UNWRITTEN RULES

An ode to the rites and rituals of online gamers.

- Tyler Wilde

The unwritten rules that permeate our social lives are deadly serious, and often very stupid. Case in point: the 1922 Straw Hat Riot, when New York City youths spent eight mid-September days beating up men who were wearing straw hats, because it was no longer appropriate to wear straw hats, which were summer hats. Fashion!

Sports and games are lousy with unwritten rules, which can also be stupid and can also have violent consequences. In baseball, for example, a batter who flaunts etiquette by stealing a base when their team has a commanding lead is liable to be the target of the next pitch they face. I maybe don’t love that a player gets beaned, but I love these ludicrous codes and customs and rituals, with all their pettiness, superstition and mysticism. Why do boxers tap gloves before sparring? The answer isn’t just ‘respect’ – it’s more supernatural than that.

Unwritten rules carry the same power in videogames, and they’re endless. Saying ‘glhf’ before a game, saying ‘gg’ at the end. Some combatants in Elden Ring and other From Software RPGs exchange bows before striking. FPSes like CS:GO and Rainbow Six: Siege are bursting with taboos and mores. Some are shared, but each game has its own set of rules, and they often conflict with the goal of the game. In Chivalry 2, it can be rude to interrupt players who are duelling off to the side of a fight, even if it could help them and your team.