{"id":146777,"date":"2022-11-18T17:36:23","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T16:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=146777"},"modified":"2026-01-16T17:03:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T16:03:21","slug":"you-can-make-mistakes-at-erasmus-esports-even-during-a-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/11\/18\/you-can-make-mistakes-at-erasmus-esports-even-during-a-game\/","title":{"rendered":"‘You can make mistakes at Erasmus Esports, even during a game’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Competition is of secondary importance at the e-sports club, where atmosphere and the social aspect are what attract the sometimes introverted members to come and play board games, dance and occasionally even do some gaming too every Wednesday.<\/p>\n

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Davy (left) and Pepijn are members since the beginning. In five years, Erasmus Esports grew from ten to 140 members.\n<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTara Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Erasmus Esports\u2019 home base is a bit out of the way, located in a corner of the Feijenoord district. Once in the vicinity, you need only follow the noise. There are around 25 members there on this rainy Wednesday evening. \u201cOrdinarily we get about 40 people turning up, but I reckon it\u2019s quieter today due to exams\u201d, says the club\u2019s chairman Paul Homrighausen (19, Erasmus University College).<\/p>\n

Anyone who thinks that the e-sports student society is just about gaming has got another think coming. Although half of its members are sat at PCs gaming, the rest are playing board games at a large table. There\u2019s also a large bar, pool table, climbing wall, special Formula 1 chair and a screen for the dance game Just Dance.<\/p>\n

Cockroaches<\/h2>

Cockroach poker is being played at the table (a variant of the game \u2018Cheat\u2019). A couple of fried snacks lie abandoned in a polystyrene tray. There\u2019s a slight smell of sweat in the air. One of the players passes a card to the guy opposite him: \u201cThis is a rat. Goes with your personality,\u201d he chuckles. Laughter breaks out. The card turns out to be a frog. Some confusion about the rules ensues. \u201cAre you meant to play this game with only a tiny number of people?,\u201d wonders someone. Another person echoes this: \u201cIt\u2019s chaos!\u201d<\/p>\n

New board games are added to the club\u2019s range fairly regularly. The cockroach poker is followed by Wavelength, a game that involves trying to guess someone\u2019s opinion about a topic. It gives rise to spirited discussions on such things as the safety of zebra crossings.<\/p>\n

Single player<\/h2>

Yanique (18, Economics and Business Economics) comes along every Wednesday. \u201cI checked out a few sports clubs during the Eureka Week, but the people here were more my kind of people.\u201d He was already a gamer (mostly single-player), but one of the three members who doesn\u2019t have access to a gaming PC. \u201cBut there are always one or two tables playing board games.\u201d A cheesecake is served up. \u201cPeople are always ordering in food here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The atmosphere is good-natured and we like a laugh. Including about Yanique not being able to get on a PC, but it\u2019s all in good humour. It\u2019s only 21:00 when Maaike (20, Pedagogical Sciences) heads off. \u201cIt\u2019s always fun here, but I\u2019ve got to catch the bus to Vlaardingen.\u201d A friend accompanies her to the bus stop, as she finds that a bit unnerving by herself.<\/p>\n

Murder mystery<\/h2>

Keith (18, International Business Administration) plays a game of pool with chairman Paul: \u201cI generally play pool, which gives you a chance to chat.\u201d Keith\u2019s cue completely misses the ball, to which he swears and laughs. \u201cThis is the first time I\u2019m playing. Paul\u2019s teaching me.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both say that the biggest misconception about their club is that it\u2019s really competitive. Paul: \u201cIn fact, it\u2019s really laid-back and social \u2013 just hanging around, having a beer. I got to know many of my friends here. We play games, go out or visit theme parks.\u201d There are also special events, such as the fancy dress murder mystery event that they did at Halloween.<\/p>\n

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Encouraged by the journalist, Xiao, Paul and Tyco play a round of Just Dance.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTara Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

South Korea<\/h2>

Two of the club\u2019s veterans are in the house this evening. Davy (29, Master\u2019s in Fiscal Law) and Pepijn (24, employed). Davy: \u201cSix years ago I wanted to take part in a student League of Legends competition, but Erasmus didn\u2019t yet have a team. So I went scouting online and put a team together.\u201d<\/p>\n

It became such a tight-knit group that he decided to set up a club, which grew rapidly over the space of five years, from 10 to 140 members. Meanwhile, Pepijn was coaching the e-sports team of EUR students that ended up at the League of Legends World Cup in South Korea. Davy: \u201cBut the point of the club is to get to know people.\u201d Pepijn: \u201cIn principle, gaming is a really social activity. It\u2019s just that being together physically is taking things a step further. A lot of gamers sit at home alone. We\u2019re trying to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Girlfriend<\/h2>

For many members, Erasmus Esports is their most significant social connection. Davy: \u201cAll our friends met their girlfriends here. Most of the members wouldn\u2019t have joined any other club if this one didn\u2019t exist.\u201d Unsurprisingly, then, there are a few members who don\u2019t find social contact so straightforward. Pepijn: \u201cIt\u2019s not always easy to start a conversation with someone.\u201d Being with like-minded people helps the members to avoid social isolation, they notice. Davy: \u201cDuring the pandemic, the people at Erasmus Sport said: \u2018Not much will change for you guys\u2019. But our members do actually want to meet up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Board games are also popular at the e-sports association. On the right, Marcos and Mari\u00ebtte.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTara Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Physical contact<\/h2>

There\u2019s just been a bit of a debate at the board game table about how intimate a hug is as a way of greeting someone. \u201cPretty normal these days, isn\u2019t it?\u201d \u201cEr, we\u2019re gamers<\/em>! We don\u2019t do physical contact!\u201d The group can\u2019t help but laugh.<\/p>\n

Marcos (20, Law) joined six months ago. \u201cIt was the right time. I live a long way away and had just passed my driving test. I didn\u2019t really have any social contact with anyone and this struck me as being the best way to change that. You change groups every five weeks in Law, so it\u2019s quite hard to really bond with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gamer-mindset<\/h2>

Gaming is actually of secondary importance to him. \u201cI used to do a lot of gaming, but not so much recently. I found that that didn\u2019t matter too much. It\u2019s more about playing games and enjoying each other\u2019s company here. Though it does help if you have a gamer mindset.\u201d Yanique laughs: \u201cYou mean if you\u2019re an introvert!\u201d And then in all seriousness: \u201cThere are plenty of introverts here, which is logical, because they get each other and are on the same wavelength. I\u2019m not really into clubs where people do nothing but down pints.\u201d<\/p>\n

Egged on by the journalist in attendance, Xiao, Paul and Tyco have a go at Just Dance. Tyco (20, Health Sciences) wins by a narrow margin. He missed the club whilst he was heavily involved in ballroom dancing. \u201cThe people here are really open-minded. There\u2019s an extensive LGBTI+ contingent too, which I hadn\u2019t expected. Gamers don\u2019t come across as especially sociable or open-minded online, but this community is actually really warm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mari\u00ebtte (19, Economics and Law) got on a PC for the first time today. \u201cI usually play board games or pool. The atmosphere is really good here. I don\u2019t do much social stuff outside the club. I\u2019m pretty busy doing a joint degree. People accept you as you are here.\u201d Xiao (20, Business Administration) echoes this. \u201cI come here every week. Nobody judges you. You can make mistakes and it\u2019s fine. Even during a game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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