Skip to content
← All projects Strategy · iPhone & Android

Brandub:
Viking Chess

Help the king escape. Or lead the hunt.
A small board with a big battle on every square.

One king and four defenders face eight attackers. Choose a side, find your opening, and make every move count.

Coming Soon to iPhone & Android

7 × 7. Room for strategy.

A compact board, unequal armies, and two very different paths to victory.

Learn. Play. Progress.

Interactive lessons introduce the rules. Take on the campaign and play either side against the AI.

A challenge each day.

Daily puzzles invite another look at the board, accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack.

Two sides. Two ambitions.

Escape or surround.

Both sides move in straight lines. What you are fighting for changes everything.

Carved king piece

The king

Reach any of the four corners to escape. Leave the throne carefully: there is no going back.

Carved defender piece

The defenders

Four loyal pieces. Protect the king, break the encirclement, and clear his route to a corner.

Carved raven attacker piece

The attackers

Eight ravens. Close the escape routes and trap the king before he slips through your lines.

Our take on a tafl classic

Ancient inspiration. A game of our own.

Brandub: Viking Chess is an adaptation of brandub, built for an engaging contest from both sides of the board. These are our game's rules, rather than a claim to historical authenticity or proven perfect balance.

Read the essentials
  • Move a piece horizontally or vertically through empty squares. Pieces cannot jump.
  • Capture an ordinary enemy by moving to trap it between two allies. Moving between enemies is safe.
  • Only the king can enter a corner. Nobody can cross the throne; once the king leaves it, nobody can return.
  • Empty corners and the empty throne help capture adjacent enemies.
  • The king escapes at a corner. Attackers capture him on two opposite sides in the open; on the throne and its adjacent cross, he must be fully surrounded.
Take the board with you

Get Brandub

iPhone

Coming Soon. Public access will appear here when it is ready.

Android

Coming Soon. Public access will appear here when it is ready.

A challenge worth sharing.

Shared puzzle pages will show the original starting board, your side, and the goal — without revealing the solution.