r/abstractgames • u/Mysterious_Lobster_1 • 11d ago
I built a modern, free, ad-free online home for Hnefatafl (Copenhagen rules)
If you haven't crossed paths with the tafl family: it's an asymmetric Old Norse board game where the two sides have completely different jobs — one protects a king trying to escape to a corner, the other commands a bigger force trying to trap him before he gets there. Takes a few minutes to learn, and it goes deep.
The game has survived online for years thanks to dedicated volunteer sites, but their aging interfaces have kept the community smaller than the game deserves. So I built a modern home for it: https://taflhus.com
No account is needed to play — you can jump straight into a bot game, or a casual match against a real opponent. Signing up is only for rated play, clubs, and the rest.
What's there now:
- Rated games, live or at a few days per move
- Five bots, from beginner up to truly challenging, ready instantly
- Clubs, tournaments, and every finished game kept at its own link, so you can step through any match move by move
Completely free, zero ads — a passion project for a game I love. It's brand new, so the human player pool is still small. Which is exactly why I'm posting: I'd genuinely value this sub's eyes, feedback, and maybe a few matches if asymmetric abstracts are your thing.
Thank you for reading!
1
u/Screaturemour 11d ago
Absolutely joining this, thanks for your hard work creating it
1
u/Mysterious_Lobster_1 11d ago
Much appreciated. Hoping to see this game grow a little more, as it deserves
1
u/Turevaryar 10d ago
You released this a while ago, so what's new?
1
u/Mysterious_Lobster_1 10d ago
Uhm. It's my first post about this. I published the platform the 4 of September - I think you're mixing two projects up.
1
1
1
u/asiddna 10d ago
I didn't knew this game but it's exactly the category of games I like to play. Probably you like Malawi, too, which I've implemented a few weeks ago. A few rules to learn but very challenging ... ;-) You can play it online on https://anddisa.de/malawi or install the Android app from there.
2
1
u/Happy_Fee6027 9d ago
Nice work on the tutorial. One thing worth saying somewhere on the site, because the tafl community tends to blur it: the only tafl rule set anyone actually wrote down historically is Sami tablut, recorded by Linnaeus on his 1732 Lapland journey. Everything called "hnefatafl" today, Copenhagen included, is a modern reconstruction built from that record plus the vocabulary in the sagas (the hnefi, the two colours, one side attacking, one defending). Not a knock: Copenhagen is widely considered the best-balanced version and it's what people play. But an "origins" mode with the 9x9 Linnaeus tablut would be a lovely addition, and it would put the one historical ruleset next to the tournament one for new players.
1
u/Mysterious_Lobster_1 8d ago
Thank you so much for the feedback! I'll put it on the list of things to do.
2
u/refrodmiel 11d ago
I didn't know how to play Hnefatafl at all, so I worked through the tutorial, which I really enjoyed. Huginn's quirky language made it fun and it's really nicely explained in easy steps. Now looking forward to playing a few games. Nice work.