Roll Call Don’t call it a dating sim: 6 dos and don’ts of Nerds@Heart

A Star Trek fan, an anime cosplayer, and a ren faire enthusiast walk into a bar. The rest of the joke is a bit dirty, but the point is that those three people would most likely be at Friday’s Nerds@Heart event at Karma Bar And Grill, where $25 will provide you a chance to rub elbows, break the ice, and rock some board games with other members looking for love, lust, or someone to explain The Prisoner to. For those braniacs looking to attend the event, The A.V. Club offers the following cheat codes.

DO: Wear your vintage “I Grok Spock” shirt
There’s no reason to keep your lightsaber hidden under a basket here. This event is meant for meeting and greeting other people with similar IQs and interests. This is the one place where that replica sonic screwdriver will be a bonafide icebreaker instead of an awkward cube decoration that gets a mumbled explanation to the new guy.

DON’T: Expect strip Warhammer 40,000
This event runs games that fit solidly in the “slightly obscure” board game genre. There won’t be Monopoly or Scrabble, but there will be Apples To Apples and Wits And Wagers. The games chosen offer many chances for people to interact. Leave your self-made Arkham Horror/My Little Pony crossover rules at the door.

DO: Let the Wookie win
Nothing squelches a potential mate’s interest like ending a friendly game of Scattergories by spiking the huge alphabet dice and screaming “Booyah! Domination!” A healthy sense of competition is fine, but being the guy (or gal) in the corner screaming about rules defeats the purpose of the exercise. Who wins an icebreaker event anyway?

DON’T: Be afraid of a rad bromance
Not everyone at the event will find love. This isn’t the worst thing in the world, especially since Nerds@Heart is planning additional events in the upcoming months. That perfect Mal Reynolds on Emma Frost might not make it this time, but there’s always the next one. Making friends means having backup at the next social event, or even finding someone worth telling they’re completely wrong about whether Jason Todd being brought back to life ruined Batman.

DO: Talk about your favorite obsession
“Nerd” has a broad cultural connotation. As such, there will be a broad spectrum of people at this event. Embrace the differences. That math nerd is a Doctor Who fan just waiting to pick his or her favorite companion. The Firefly Browncoat will surely love Cowboy Bebop, too. The next date almost makes itself. What could be better than binging on the various flavors of Star Trek available on Netflix on a lazy Saturday afternoon?

DON’T: Hold to nerd tribalism
It’s easy to fall into classic arguments: Kirk vs. Picard, Mac vs. PC, Superman vs. Batman. Everyone at the event has something they feel strongly about. Take a moment to walk a mile in someone else’s Boots Of Spider Climbing +4 before condemning something as lame. Leave the rhetoric on the Internet where it belongs. Except Jar Jar Binks. Because fuck that guy.