Gaming has been a part of student life since the ’70s, when denim-clad undergrads first burnt their eyes on Pong machines.
According to a delightfully earnest gamer-rehabilitation website, 92% of today’s college students regularly play video games. While that statistic seems dubious, it can’t be denied that gaming can be addictive. As an occasional, casual and terribly unskilled gamer myself, I know how booting up a favorite title for “just a few minutes” can turn into a black hole. And when I was a younger man (I graduated last semester) I had the privilege of having gaming-addicted roommates, who’d spend their free time holed up in our stuffy dorm rooms with sore thumbs, screaming into microphones while I’d try in vain to get some sleep.
The hard truth is that having a social life is healthy for college students, and spending all hours of the day online seems like a pretty intuitive obstacle to that. Depression and anxiety run rampant on campuses around the country, and about two-thirds of college students experience loneliness, per a 2024 study.
So what’s the answer? To quit altogether? To hang up the controller like a loose-cannon film detective turning his badge into the chief? Most gamers will tell you that this is not an option, that gaming is simply a necessity. Could you quit drinking water? Eating food? No, you couldn’t.
But a balance can be struck, and with such a plethora of gamers on college campuses, finding a community of like-minded individuals is not such a momentous task.
One simple way to find fellow gamers is to join a gaming-related club. The University of Arizona offers several options, which can all be found on the UA website’s under the Student Life menu at “Getting Involved.”
The Wildcat Gaming Club has been a “home for everything gaming on campus” since 2009, hosting collegiate-level teams for a variety of games, including Valorant, League of Legends, Call of Duty and Overwatch 2. The club also hosts events both large and small, and members enjoy community-oriented experiences like board game nights, pick-up group game nights and movie nights.
Another great option is Arizona Esports, which, like Wildcat Gaming Club, gives students the opportunity to compete in esports as well as “be a part of a supportive community focused on competitive gaming.” The club encourages gamers of all skill levels to join, and beyond just competing, teaches members about other facets of the esports industry like casting, social media management and even coaching.
For those interested in how the sausage gets made, the Video Game Developers Club does exactly that: forms a community around creating games and educating students about video game development.
Some gamers might need an extra fix, though. No need to fear: More competitive gaming opportunities await through the university’s intramural sports leagues. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tournaments are held in-person at the UA Campus Rec Nintendo Switch consoles, and will take place twice during the upcoming fall semester (Sept. 16 and Nov. 4). If Mario Kart isn’t your Nintendo game of choice, 1v1 Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournaments will also occur twice during the fall (Sept. 23 and Nov. 11). The first tournaments in each game are already open for registration.
Information on how to join intramural leagues as well as tournament rules are available on imleagues.com/arizona.
There are occasional students who flat-out refuse to be a part of anything school-organized, conscientious objectors who seem to make a whole belief system out of their noninvolvement. That’s their choice and, luckily, there are plenty of other ways to make gamer-friends both on and off campus without joining clubs or intramurals.
For one, a lot of gamers tend to advertise themselves as such. You might see someone roaming the dining hall wearing a T-shirt of your favorite character, or even playing on a PC or Nintendo Switch during a lecture. UA has even developed its own Esports Arena, located in the lower level of the Student Union Memorial Center. Equipped with PCs, the arena is open to all, and charges $2 hourly to students with CatCards (membership options are available, too).
There are also off-campus locations where gamers can meet and mingle. Located just a few minutes north of the University of Arizona, Level Up Gaming Center provides a place for PC gamers to gather and play on state-of-the-art equipment, and advertises itself as a “social hangout” with a “welcoming environment.”
Gamers over 21, especially those passionate about the classics, can enjoy a fun, retro night out at downtown’s Cobra Arcade Bar. The bar features game-themed cocktails, tons of token-operated arcade games and a second floor dedicated mostly to vintage pinball machines.
Lastly, Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, a Tucson mainstay, is a common haunt for local gamers. With periodic tournaments and tons of retro and modern games, consoles and gear for sale, Bookmans is the perfect place to spark up a conversation with people who share your interests.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
