It’s cool to be a geek these days, says DonkeyCon organiser

While videogames were at the heart of the two-day event, there was also the opportunity for fans of modern board and card games to meet like-minded players and take part in competitions.

Organised by the Guernsey Esports Association, with the support of St James and Just Games, the event saw more than 50 people enter the videogame tournaments, while many people turned up just to have a go on other games that were on offer around the room.

A large screen on the stage showed some of the action, becoming the focal point of the tournaments when they reached the semi-final stage.

Tournaments were being staged across four games – Fifa 19, Mario Kart, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros – with prizes ranging from £40 to £100 for the winner.

Saturday evening saw a cosplay competition, where people could dress as their favourite characters, be they from games, TV, movies or comic books.

The games were open to all ages. One of those looking to take part in the Super Smash Bros tournament was seven-year-old Ansel Vidamour, who was also dressed for the occasion as his videogame hero, Link, from the Zelda games.

‘I love Link,’ said Ansel. ‘I’ve nearly finished Breath of the Wild and there’s another one coming out soon.’

While most games were being played on large screens, friends Andrew Guille and Jacob Mayor, both 13, were getting in some practice on Smash Bros on Andrew’s portable Switch console.

The boys said they loved the game because it offered the chance to play as different quirky characters and lots of different gameplay modes.

‘You could be playing it for years and still find new stuff to do,’ said Andrew.

Away from the noise, The Dorey Room was an oasis of calm, where tables had been set up with various board games.

Steven Carre, co-owner of Just Games, said they would be offering a prize for the winner of a Magic: The Gathering tournament, while he and friend Simon Lempriere were settling down to a game of Rising Sun.

‘This is more of a social game,’ said Mr Lempriere.

Mr Carre said the rising popularity of gaming showed that it was no longer just a specialist area.

‘It’s pretty cool to be a geek now,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of geek stuff around.’

Ben Wratten, of Guernsey Esports, was delighted with the response to the event.

‘It’s a social thing, playing with people, and there’s a competitive spirit,’ he said.

He added that in future the group would be looking to stage a similar event aimed solely at older players.