Two friends from Newcastle are setting out to become the first people known to complete The Campaign for North Africa, the world's most complex board game, a challenge they expect to take up to 30 years.
Andy Taeger, 30, a software developer from Gosforth, and James Purcell, 29, a mental health worker from Wallsend, began the game on Friday evening after an 18-month practice run. "Based on that, we are looking at a 20- to 30-year run for the full game," said Purcell. "We've come to terms with it."
A Legendary Challenge
The Campaign for North Africa, designed by Richard Berg in 1979, simulates the desert war of 1940-43. The game is so vast and detailed that it has achieved mythical status among board gaming communities, and no one is known to have ever finished it.
The pair, who met about 10 years ago at a house party, bonded over a shared love of Dungeons & Dragons and games like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Carcassonne. When a friend mentioned the game, they researched it and decided to commit to playing it.
Preparing for the Long Haul
They bought the game for £970 from eBay and started a weekly podcast, War With a Mate, to keep themselves accountable. "We knew there was no reason to keep playing unless we're held accountable," said Purcell. "Otherwise we knew we'd buy the game, we'd give up inside two weeks and we'd have a thousand-pound board game that we can do nothing with."
The game includes a 10ft map, divided into five picture frames, and 1,600 pieces that they will magnetise. "We haven't punched the German pieces out yet because we won't need them for about five years," said Purcell.
A Test of Endurance
The game requires tracking aircraft, truck convoys, land units, supply dumps, water use, fuel evaporation, and even avoiding actions that could be deemed war crimes. It comes with a history book and seven rule books, including the famous "pasta rule" about Italian forces needing more water to boil their pasta rations.
Purcell plays the Axis forces and Taeger the Commonwealth. Both acknowledge the game could end in a draw, which Taeger said might be worse than a loss. "I think, honestly, a loss might even be better than a draw because at least it's a definitive result," he said.
The pair plan to play regularly at Taeger's flat, with the first day livestreamed from a friend's house. They have already recorded 99 podcast episodes preparing for the game and started it on episode 100 at 7.30pm on Friday.
