Hnefatafl Viking Game — an honest story about a game that owns your evening

Sometimes the simplest-looking game hooks you harder than a blockbuster. This is exactly that case: the rules take a minute to learn, and putting it down is much harder.

What this game is

Hnefatafl is an 11th-century Viking board game on an 11×11 board. The King with 12 defenders in the center must escape to one of the 4 corners; 24 attackers surround the board trying to capture him.

How to play, in short

1. Hnefatafl is an 11th-century Viking board game on an 11×11 board.

2. The King with 12 defenders in the center must escape to one of the 4 corners; 24 attackers surround the board trying to capture him.

A few final tips

• Check out the demo mode on the game page — the AI shows how it is played, and repeating it yourself gets much easier.
• Play in short sessions: the best results come with a warmed-up head.

Simple on the surface, deep underneath — exactly the kind of game that never ages. Ready to try? "Hnefatafl Viking Game"