Hnefatafl

Name: Hnefatafl
Rating: 4.1 (31 reviews)
Author: Philippe Schober

By: Philippe Schober

The Game of the Vikings

Features & Capabilities

Hnefatafl is an ancient Scandinavian board game whose variants were played all over medieval Europe before chess was even invented. In those so called Tafl games two different sized armies fight each other. The invading black army tries to capture the white king, while the defending white army tries to protect their king and help him escape.

Often also called the Game of the Vikings Hnefatafl tells many stories, like the Moskowites invasion of Sweden or the Viking hordes pillaging Britain. But no matter what the story is one thing always stays the same: The hunt for the king.

Even though the rules aren't complicated the game offers fascinating strategies and rewards tactical play. Try to surround the enemy pieces, plan ahead, lay traps and force your opponent into surrender. Will you capture the king for gold and glory? Can the loyal guards hold back the invading forces and secure the flight of their king?

You can create your own custom variants -- with over 200,000 different variants possible! The online multiplayer supports crossplatform play. Play on any supported platform with just a single account*.

This game features:

Variant "Hnefatafl"
Variant "Hnefatafl - Copenhagen"
Variant "Hnefatafl - Historical"
Variant "Hnefatafl - Berserk"
Variant "Hnefatafl - Fetlar"
Variant "Old Hnefatafl"
Variant "Simple Tafl"
Variant "Sea Battle 11x11"
Variant "Sea Battle 13x13"
Variant "Tablut"
Variant "Tablut - Historical ("Saami")"
Variant "Linnaeus' Tablut"
Variant "Foteviken Tablut"
Variant "Ard Ri"
Variant "Historical Ard Ri"
Variant "Brandubh"
Variant "Historical Brandubh"
Variant "Magpie"
Variant "Tawlbwrdd"
Variant "Historical Tawlbwrdd"
Variant "Tyr 13x13"
Variant "Tyr 15x15"
Variant "Tyr 19x19"
Variant "Coppergate 15x15"
Variant "Alea Evangelii"
Variant "Historical Alea Evangelii"
Custom variants for offline and Online Play*
Offline play for two humans
Offline play against various computer opponents
Offline play between two computer opponents
Online Play*
Ingame Chat for Online Play*
Crossplatform Online Play*
Achievements*
ELO scores*
Match Browser to find the right opponent
Match History to review your past matches
Annotate and share matches
Tutorial/Rules included

*) These features require the creation of a free Fellhuhn account, valid on all supported platforms.

This app is supported by advertisement which can be disabled through an one-time purchase of IAP.

User Growth & Download Statistics

App

By:

Philippe Schober

Rating:

4.10

(31)

Version:

3.93 Last updated: 2024-08-12

Version code:

868115446

Creation date:

2020-03-30

Compatible devices:

Size:

223.81MB

URLs:

Website ,Privacy policy

Full description:

Source:

Apple Apps Store

Data ingested on:

2026-06-06

Compare stats and ranking:

Ranking

# 246,185 ▼ 616

For Developers

Monetize with App Pass Boost with Extension Booster

Contact the developer

Chrome-Stats does not own this Apple app. Please use these information below to contact the Apple app developer.

Developed by:

Philippe Schober

Apple Apps Store

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hnefatafl/id1498725934

Website:

https://www.fellhuhn.com/index.php?page=hnefatafl

User Reviews

Players praise Hnefatafl for breadth and depth: many variants and board sizes, strong online play with tournaments, and solid learning tools that help beginners. The main drawbacks are inconsistent rule implementation and capture logic, occasional win-detection bugs, online stalls without auto-forfeit, and AI slowness on larger boards. Overall, the app is highly regarded for its polish, educational value, and monetization-free experience, with room for improvement in rules clarity and online match handling.

Pros

Extensive variant and board-size support (7x7 to 19x19, four-piece or two-piece king capture, various initial positions, edge/corner escape, throne variations)
Robust online play and tournaments with real-time matches and global players
Rich learning and planning tools (planning mode, replaying past games, customizable AI, time controls)
Polished, accessible design that makes learning and playing the game easy and engaging for families and learners
No intrusive free-to-play monetization or gating, enabling a straightforward playing experience

Cons

AI performance tends to be weaker on larger boards, reducing challenge on bigger games
Rules and capture mechanics are inconsistent or unclear across variants, with some reviews noting incorrect behavior and a lack of in-app rules explanations
Online matches can stall if an opponent stops moving, and there is no automatic forfeiture or easy way to end paused games
Occasional bugs in win/capture detection (e.g., king capture rules or win conditions not triggering properly)
Long think times for the computer on some moves can slow gameplay

Recent reviews

This app lets you play all the variants: four-piece(popular) or two-piece(historically accurate) king capture, board size from 7x7 all the way up to 19x19, different initial positions, edge or corner escape, neutral or hostile throne and/or corner squares…, so you can play the variant you think is best and most fun! There are AI opponents that play the 7x7 well, but tend to be weak on larger board sizes. Fortunately however the real value of this app, is that it is popular enough to be able to play real humans from all over the world in real time(10, 20 or 30 minutes) or with correspondence time controls(1day, 2day, 1week etc). Plus there are ongoing tournaments of different variants, often with 64 participants.

by Za*****, 2025-09-06

‘Nouf’ said. Moving on.

by Er*****, 2025-05-25

I read that the king is captured when surrounded on all four sides unless it’s by a wall. Yet the game is taking my king when only surrounded on three sides and he has room to move. I’m new to this, so? Why am I losing when he’s not surrounded on all four sides?