Hnefatafl 3D Viking Board Game for Android
This game is a virtual board game set up with Hnefatafl pieces so you can hot seat play with your friends where-ever you happen to be! With full 3d shading and a nice board with zoom capability, I hope for this to become THE hnefatafl app of choice for mobile phones and tablet platforms. It will start on Android and move on to other platforms eventually.
Hnefatafl is an ancient board game played since the Viking era. It is similar to games like chess and has simpler rules but tons of strategic depth and quick paced gameplay.
The game does not yet feature a computer player or rules-enforcement, so its purely good as a platform for in-person gameplay or as a solo activity when you don't have an actual board set available.
Rules summary:
* Two sides of uneven strength fight to let their King escape (white), or to capture the king by surrounding it on all 4 sides (black).
* Each player alternates moving a single piece. Black moves first.
* All pieces, including the king, can move any number of squares either up, down, left, or right, but not on diagonals. (Like a rook in chess).
* Pieces can not move through or over another piece.
* Only the king can occupy the central board square, but other pieces can move through it if the king is not there.
* A piece is captured and removed if it is surrounded on at least 2 opposite sides by opposing pieces. (Except the king, which must be surrounded on all 4 sides)
* White wins if the king makes it safely to any square on the outside edges of the board
You can find detailed rules and variants here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNdCGaM9KqI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfs6E2Ar-sU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafl_games#Reconstruction
Current features:
3D pieces and board with textures
Smooth movement
Piece removal (Trash icon after selecting a piece)
Reset button
Board zoom
Movement restriction logic
Portrait and landscape mode
Rules enforcement
Automatic capturing (except king capture)
Future features, possibly a Kickstarter if I get enough interest:
Better graphics
Tablut, Brandub board setups
Online Multiplayer
Computer opponent
*Network permissions only used to gauge interest in further development*
Suggested alternative: Look for the Free Board Game app, where this game (albeit with fewer pieces, but with a progressively fiercer AI opponent) is called "tablut" and "brandubh."
by X####:
Shivam