Snapshot · Fin vs History
The Campaign for North Africa boardgame, made in 1978, has an estimated playtime of 1,500 hours, was not tested before release, and is believed to have never been completed.
Where this was said
At 7:00 · chapter starts 3:33
Fin sets the scene: September 1940, Italy invades Egypt from Libya with nearly 250,000 men but absolutely no coherent strategic plan beyond Mussolini's fantasy of riding topless through Cairo. The Italians build a series of heavily fortified but completely isolated camps — no road, no infrastructure between them — then wait for engineers to construct a victory parade route. A Patreon listener then sends Fin a Wikipedia article about The Campaign for North Africa, a 1978 wargame by Richard H. Berg that simulates the entire desert campaign. [1] — Fin Taylor "The Campaign for North Africa (1978) is possibly the most complex game ever designed: 10 recommended players, 1,500 hours estimated playtim…" 06:55 The gameplay description, read aloud by Fin, is extraordinary: 10 recommended players, an estimated 1,500 hours total playtime, never tested before release, and believed to have never been completed. A single turn involves calculating water evaporation, pasta-cooking water for Italian troops, strategic air missions, convoy raids, ammunition adjustments, and multiple rounds of movement and combat. Fin and Horatio agree: this is not a game but a historic simulation, and it captures exactly why North Africa is the most logistics-obsessed theater of the war — and why Monty ultimately wins it.
Italy invaded Egypt with nearly a quarter of a million men and no coherent strategy beyond Mussolini's dream of riding a horse topless through Cairo. They built fortified but completely disconnected camps, waited for engineers to build a victory parade road, and were ultimately picked off one by one by a British force a fraction of their size.
The Campaign for North Africa (1978) is possibly the most complex game ever designed: 10 recommended players, 1,500 hours estimated playtime, never tested before release, and almost certainly never finished. One reviewer calculated that playing twice a month would take 20 years — and Italian troops specifically require extra water to cook pasta.
Italy invaded Egypt from Libya with nearly a quarter of a million men, yet this force was effectively neutralised by around 36,000 British troops due to poor planning and disconnected camps.
Robby Hoffman traded up through used cars — starting with a $3,600 Toyota Corolla — and ended up in her dream 2001 Porsche 911 for a net out-of-pocket cost of $10,000.
Arie described gacha claw-machine arcades where the average cost is about $2 per game, with prizes that likely cost the operator as little as 30 cents each.
Achatz and his father spent two years rebuilding a 1970 GTO from a box of parts they bought for just $1,400 when Grant was 14.
Riley Green hunted turkeys for two to three years before he ever got close to killing one, teaching himself with no guidance from his father.
Darren revealed a horse recently sold for $10.5 million in Ocala, Florida — a 2-year-old that could still get sick and die.
Bongino launched a weekly $1,776 cash giveaway for viewers who watch the show live on Rumble and participate in the chat, tied to the show's 1776 Live Club contest.
The board game 'Campaign for North Africa' is so detailed it reportedly takes approximately 20 years to complete, and no one is known to have ever finished it.
In the D&D session, Lord Manshoon — the main villain — revealed himself as the father of Loud Trainwind (Big Cat's character), creating the episode's biggest plot twist.
Wayne the Bard (PFT's character) successfully solved the Arcana puzzle and claimed Lord Manshoon's spellbook, the primary objective of the D&D session.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.