Your first Tuesday: a plain guide to walking in
The first visit is the hardest part of joining any club. This guide walks you through a Tuesday at Drop Bear Squad, from the front door to the last round.
Nothing on the night should come as a surprise
You are walking into a room full of people who already know each other, and you are not sure where to put your coat, let alone which controller to pick up. Every volunteer at the club has felt exactly that, which is why Tuesday has been built around newcomers.
I edit the guides on this site, and I wrote this one after asking a dozen members what they would have liked to know before their own first night. Their answers were small and practical, and they are all here.
At the door
Doors open at six, but there is no penalty for arriving at seven or at half past. A mentor will greet you, write your name on a sticker and walk you to a seat. If you wrote to us beforehand, they will already know it; if you did not, they will simply ask. Nobody will want to know why you have come, or how long it has been since you last played.
On the couch
Tuesday is couch co-op night, so most of the room faces a screen. The mentor explains the game in a minute or two, hands you a controller and sits beside you for the first level. You are not expected to know the buttons. Most people press the wrong one within the first minute, and the whole couch laughs kindly.
What to bring
- Nothing at all; the club room supplies controllers, screens and tea.
- A jumper, because the hall warms up slowly on frosty evenings.
- A favourite game from home, but only if you would like to teach it.
- A friend aged 18 or over, if that makes the first walk through the door easier.
When you want to leave
Wave to the nearest mentor and go. There is no sign-out sheet and no farewell ritual. Most people stay for two hours on their first night, and more than a few come back the next evening because they could not stop thinking about the level they had almost finished.
