Hnefatafl Game Online Free
The Viking game of the king’s escape. The defenders try to get their king to a corner, while 24 attackers try to surround him.
Tap one of your pieces, then tap a highlighted square to move it.
What is Hnefatafl?
Hnefatafl is a Viking-age board game from the tafl family, played in Scandinavia long before chess arrived there. The name is often translated as “king’s table”.
It is an uneven battle. A king and 12 defenders start in the middle of an 11 × 11 board, surrounded by 24 attackers. The defenders win if the king reaches a corner square. The attackers win if they surround the king on all four sides.
How to play Hnefatafl Game
- The attackers (dark pieces) move first. Players take turns moving one piece.
- Every piece moves any number of empty squares in a straight line, like a rook in chess. Pieces can’t jump.
- Only the king may stop on the central throne or the four corners, and only the king may pass through the throne.
- Capture an enemy piece by trapping it between two of your pieces in a row or column. The corners count as an enemy to everyone, the throne counts as an enemy to attackers, and the empty throne counts as an enemy to defenders. Moving between two enemy pieces is safe. The king can help capture.
- The king is captured when attackers surround him on all four sides, or on three sides with the throne on the fourth. A king on the edge of the board can’t be captured.
- Defenders win when the king reaches a corner. Attackers win by capturing the king. A side with no legal move loses, and the game is a draw after 150 moves each. Play against the computer at Easy, Medium or Hard, or choose 2 Players to take turns on one device. Undo takes back your last move, and an unfinished game is saved if you leave the page.
Hnefatafl Game skills
- Strategic planning
- Thinking from both sides
- Spotting threats and captures
Level: Ages 9 and up
Tips for Hnefatafl
Defenders: open lines for the king early. If the king can see two corners at once, the attackers can only block one.
Attackers: guard the corners first. A piece next to each corner, or diagonally in front of it, slows the king down a lot.
Don’t rush captures. Keeping a tight ring around the defenders matters more than winning a single piece.
Hnefatafl Game questions and answers
How do you win at Hnefatafl?
The defenders win by moving the king onto any of the four corner squares. The attackers win by surrounding the king on all four sides (or three sides plus the throne). A player who can’t make any move also loses.
Which rules does this version use?
A simplified version of the modern Copenhagen rules on an 11 × 11 board: corner escape, an armed king, and a king captured by four attackers. The shieldwall and edge-fort rules are not used, and a game that reaches 300 moves in total is a draw.
Should I play attackers or defenders?
Try both. The defenders have fewer pieces but only need one open line from the king to a corner. The attackers have twice as many pieces and must keep every corner covered while closing in.
Is Hnefatafl the same as tafl?
Tafl is the name for the whole family of Norse “table” games. Hnefatafl is the best-known version. Others include Tablut from Lapland and the smaller Brandubh from Ireland.