Gotcha! is back this year and in full effect. The exciting game around campus is bringing students together as they engage in playful competition for the third year in a row. Helping students unwind before Spring Break, the game started Mon., Feb. 12 and ends Fri., Feb 23.

Gotcha! is a game in which players try to eliminate one another using water squirt guns. The goal is to be the last person standing. The winner of the game gets a $400 cash prize.

Students who wanted to play had to sign up and pay a $5 entry fee. They were then given a small water squirt gun, provided by the Hunt, and assigned a target to track down and eliminate through the Gotcha app. The basic rules do not allow students to use any other water gun that was not given by the Hunt. Friends can help, but no person is allowed to make physical contact with the target. The insides of all buildings and sports practices are considered safe zones.

There are two main rounds to the game. In the first round, students are given targets to find and attempt to eliminate them with a well-aimed water squirt. The second round is a free-for-all, allowing students to get anyone out who is playing the game.

Players have strategic ways of staying in the game for multiple rounds. Samantha Sinclair, a senior, said, “I would just walk in different paths to my classes to not be seen or told where I was.” She added that the best thing players can do is reach out to other students to find out who is looking for them and try to avoid that person.

Kathleen Bennett, a senior, said that she avoids getting shot by, “figuring out who has me by process of elimination and avoiding them as much as possible; and making sure no one knows my work schedule.” Bennett added, “I think I could definitely win by hiding out in safe zones and waiting to see my target(s).”

Beyond the thrill of the chase and requiring participants to think strategically, the game brings students together through diverse interactions. Sinclair said, “That really is the whole point of Gotcha, which is to reach out to people that you are close to or really don’t know at all so you can do your best to win the game.” Sinclair added, “I really enjoy watching the videos of people getting out because some of them are pretty funny.”

“I think it’s a great way to get to know people you would never have interacted with before,” said Bennett. “When you see someone’s face around campus that you recognize from the game, it’s a common ground to talk, laugh or strategize about.”

The friendly competition ends with the last person standing, winning the prize of $400, and the second-place winner gets $100. The player with the most eliminations wins a $75 prize, and a $50 prize goes to the person with the most creative comment.

The Associate Director of Residence Life & School Spirit, Alexis Borland, said, “If there are multiple players on the last day of the game then the student with the most eliminations wins.”

As students prepare to head home for break, they witness experienced strategists and first-time participants turn the campus into a lively battleground and create lasting memories.

Stay up to date with Gotcha! by following the Hunt on Instagram at @cui_thehunt.

Tags: Alexander Carr, The Hunt

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