Play Fantapapa: Guess Who's Next Pope Like a Football Manager!
Multitudes of Italians engage in Fantapapa, a prediction-based game akin to fantasy football, foretelling the impending new pope.
Fancy yourself as a Pope prediction guru? Get ready to show off your cardinal choosing skills with Fantapapa, the hilarious video game based on papal election predictions!
With over 60,000 players in Italy already knee-deep in this potent mix of fantasy sports and religious intrigue, you too can join the fun as we gear up for the upcoming conclave.
Here's the lowdown: Choose your team of 11 cardinals that you believe have the best shot at becoming the next pope, and designate a "captain" – your wildcard pick for the next pontiff - and a "goalkeeper," a cardinal who may not make it far.
But wait, there's more! Predict the new pope's name, whether they'll lean more towards conservatism or progressivism, the day of their election, and the number of tries it will take the cardinals to reach a consensus.
Every correct prediction nets you points, and the player with the most points comes out on top. Just like in football, strategy and knowledge of the players are key to winning.
Inspired by the success of Fantacalcio, the fantasy football game, and Fantasanremo, the song contest fantasy game, co-creators Pietro Pace and Mauro Vanetti took the same ideas and applied them to the upcoming conclave.
If you're wondering about the game's origin, Pietro Pace explains they wanted to create something that would let people engage playfully with the traditionally solemn process of selecting a new pope. Mauro Vanetti added that the game aims to explore popular sentiment, while simultaneously respecting the gravity of the situation.
So, while the conclave process is steeped in mystery, it hasn’t stopped participants from making their predictions. As of now, players' top picks include the late pontiff's secretary of state, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, closely followed by another Italian, Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, and third in line, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
[1] Pope emeritus Benedict XVI[2] Pope Francis[3] Fantapapa[4] Vatican[5] Conclave
- In the hilarious video game Fantapapa, you can participate in a mock papal election, predicting the next pope's name, political leanings, election day, and the number of tries it will take for the cardinals to reach a consensus.
- Just like in football, where strategy and knowledge of players are crucial for success, in Fantapapa, players must use their cardinal choosing skills to win.
- Pietro Pace and Mauro Vanetti, the co-creators of Fantapapa, draw inspiration from popular fantasy games like Fantacalcio and Fantasanremo for this unique game that lets players engage playfully with the solemn process of selecting a new poke.
- As of now, Italians Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Matteo Zuppi, and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are the top picks among Fantapapa participants.
