“In The Heart Of Africa” is a set of fast-play wargames rules for the period of exploration and imperial conquest in tropical Africa. Chronologically this corresponds roughly to the second half of the 19th century, while geographically it covers the region between the Zambezi River in the south, and the edge of the Sahara Desert in the north – the classic “Darkest Africa” of the explorers. This has been a popular period for skirmishing, role playing, and conventional wargames. This is not surprising, as it has a number of unique advantages. It rivals the ancient and medieval periods in the enormous variety of possible armies, each with its own distinctive – and often spectacular – appearance. It shares the “Boy’s Own Adventure” atmosphere of ordinary colonial gaming, but is far more interesting as a game: the Africans have more tactical options to choose from than the Zulu or Dervish charge, while the Europeans have a less decisive advantage in weaponry. And unlike many exotic and colorful periods it is relatively well known and accessible, with plenty of primary sources available in English – Livingstone, Stanley and several others are still household names to this day.

The army lists covered in the main rule book are:

The Native Kingdom
The Native Warlord
The Peaceful Villagers
The Warrior Herdsmen
The Jungle Cannibals
The Pygmies
The Zanzibaris
The Sudanese Slavers
The Portuguese Settlers
The White Explorers
The Egyptians
The Colonial Expedition