Some people are all work and no play, others are merely slackers holding down a day job to fund their fun. Others still work hard and play harder. Then, there is that nearly imperceptible minority that simply cannot bear to be separated from their coworkers for even the slightest passage of time and so engage in some sort of fun jaunt on the weekend with their various professional counterparts. The office outing can be a dreaded affair but not at IgoUgo. I don’t mind telling you that here we take our fun seriously, and we settle any in-house issues the old-fashioned way: with duels.

That is a lie; there were no duels, per se, but we did enjoy ourselves at Liberty Paintball on Saturday afternoon. Ten intrepid IgoUgoers, and a smattering of easily suggestible friends woke up early, giving up precious shut eye, television, and quality family time to drive an hour out of New York City for unforeseen ferocity on the paintball field.

For those of you who don’t know, paintball is a fairly intense team sport that simulates, in some minor way, combat. Some think of it as a sick example of American gun culture, others as merely good exercise—you really do run a lot, particularly when someone is shooting at you. Particularly when it is your boss. During the week, she may be a soft-spoken editor, but Saturday imparts a ruthlessness that made me call HR to double my accidental death and dismemberment options. Of course, there is something slightly morbid about stalking your company’s general manager or cowering in a bunker while a contingent of developers slowly closes in on your position but I just looked at it as a team-building exercise.

It’s true that the game is not for everyone. As the humid afternoon wore on, welts invariably made themselves evident, clothes got ruined, and we all got hungry. What, then, possessed us to partake in such barbarism? Aside from the double cheeseburgers and chicken fingers at Red Rooster that were calling our names, I like to think it was our adventurous spirit. Many of the day’s participants were first-time paintballers but, being seasoned travelers all, any excuse to try something new, and to share it with like-minded thrill seekers is a good enough reason to do just about anything.

Despite a certain amount of trepidation to begin with, we all got home safely and had plenty to talk about on Monday, ultimately cementing the bonds that make working with people you like even easier. Of course, not all such functions end so well; do you have any work-related outings that have ended disastrously?