobcat Blasters might be their go-to club at Ohio University. Club members can have fun with an intense battle using NERF blasters, sometimes calling on popular video games like “Destiny” and “Call of Duty” for inspiration.
The club hosts large-scale NERF blaster games every semester with different themes and objectives.
Andy Williams, a junior studying information and telecommunication systems and president of the club, said he learned about this club from a friend and was invited to an event at the end of his freshman year.
Williams said anyone is welcome to join in on the games, as long as they follow the rules including, “don’t be a d--k,” refrain from using gel pellets or any darts intended to cause harm and to use the word “blaster” only. He said 80% of the participants are non-members, and many people travel from throughout the Midwest, as well as Florida and California.
“I think it gives people a chance to just be a part of something,” Williams said. “I've had a handful of people come up to me and just be like, ‘Dude, I love these events. They're great. I feel like I've never been a part of a club before, but I get to.’”
Williams said the main goal of these events is to have fun, and for its previous “Fallout” game, around 100 people were in attendance. A separate organization does a Humans vs. Zombies event every summer in Athens, Survival Fest, which brought in around 300 people last summer. These events are campus-wide and take place over an entire weekend.
The club is currently working on bringing back regular meetings, which Williams hopes will bring the Bobcat Blasters together and will focus more on simple hangouts and mini-games. In addition to these smaller events and meetings, there are two main events this semester, one being themed after Homer's “Odyssey,” and a group coming from Pennsylvania in April to play a Dungeons and Dragons-themed game.
“I feel like a big focus is on the out-of-towners, the alumni, the non-students,” Williams said. “So I want to get more of a tight-knit group and meetings for our students, so we can actually hang out more.”
Williams said a great thing about the club is people love to dress up and cosplay along with the theme, but some people arrive in casual clothing, ready to play the game. He said people can still coexist, and enjoy their time with the people who want to take the game seriously, or with those who are not taking it seriously at all.
Joseph Robson, a sophomore studying journalism, was introduced into the club by Williams during the fall of his freshman year. Robson said he tries to go to every Human vs. Zombies event possible, and his favorite theme the club has done was “Destiny.”
His favorite part about the club is the games themselves, and how much fun he has running around with others who also enjoy and understand the game. Robson also said the club provides entertainment for the locals, and recalled a time when he got recognized at a store on Union Street while on a mission.
“I'm friends with some of the clerks there, and they ask me, if I walk in with my own blaster or a bandana on, ‘Hey, how's it going, you winning?’“ Robson said. "I just think that’s a nice aspect. Everyone gets a little something out of it.”
Conor Fox, a graduate student studying medicine, was also introduced to the club by Williams, his friend since grade school, and has participated in many games hosted by the Bobcat Blasters. He has always enjoyed airsoft and paintball, but said NERF is a safe way to practice those hobbies.
Fox said the games are like a big game of tag, with complex puzzles and interesting ways of interpreting the theme into the gameplay.
“They developed this interesting way for a health bar, so they get really creative with it, which I really appreciate,” Fox said. “It adds a level of complexity to a lot of the games where you have to work with your team … They'll give you a puzzle while you're being attacked by all these zombies. It's really stressful, but it's really fun.”
Fox said the club is something for him to look forward to on the weekends as a medical student studying throughout the week.
“I think it's a perfect way to hang out with people who will have similar interests with you,” Fox said. “It's a very nerdy thing to go out and shoot NERF blasters and stuff like that. But who cares? The club has made my experience here at OU 10,000 times more enjoyable.”
For students who have not found their place in a club yet and enjoy getting exercise while connecting and working with those around them, the Bobcat Blasters club is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary this fall and is always welcoming new members. Interested students can check out the Bobcat Blasters on Instagram, as well as its Linktree for its Discord and registration for the upcoming Homer’s “Odyssey" game.
