Tafl Games
hnefatafl · tablut · brandubh · tawlbwrdd

Tafl Games — Ancient Norse & Celtic Strategy

Seven classic variants in one place — from the tiny 7×7 Brandubh to the grand 19×19 Alea Evangelii. Attackers hunt the king; defenders fight to escape. Play vs computer or a friend, with Easy to Hard difficulty and full move replay.

How to play Tafl

The Viking board game: the king must escape to the edge or a corner while attackers try to surround him.

The rules

  1. Two unequal sides: defenders with a king in the centre, and attackers (about twice as many) around the edges.
  2. All pieces move like a rook in chess — any distance in a straight line — but may not jump.
  3. A piece is captured by sandwiching it between two enemy pieces on opposite sides.
  4. The king escapes to win (to a corner in most variants, to the edge in some). The attackers win by surrounding the king.
  5. Seven variants from 7×7 Brandubh to 19×19 Alea Evangelii differ in board size and capture rules.

Playing here

  1. Pick a variant (Brandubh, Tablut, Hnefatafl, Copenhagen, Ard Rí, Tawlbwrdd or Alea Evangelii), a side and a difficulty.
  2. Click a piece and then its destination. Turn on Moves, Safe and Danger squares while you learn.
  3. Replay the game afterwards, or continue from any point.

Tips

The full guide, with a worked example and common mistakes: How to play Tafl.

Questions

Which Tafl variant should I start with?

Brandubh (7×7) is quick and easy to learn; Copenhagen Hnefatafl (11×11) is the modern standard.

Can I play a friend?

Yes — play the computer at Easy to Hard, or a friend on the same device, with full move replay.

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