This game is like fantasy football, but for picking a pope [Video]

Mauro Vanetti describes himself as a “conclave geek.”

“People are usually not as much into conclaves as I am,” the Italian game developer told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. “I only watch TV during conclaves.”

It’s no surprise, then, that Vanetti is one of the brains behind Fantapapa, the hot new online game that has people building fantasy conclave teams to predict the new pope.

“It’s a really fun game to play with friends and have a laugh,” Italian student Federico La Rocca, 23, said. “Initially my dad sent it to me ironically, but now that it’s going to be the conclave, I decided to have a go and try it.”

‘Mock them in a good way’

More than 130 Catholic cardinals on Wednesday began the centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

But while the conclave itself takes place entirely in secret, people outside the Vatican are busy dissecting the politics at play and speculating on the possible outcome. 

Fantapapa taps into that energy, says …