To those who play, it is more than a game. It is an epic struggle, a bloody fight to the death in which only the strong (or stealthy) survive.

It is Quincy Assassin, an annual event in which ordinary Harvard students are inexplicably transformed into heavily armed, highly skilled stalkers. Their sole purpose: demolishing classmates by shooting them with plastic or foam darts.

"Inside all of us, we have this primal instinct to kill," says Eddie "Black Death" Hale '98, an organizer of the game. "Assassin let's us do this without getting arrested."

Rules of the Road

Players are organized into teams of up to six members. Teams, or "families," are then pitted against each other, attempting to kill-off assigned victims while finishing the game alive.

"You just grow to love your family," said Hale. "You want to kill off anyone who threatens your family."

Rules for the game are complicated--kills can only be accomplished on Quincy grounds, and player's bedrooms are off-limits, as is the dining hall. Weapons range from small, single shot guns to elaborate Nerf armory, highly accurate at long-range.

"As long as it fires a foam or plastic dart out of a neon gun, it's fine," says game organizer Victor "The Woppa" Chiappa '98. "It has to be neon, though."

Game organizers claim Assassin is one of the best ways to meet fellow House members. Bonds forged among "family" members last long after the last neon-shot is fired.

"Among my close friends in the House, I met a lot them through Assassin," Chiappa says.

Harvard singles take note: Chiappa says he even met his girlfriend through the constant contact of the game.

"I should have shot her," he now jokes.

In addition to the fame and glory, there are monetary rewards for the game's victors. Entrants pay a $3 fee to play and the winning team will be awarded 75 percent of the total money collected (about $165 to-date).

Be Prepared

The game is viewed as a serious endeavor for some who participate--even more so than in past years. There is a game Web site, on which team names can be viewed, among other vital assassin facts such as the "Kill v. Time" graph chronicling the demise of certain participants.