The two armies here are nothing alike. One side has a king and four guards huddled in the center. The other has eight attackers spread around the edges, and their only job is to trap him before he slips away.
Hnefatafl unblocked plays the compact 7x7 Brandubh layout from the old Norse family of tafl games. This version comes from Christopher Müller's PaperGames set. Pick either army against the computer on three levels, or play a friend on one screen.
How to play Hnefatafl
Attackers always open. Every piece, king included, slides any distance in a straight line along a row or column, with no diagonals and no jumping. The center throne and the four corner squares belong to the king alone. Other pieces can't stop on them or cross them.
To capture an ordinary piece, trap it in a straight line between two of yours by moving the second piece into place. A corner or the throne can act as one of the two jaws. Only the piece that just moved makes the capture, so sliding in between two enemies on your own is safe.
Defenders win when the king reaches a corner. Attackers win when every side of the king is blocked by attackers or the board edge. A player with no legal move on their turn loses.
Controls
| To… | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move a piece | Tab to the board, arrow keys to reach a square, Enter on your piece and again on the target | Click your piece, then the square it should slide to | Tap your piece, then the target square |
| Choose a side and opponent | — | Pick defenders or attackers and a level, then click "New game" | Pick defenders or attackers and a level, then tap "New game" |
| Take back a move | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
| Give up | — | Click "Resign" | Tap "Resign" |
Tips
- Defenders: clear the king's lanes. Shift guards out of his row and column so he can make long runs.
- Make a double threat. If the king aims at two corners at once, the attackers can only close one.
- Attackers: guard beside the corners. A piece next to a corner shuts two escape routes.
- Pin him to the wall. On the edge, the king needs only three attackers around him to fall.
- Bait with the throne. Guards that wander next to a corner or the throne can be captured with just one attacker.
Hnefatafl questions
Which rule set does this use?
It plays Brandubh, the small 7x7 tafl variant, with a clean simplified rule set. Old sources disagree on the details, so other tafl versions may handle captures differently.
How tough is the computer?
Easy makes random moves, Medium looks one move ahead and Hard digs several moves deep but stops after a brief time budget.
Why did the computer move before I did?
Attackers move first. If you pick the defenders, the computer makes its opening move as soon as the game begins.
