Chess, Othello, and the Nordic countries all combined. That’s Hnefatafl (nef-ah-tah-fel or nep-ah-tah-pel). And no, I can’t pronounce it, though you can check out our play-through video which required my husband to say it.

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However you pronounce it, Hnefatafl (or Viking Chess, which is what I always end up calling it) is a very old game, so there are many variations. Make sure you and your opponent agree on rules before you begin playing.

Our lovely version has a waterproof “board” that we can then bundle up and hang in our bus.  There are darker pieces and lighter ones. The darker pieces go in the center, with the king being the center of them. They’re the defenders, and their goal is to get the king off the board through one of the corners.

Players capture an opposing piece by flanking it, much like you do in Othello, except you can only flank one piece in Hnefatafl. If you move your piece in between two of your opponent’s pieces, they do not capture your piece. All the pieces can move like Rooks in Chess; in a straight line (not diagonally). They can go as far as they can, but cannot move into or over spaces that other pieces are occupying.

I love Hnefatafl for its strategy and logic, but like most other 2-player games, it is directly antagonistic. If your kiddo can’t handle competitive games yet or is more sensitive on a particular day, stick to Gnomes at Night. It’s the only cooperative 2-player game I’ve been able to find.