Much like Fortnite, the hit computer game ‘Shell Shockers’ started out as a free, fun, and friend-inclusive player vs. player game. Shell Shockers takes place on various maps. One can play as an egg, and can select a variety of weapons to fight other eggs. And again, much like Fortnite, this small game has exploded in popularity since May 2018. Part of Shell Shockers’ success can be attributed to the fact that it is easy to play during class. It requires no mouse – though the general consensus is that gameplay is much better with a mouse – and it can be played mostly lag-free on one’s very own school chromebook or laptop.

Although it can be admitted that this game is most popular among freshman, upperclassmen have also participated in the trend. When asked if playing Shell Shockers seemed to be giving freshman and upperclassmen a sense of unity and purpose, Freshman Ben Burnett replied, “Oh yes, very much. I would much rather play Shell Shockers than do any work.” This reply does seem to capture the spirit of Shell Shockers quite well.  Senior Nils Brainard’s thoughts ran along similar lines, although he seemed to have a more realistic outlook about Shell Shockers. Brainard states, “I just enjoy playing with my friends, you know- of course, when I’m done with all my work in class.” 

Many other freshmen were eager to add their two cents about Shell Shockers. Drew Holtcamp stated that “I like shooting eggs. It’s one of my hobbies.” Holtcamp added that Shell Shockers is fun because “it’s free, and you can shoot eggs.” The game being free would certainly seem to have a great deal to do with its popularity; one of the last free games to be popular was Epic Games’ Fortnite, which attracted players old and young alike from all around the globe. Holtcamp maintained that “if you put in the effort, have better graphics, and the ping is good, Shell Shockers is definitely better than Fortnite.” For those unfamiliar with the mechanics of the game, ping is controlled by how good the internet connection is and affects how smoothly the game runs.

The most common theory about why people like Shell Shockers so much is “the eggs,” according to freshman Dylan Goodwin. Brooklyn Chaney added that everyone is playing Shell Shockers because of “the shape of the eggs and consistency of the yolk,” and Daniel Lee provided a third opinion by saying that Shell Shockers attracts so many players because of “the guns and the eggs. I think a lot of people like eggs.”

Shell Shockers has also had the effect of bringing people together and promoting happiness. In the words of freshman Hayden Rouse: “My favorite thing about Shell Shockers is playing with my friends and getting a nice snipe, and everyone gets hyped. We’re like, ‘Ohhh, that’s a nice snipe!’” When further questioned about how Shell Shockers affects his self-esteem, Rouse replied with, “Yeah, it makes me super happy. It makes me go home happy, and I’m just so happy when I play Shell Shockers, especially when the ping is really good.”

As any potential distraction to learning will do, Shell Shockers seems to have invoked a spirit of negativity from the teachers. The students regret that it causes animosity between them and their teachers, but they are trying to do their part to end this. Most students are attempting to play the game only once they are done with their class responsibilities. Rouse reported grimly, “I was playing Shell Shockers and my teacher closed my tab out and took my chromebook away so I couldn’t do homework.” Burnett, however, seems to feel differently, saying that teachers are “100% okay with it.” Whether they are or not, the fact remains the students understand how the teachers see it and aspire to limit their Shell Shocking accordingly.