The Campaign for North Africa: What Most People Get Wrong

You’ve probably seen the memes. A massive table covered in maps, thousands of tiny cardboard squares, and a rulebook the size of a phone book. Usually, it’s framed as the "ultimate nerd challenge" or the game that takes 1,500 hours to finish. Honestly, most of that is true. But there is a huge difference between the internet legend of The Campaign for North Africa and what it’s actually like to sit down in front of those maps.

It is a monster. A "wretched excess," as designer Richard Berg famously called it.

The game was published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1978. It covers the desert war from 1940 to 1943. While most games try to make war "fun" or "fast," this one tried to make it real. It succeeded in the most punishing way possible. If you want to play a full campaign, you aren't looking at a long weekend. You’re looking at years.

Why The Campaign for North Africa Is Actually a Logistics Job

Most people think wargames are about moving tanks and rolling dice to blow things up. In this game? That's barely half the story. You spend 90% of your time doing paperwork.

The game is so big it recommends ten players. Five on each side. You have a Commander-in-Chief, an Air Commander, a Rear Area Commander, and—most importantly—a Logistics Commander. If you play this solo, you’re basically signing up for a second full-time job without the salary.

The Infamous Pasta Rule

Everyone talks about the macaroni. It’s the go-to fun fact for anyone who’s heard of the game. Specifically, there is a rule stating that Italian troops require an extra ration of water for boiling their pasta. If they don't get it, their efficiency drops.

Richard Berg later admitted this was basically a joke—a bit of "color" to see if anyone was actually reading the rules. But in a game where you have to track the 3% evaporation rate of fuel in every single supply dump every single week, a pasta rule doesn't even seem that weird.

The British have it worse in some ways. Historically, they used 50-gallon tin cans that leaked like crazy. So, the game forces the Commonwealth player to track a 7% fuel loss due to "spillage and evaporation," while the Axis only deals with 3%. It’s that level of "realism" that makes the game legendary and, for most people, totally unplayable.

It’s Not Just a Game, It’s a Time Machine

The physical scale is staggering. The map is ten feet long. You need a dedicated basement or a very understanding spouse to even set it up.

• 1,800 counters: These represent everything from individual pilots to battalions of infantry.
• Three volumes of rules: You aren't just learning how to move; you're learning how to manage an entire theater of war.
• Logistics logs: You have to track every truck, every gallon of gas, and every spare part.

Why would anyone do this?

For a certain type of gamer—the "Grognard"—the appeal isn't the victory. It's the simulation. They want to feel the same crushing weight of supply lines that Rommel and Montgomery felt. They want to know that their offensive failed not because of a bad dice roll, but because they forgot to account for the water needs of a battalion in the middle of a heatwave.

Can You Actually Finish It?

Short answer: Probably not.

If you meet with your group for three hours, twice a month, it would take you roughly 20 years to finish the full campaign. Even the designer never finished a full play-test of the entire three-year war. Most "recorded" completions of the game involve heavy use of Excel spreadsheets to automate the math, and even then, it’s a marathon.

There’s a group on Reddit recently that’s been documenting "100 Days of CNA." They had to magnetize the pieces and frame the maps just to make it possible to pack the game away between sessions. Without modern technology or a dedicated "war room," the sheer weight of the physical components usually wins before the players do.

Is a modern version coming?

There has been talk for years about a "streamlined" version. Decision Games acquired the rights and was working on a project called North African Campaign. However, after Richard Berg passed away in 2019, the status of a true "re-imagining" has been up in the air. You can still find copies of the original 1978 box on the secondary market, but expect to pay $400 to $600 for the privilege of owning a game you will likely never finish.

✨ Don't miss: How to use a bundle in Minecraft: Why your inventory management is about to change forever

Should You Try It?

If you love history and have a masochistic streak for data entry, maybe. But for 99% of people, The Campaign for North Africa is better as a story than a hobby. It’s a monument to an era of game design where "more" was always "better," and realism was the only goal.

Practical Steps for the Curious:

1. Try "Undaunted: North Africa" first. It’s a deck-building game that covers the same theater but takes 45 minutes instead of 45 months.
2. Look into "The African Campaign" (Designer Signature Edition). This is a much more manageable simulation that can actually be finished in a single sitting.
3. Use VASSAL. If you must play the original, use the VASSAL engine. It’s a digital tabletop that handles the pieces for you, saving you from the "cat-knocks-over-the-war" tragedy.
4. Find a group. Don't try this alone. You need friends who are equally obsessed with logistics and don't mind spending an evening calculating water evaporation.

Ultimately, this game exists as a warning and a wonder. It’s the Mount Everest of board games—not because it’s the best, but because it’s the tallest. Most people are happy just looking at the peak from the safety of the base camp.