Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time

Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time is a 1994 interactive multimedia title for Windows and Macintosh. Instead of offering a traditional objective-based game, it serves as a chaotic and humorous collection of classic Monty Python sketches, animations, mini-games, and desktop customizations.

This experience immerses fans in the surreal world of Monty Python, blending point-and-click interaction with absurdist humor, signature Gilliam-style visuals, and randomized gags.

Historical Background of Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time

Published by 7th Level during the peak of CD-ROM experimentation, the title leveraged full-motion video and voice clips from the original Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series. At the time, CD-ROM technology allowed for expansive, interactive content, and this title stood out by prioritizing humor, fan service, and exploratory gameplay.

Despite being unconventional, it earned industry awards like the Software Publishers Association’s “Best Strategy Program” and even made it to space via astronaut Andy Thomas aboard the Mir Space Station.

Who Made Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time?

This title was developed and published by 7th Level, a studio that specialized in multimedia software and educational games in the 1990s. They collaborated closely with Monty Python to preserve the troupe's signature tone and creative input.

Gameplay: What You Can Do in Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time

There is no clear storyline—just click, explore, and laugh. Gameplay involves navigating strange environments, watching sketches, solving surreal puzzles, and triggering hidden jokes.

Key Features:

• Classic Python Sketches: Digitized clips from iconic episodes.
   
• Original Animations: New cut-out style shorts exclusive to this game.
   
• Mini-Games: Short interactive games with a comedic twist.
   
• Customization Tools: Install Python-themed screensavers, wallpapers, and icons.
   
• Easter Eggs: Hidden interactions and visual jokes scattered everywhere.
   

The main "puzzle" of the game, called The Secret to Intergalactic Success, involves finding trivia answers and clues throughout maze-like levels and comedic vignettes.

Closest Modern Equivalents to Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time

Although there's no direct remake, the game’s influence is evident in:

• The Stanley Parable / Jazzpunk – Indie exploration games with humor-first design.
   
• Book-style DVD Extras or Digital Collections – Where fans explore archives and trivia.
   
• Comedy Point-and-Click Adventures – Games like Gibbous – A Cthulhu Adventure offer similar whimsical absurdity.
   
• Interactive Web Toys or Easter Egg Sites – Click-and-discover humor, often found on official show or movie sites.
   

Walkthrough: How to Explore Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time

Getting Started:

• Start at the main hub (like a waiting room or surreal landscape).
   
• Click on anything and everything—objects, faces, backgrounds.
   
• Hidden animations or content may only trigger on repeated clicks.
   

Accessing Main Sections:

• The Pythonizer: Unlocks screensavers, icons, etc.
   
• Inner Space (Brain Lobes): Requires answering trivia correctly after encountering the "Spanish Inquisition."
   
• Loonatorium: Navigate to brain lobes and locate the 4 "essential clues" per puzzle.
   

Mini-Games and Gags:

• Pinball, whack-a-mole, and shooting galleries—often discovered by chance.
   
• Cursor will change when hovering over interactive elements like the “fallout” symbol.
   

Replay Required:

Due to the random structure and sheer amount of content, you'll need multiple sessions to uncover everything.

Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time is a collection of minigames, screen savers, desktop wallpaper and icons for Mac OS System 7, DOS and Windows. The content is drawn primarily from the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series. It also features specially-written and recorded interstitial and linking material created by some of the Python members and Secret Policeman's Ball producer Martin Lewis. Overall producer was Bob Ezrin.

In 1995, it won the CODiE Award for "Best Strategy Program" from the Software Publishers Association.

The CD-Rom was named after a line in Life of Brian, in which the People's Front of Judea criticize their own unusually bureaucratic style, with a series of comments culminating in "This is a complete waste of time!".

The game contains a hidden trivia game/maze in the Loonitorium. When the game was first released, the completion of the secret game before a certain date made one eligible for a drawing for prizes.