Haven Concept Case: Hnefatafl

Teodric Abstract: This is the concept document for a game design case in the Haven project . The case is for an implementation of the board game Hnefatafl.

Availability: Public

Game Fundamentals of Concept

Hnefatafl is a boardgame similar to fox and geese. It is player side assymmetric (one player starts in the middle and one along all sides, and players have different objectives), played on a square board. There are several variant rules regarding board layout and initial disposition of the pieces.

Application Concept

The basic application design includes

Rules for the basic game

 

 

 

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Alternative rules

The great board

 

 

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History

The history of Tafl games is long. See the links section.

Other games in the family and geographical/cultural variations include Hala-tafl, Fox and Geese, Nine men's Morris, the Irish board, Ard-Ri, Tablut, Tawlbwrdd, Fithcheall, Alea Evangelii, and many Hnefatafl variations.

Other Documents

This document is one of a suite of documents written to describe the Haven project at various levels. The documents are, in order of complexity and level of specification,

Links

Links to web pages with information related to historic Tafl games:

Games related to Tafl, Fox and Geese and Nine men's Morris:

Copyright

This text was written in its entirety by Olof Ekström. For more information about the author of this page, see Olof Ekström's personal information in the Project Profiles document. Special thanks to Lorena for searching out information when my web skillz weren't up to the task.

Copyright © 2001 Olof Ekström/Extro System. All rights reserved.

Bälinge/Uppsala, Sweden, July-September 2001