Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Game2020
Viking Chess: Hnefatafl
Developer Diamond Sky Games
Play the ancient game of "Hnefatafl" in style on your PC, in Singleplayer mode against the AI or Multiplayer over the internet. "Hnefatafl" is a strategic, chess-like boardgame with assumed origins all the way back to the Viking era. From the Steam store page
57 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Jul 21, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
90
LovedLoved
44 positive · 5 negative
95% range 78–96%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 44 | 5 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
8 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
60 of 67 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
57 of 57 · most liked firstgot the board game in real life.. sadly no one wants to play, but this got AI so im happy 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game, though I suck at predictions and chess. Were at the launch party for this game, big deal for the small company. A game that changes as the game plays, challenge your oponent and discover new metas, 6 possible ways to end a game. Good lighting makes you feel like you're playing in a viking esque scenario. Watched the devs get their asses kicked at their own game, 10/10 would watch again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do you like Vikings? Do you like Chess? How about Viking Chess?! We’re pleased to reveal Tafl Throne Breakers, a cunning game of strategy played by the Vikings, coming to Steam in 2027! Add it to your wishlist today! store.steampowered.com/app/4258900/... #gaming #steam #viking #gamedev
unlabelledView post →ever since i heard of this game, i wanted to try it out. since online simulators didnt work i was really looking forward to the steam version its a fun game, but it is very asymmetrical (i lost every game as attacker except one and have yet to be defeated as defender, against the ai), still gotta see what multiplayer has in store and what strategies may work although its an old chess like game, style and strategies are very different here, every piece moves like a rook and anticipation is very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The designers have gone for a 3D board with similar coloured pieces, it "looks" good, but when analysing the game on a screen my view is it'd be better as a 2D representation with Black and White Pieces. Have played about four times and won once. As best can tell as the attacker you build a loose wall and gradually strangle the defenders. It takes forever and didn't feel any sense of achievement when did eventually win. Clearly other people love the game, not the least because of its links…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A neat little implementation of the Copenhagen rules which are slowly turning into "The" Hnefatafl Rules. However. There is one rule that is slightly off and 2 rules that are missing here which would be really nice to see added. Now for my first point 'Missing' would be the wrong word. It is about exit forts which are in fact added. But there is a small differentiation from the official rule and that is the following: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3208795024 Actual…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've only gone through the tutorial and played one game vs. AI. The game mechanics are very easy to understand but I do find the chess comparison a bit off as the prediction in chess deals with different piece's abilities to move in different patterns - in this they can only move like a rook. The strategy in this is more akin to "Tic, tac, toe" IMO due to the board itself being a vital part of the gameplay - you can't "hit" a piece with your own piece to remove it so it's more thinking along…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So glad to see this ancient strategy game available on Steam. I've always been a big fan of Hnefatafl, even though I could never pronounce it properly, and well done developers for creating a faithful rendition of the original game, it's simple in concept but can lead to complex attack and defend scenarios. Kudos for the clean interface and music in-keeping with the style / era of the game. It runs smooth and if I could hope/ask for one thing it would be the ability to choose other 'more…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TCSMS GAME DESIGN: Next week we are going to learn about the oldest known games, including Hnefatafl, or Viking Chess. I am 3D printing copies of these ancient games to better understand them.
unlabelledView post →It is an unintuitive game. I know how to play it physically but this virtual game has many problems. They have to indicate how to see the game from another perspective, change the music and the player's angle. It is very complicated to play visually. For the rest, I read comments that the AI is very advanced and it seems to me that it is at a good level but it is real, you have to ensure a game for everyone for all ages. Not everyone knows how to play and you also have to add AI levels.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolute blast. Very easy to learn but hard to master. If your a fan of strategy board games that don't take very long to play id give this game a try. Also its simple get a game going to play with friends. Everything runs smoothly and had no bugs or crashes. Excited to see when what will come next for this game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After getting really interested in chess i found Hnefatafl and began playing it on mobile. I really wanted a version for PC like playchess.com and this was exactly that. This is a super smooth and easy way to play one of the oldest board games in existence. The only complaint i have about this game is that you cant stop the rotation of the camera across the board without just pressing tab and playing the simplified camera angle. This game from what i can see is regularly updated and maintained…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →so many glitches, rear attacks don't work, do not invest. so much hi hopes, very disapointing
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hnefatafl simple to learn and hours of fun. Great game for the price is nice to see it come to steam. Will play again and again! I recommend this game as its a already a classic i'll be playing with my children. If you want something different to chess this game is it! cheer guys keep up the good work.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →James Bond 007: Goldfinger Game (Board Game) An old strategy game called Tafl (also known as Viking Chess) with a James Bond theme. djcube.co.uk/james-bond-0...
unlabelledView post →YES Viking Chess game probably was designed and maintained as an unequal game because foundational understandings of society were that kings would be more powerful (though of course why is the king weak in conventional chess) and moreover the understanding some were just more powerful than others 4/
unlabelledView post →I like this game. I have two physical copies of this game (one of which I bought the other I sculptured myself out of Fimo with a fully coloured two and half inch tall king with gold crown), I've two book about this game (there's a F/Book about this game). Played this computer version for on and off for ages (and I'll probably be making another travel set at some point). It's great fun, and I think should be better known by the general public. However my only complaint about this game is that I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/10 One board, two game-piece sets. Unlockable second "Valkryie" game-piece set.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Viking Chess: Hnefatafl is a respectful and carefully crafted digital adaptation of an ancient Scandinavian strategy game, bringing a piece of Viking-era tabletop history into a modern, accessible format. Developed by Diamond Sky Games and published by Rain Games, the title focuses on faithfully translating the rules, tension, and asymmetrical depth of Hnefatafl into a form that works smoothly on PC, without overcomplicating or modernizing it beyond recognition. Rather than trying to reinvent…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kubb is the best. It's the gamer's game of lawn games, sometimes referred to as Viking Chess.
unlabelledView post →This is freaking amazing. brother and I love the game in general and to be able to play it across the world makes it even better.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This week Oric game is The Return of Viking Chess (Hnefatafl) by Neil Barnes. Can be played against the computer or a human opponent, three difficulty levels, achievement system, authorized moves preview, ... quite a nice game to play really! defenceforce.itch.io/hnefatafl
unlabelledView post →Niche board game, well put together for Steam.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Skal. Classic Scandinavian chess.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love that this exists. More weird games on Steam, please! Also, I'm finding it a really fascinating variation on chess, I strongly suspect that the people playing these games a thousand years ago would have preferred to have played more-realistic simulations (Combat Mission / Total War / Fields of Glory), this was just what they could achieve with the technology they had at the time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tough to find live opponents to play against. Have not lost a single game against AI even on nightmare mod as both attackers and defenders. Would love to see more support of this game, with live opponents, as AI is far too predictable. Regardless, music is nice, lighting is great, and for $5 what more could you want?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the game simple but fun to play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →really cool design yall chose for it and im having fun :) i have not ran into bugs, tho if you guys would like something i thought of, if you could put a restart button after a game ending so you dont have to go back to main menu. keep up the good work on it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Novice when downloaded. I've found this an enjoyable alternative to traditional chess/checkers, really encourages awareness of the whole board for ranged attack and defence, yet to play at greater difficulties but a satisfying stretch to the strategic muscles.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a great app for playing Hnefatafl, a few notes though: -The game never shows you how to play as the defender against AI, it took me a few hours to find this, but you can click on the AI Defender when setting the difficulty in order to play as Defender. -No other notes really, I've found that playing as defender against any difficulty of AI results in your victory, it seems the AI attacker is very bad, even in nightmare mode. While the AI defender is pretty good, even in Easy mode, but…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hnefatafl (Viking Chess), plus its cousins Brandubh and Tablut. Background scrolling, saved stats, a Super Game Boy border, the works. Play: sebastianproost.itch.io/hnefatafl-vi... Write-up: blog.4dcu.be/ai/programmi...
unlabelledView post →Fun game. Just wish it remembered my view settings. Better AI would be nice too, with more difference between the easy & hard modes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yeah, it's fun!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hnefatafl for the win! I've only played two games so far, but they were smooth, challenging enough, visually appealing, and - to be honest - I'm just really happy to have a Steam version to play solo when I can't find anyone to play my physical version with. The only drawback, as everyone else said: there is zero online activity, but as I bought it to play solo, I'm ok with that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game, lots of strategy!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm learning how to play and capture along with what kills the king
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →easier to table than chess.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why can one find "#vikingchess" sets at book stores, but a game that has twice the amount of players as international #chess is something you'd have to buy online or seriously search for in person. I'm #autistic and always seem to find niches that aren't actual niches, but are? My fixation is #xiangqi #chinesechess It is difficult having more than one thing I like simultaneously
unlabelledView post →Great game with equally nice graphics
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →defending: yes, you will win. attacking: no, you will not win.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty decent game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An alededly ancient Scandinavian board game about kicking he king in the middle to the curb, while he is trying to escape. It is fun and explains all the moves that can be done.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great Game, Skål
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →(have dyslexia so sorry if typing is really bad) this was a well made one, it had the classic look and included a fun valkyrie sett that you can earn in game. it gives you and another if you have another friend that sits next to you or onlie if i remember correct, a changse to play the old game and far more intresting game of chess. it has diffrent titals you can win and keeps the game itself simple and fun to enjoy. if you need to feed your viking obsesjon or just want a small taste of what…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a lot of fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game. I have a board at home and this is a good representation. The AI could be a little more strategic (too easy) but overall its a good game. The rules are very basic so I am not sure why some reviews blast the game for the lack of rules. The rules are the rules. They are simple (all rooks as in chess) but there is much strategy involved in the game, especially the attacking (harder) side. If you like chess, this is worth the 3 or 4 dollars to play. I would suggest giving it a try.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Interesting game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game pissed me off in the first 60 seconds. I killed every single defender and had the king trapped between two of my attackers but since the designers added a slew of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ nonsense rules and I didn't know how to look them up mid game I had to lose my first match. I hoped to find a computer that would be a challenge but instead I am going to have to play with a profile that says I lost to a computer that plays worse than my six year old. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥! Also hnefetafl has dozens…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just absolutely perfect.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is absolutely wonderful to play. Due to the nature of the game, sometimes you win easily, and sometimes you lose very quickly, but I think that's great because it's a valuable lesson to learn in life (which is possibly one of the reasons the game was designed that way). The only criticism I have is that there is no two-player mode for play on the same computer, and there seems to be very little online play, which is a shame because this is a brilliant game. Highly recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Of you like chess this is a great variant.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's amazing, ja!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love Hnefatafl, and have played many different variations on the rules. The one used here favors white tremendously, by requiring four pieces to capture the king. Favoring the attackers they allow the center tile to be used to capture pieces, which is nice, and they allow a go-style "suffocation move" if you can completely enclose the opposition, which seems nearly impossible if people are playing right. So far I am 11-0 against the medium AI. The AI plays well as white, but is just garbage…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Needs some polishing. Not having touch support is a giant wasted opportunity here. Board games have been literally built to be touched for eons. Having to use my touchpad to "click" things is a bit archaic. Also, the AI is way too difficult. Learning is hard when you're getting slaughtered left and right on easy. I know it's out of early access now but... it doesn't feel like it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The chess itself is amazing! The game devoloper is really attentive, I had a problem during the early release and he had the patience to sit and chat with me to get the problem solved. There are two sound tracks (if I'm not mustaken), both in perfect loop and didn't get boring even after 12 hours. The graphics might not be what I'm used to in the games I usually play, but I loved them, a totally 3D Hnefatafl game (if you don't like the 3D you can play in 2D by pressing 'Tab'). Right now the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hnefatafl is one of my favourite abstract strategy games, so of course I was excited to see a Steam version from it. However, this right now is a shaky purchase, as of the writing of this, I can barely recommend: Pros --------- +Amazing graphics +Multiplayer +Better AI then what I have seen elsewhere +Pretty cool multiplayer ranking system Cons --------- -Multiplayer is pretty much dead due to low playerbase -Even nightmare AI is not challenging at all, if you know basic tactics -Camera…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game! I've only played a little bit, but it's good so far. Playing as attackers, I've been able to clear all the difficulties in about an hour. So the AI might need some reworking there. It also seems that once you corner the King the AI goes into a 'meltdown' mode where it begins sacrificing it's pieces rather than making any strategic play. Good way to learn a piece of history. They need to add a multiplayer function for the same computer!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
You Might Also Like
similar titlesWhat Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch
Game
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
Game
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate
Game
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Game
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
Game