Gamers are a hungry bunch, if the common tropes are to be believed. Mountains of Cheetos and gallons of Mountain Dew get consumed every session. Players failing to bring enough to feed a small army are ostracised, their characters docked points, and told to do better next time. But is this true? Do you eat at the gaming-table? Does the GM expect to be provided for? Do you mind your dice getting sticky?
Our main Game is played in our lounge, and some of the players come straight from work. We start the evening by ordering from a local pizza place (although we haven’t ordered an actual pizza in forever!). Chicken wings, burgers, “meat” lasagna, donor-meat on chips, you get the idea. We all write our orders on the same notepad that has been used for over three generations of gaming, once we have found a gap to write in, and the last person to arrive adds their order, and calls it in. The GM is exempt from making the order, even if they are the last (perks of the job!). (There is usually some change left over after we have all paid, and this is put into a jar, to save. We occasionally dip into it to buy a new game, the latest being the full set of Nuclear War, costing over £100. We still have more in the jar!) The order usually arrives shortly after we start, and we munch as we recap last session and decide tonight’s actions. This usually keeps us fuelled for the rest of the evening. We supply our own drinks. Tissues are available for wiping hands, and the occasional inevitable spill.
I do mourn my sister-in-law closing her cake-making business. We would sometimes order custom cupcakes, designed to our characters. This image show (clockwise from top left) Elven archer, Magical Sword, Wizard, GM’s Crown, Barbarian, Priest of The Cudgel).
The other game I play in is quite different. For those of us who arrive early, the host puts on a spread, usually themed to the game, that we eat in front of an episode of “Release the Hounds”. Everyone makes a contribution towards ingredients and time. Last time was a slab of roast pork, a slab of chicken, thin-sliced roast veg and bread rolls, followed by a choice of two Spotted Dicks. Previously we have had Pie, and Soup. We then retire to the Gaming Room. A custom-furnished area, with Gaming Table, GM’s Screen and dice-trays. Here the rest of the players unload their bags, with crisps, flapjacks, mini-donuts and whatever other sugar was on cheap at the local shops, forming a veritable cornucopia. These are gradually devoured through the long session, and any non-perishables left over are stashed in the Snacks Cupboard, ready for next time! As most of the players drive to the game, there is little alcohol (although the host likes a decent Ale, and I get a lift from Lucretia, so take a few cans).
I missed the new game running on Sunday evenings at our local pub. But I have attended other one-off games there. Being a pub, there is beer, coffee, beer, soft drinks and beer available. Bags of bar snacks (crisps, peanuts, tiny spiced sausages, pork scratchings) are opened on the table for all to share. They are also famed for their pizzas, made by the incomparable Mikey G. (Do ask for MORE spice, if you want them spicy though.)
The venue makes a big difference to eating, with the host having a lot of say over this. The Criterion does not take kindly to people bringing their own food/drink. Others places, such as my house, are less fussy (often, players will stash drinks in our fridge, and have even used our oven to heat meals!)
Somehow, we have managed, in all of the games, to avoid getting grease-stains all over our character sheets, or dice dropped in too many cups of tea*.
Do you eat at your games? Snacks? Meals? Is eating barred at the table?
*Ruining their rollablity! See: Probablite