When PV students first walk into room 126 during Pascack Period in the science wing, the first thing they’ll see is a room full of kids playing games, also known to be “nerds”. The first thing heard in this room would be the cry of a goblin being tortured for information by an anti-hero. The second will probably be “Checkmate!” followed by a very distraught cry of defeat.

This is the essence of Evolution of Gaming, a Pascack Period created by a science teacher here at PV, Mr. Al Cann. It began last year under the name “Historical War Gaming”.

Historical War Gaming was set up to teach students to play board games such as Advanced Squad Leader, commonly referred to as “ASL”. Other games were added in the second half of the year to increase interest such as Magic the Gathering, and Warhammer 40,000.

“I wanted to expose students to Board Games, Role Playing Games, Collectable Card Games, because I think that students get lost in their computers and don’t realize, due to lack of exposure, how great these games can be,” Cann said.

Cann, being in charge of the Pascack Period, can be found doing just about everything around the room, from guiding new students to solving disputes between veterans. However, there is one game he focuses on in particular: Dungeons & Dragons.

Playing the role of the “Dungeon Master”, Cann controls the flow of the session, and what the players have to deal with. As players, several others must adapt and overcome the dungeon master’s devious attempts at tricking and killing their characters.

Some of the other games found here include Chess, Magic the Gathering, a specialized card game called Dominion, and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game (TCG). However, this list will gradually lengthen as the year progresses. This includes the previously mentioned Warhammer 40,000 40,000, and maybe even a return of ASL, provided there is an interest beyond just a few students.

“I love history, I love gaming, and it was a pretty fun class,” Zekun “Franklin” Peng said. Peng is one of the students who plays several of the offered games. 

Peng attended the Pascack Period last year as well. He mostly plays D&D, Chess, and the Yu-Gi-Oh TCG, with a little bit of Dominion mixed in here and there.

If there was anything both the students and Cann agreed on changing, it would be the amount of time at their disposal.

For those unfamiliar with the game Dominion, it can be described as Monopoly without a board. It is deceptively simple, and highly addicting.  Once someone starts playing, it is hard to stop. It’s possible to be at the top through most of the game, and end up at the bottom in the end, or visa versa.  Although it has only just been reintroduced to the Pascack Period from last year, it is already a favorite for some of the students.

The other games mentioned have many rules and playing methods too complex to summarize.  If interested in learning more about how to play these games, it’s recommended to join Evolution of Gaming for the second half of the year.