# Tafl Champions: Ancient Chess — A game from the Viking era > Ancient Viking strategy board game with king capture objective and customization. (iPhone/iPad app by Gritstone Games.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tafl-champions-ancient-chess/id1559207110 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Gritstone Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1559207112) - Category: Games, Board, Strategy - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.30/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 225 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2021-10-18 - Data updated: 2026-06-01 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tafl-champions-ancient-chess/id1559207110/reviews.md ## What is Tafl Champions? Play Tafl Champions, an ancient form of chess dating all the way back to the Vikings! Capture the defender's king while they guide him to escape the battlefield and to freedom. Challenge your enemies, customise your shield, play on multiple platforms and become the ultimate Tafl Champion! AN ANCIENT CONTEST OF STRATEGY Tafl is a collection of games where the objective is the same and comes in various sizes. The attackers must capture the defender's king who is trying to escape the battlefield. The attackers outnumber the defenders but the defenders have the more advantageous position making this a game of cunning and bravery. Truly a game for rulers of great warriors! MAKE YOUR APPEARANCE KNOWN Earn runes to customise your pieces so that your opponents can recognise you. Choose from multiple patterns and colours to stand out amongst the crowd! CHALLENGE THE BEST See who the best are in the world and challenge them to the top of the leaderboard. Prove your tactical prowess by defeating those ranked higher than you and fend off would be challengers beneath you. PLAY ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE Your game is synced across multiple platforms so you can play anywhere and everywhere. Started a game on your desktop and need to move? Resume play on your mobile device! ## Key features - Ancient Viking strategy gameplay - Capture the king objective - Piece customization with runes - Global leaderboard challenges - Cross-platform syncing - Multiple Tafl game variations ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Pouch of Gold | $2.99 | one-time | | Bag of Gold | $4.99 | one-time | | Bundle of Gold | $11.99 | one-time | | Crate of Gold | $29.99 | one-time | | Chest of Gold | $69.99 | one-time | | Hoard of Gold | $99.99 | one-time | | 30 Runes | $0.99 | one-time | | 100 Runes | $1.99 | one-time | | 30 Runes | $0.99 | one-time | | 100 Runes | $1.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (3 of 3) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tafl-champions-ancient-chess/id1559207110/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Great game *2025-01-07* This game is by far the best looking tafl game. I was able to customize everything and it was very fun. The game is balanced. My one request is to add a play vs computer mode, because while there is online and pass and play, I would enjoy testing out strategies against somebody better than myself. ### 4/5 — Nice, but no AI *2023-04-02* Looks really nice, good at what it does, but I really wanted to play locally against AI. Real shame this is not a feature. ### 4/5 — Enjoyable, lots of potential!!! *2021-12-22* Just played a few games against myself and enjoyed testing a few play styles! Would love to hear from others on their strategies because from the surface of this game I felt the defenders are at a slight disadvantage when playing defensively so I tried rushing the king to escape. For me it’s also hard to test strategies on my own so games against a computer ranging in difficulty would be AMAZING!!! When it comes to cosmetics I like the shield customization of course but I’d love to see more. Maybe some special effects when taking pieces other then shattering when taken, which is awesome but would be great to see more! The background has solid detail and it would be cool to see others or even small interactions with weapons and pieces you take from the board when clicking them. A big boardwide effect when the king is taken or escapes would be the cherry on top. When it comes to ads I have no idea how much control you have on how frequently they appear but it becomes Annoying after every few moves so if possible an add after every game instead would be a nice touch. The cost of 10 runes per game seems high so lowering that cost or restricting it to playing other players(even in a ranked mode) would motivate me to watch the adds more frequently or even purchase rune packs. Overall well done, seems like a great game to test the mind, I’m excited to see more. Crossing my fingers it grows in popularity!!! PS - Forgive me if I’ve overstepped on these requests. I don’t know how hard it is to implement these ideas when it comes to game design and coding. Great game regardless!!! 👌👍 **Developer response:** Thank you very much for your feedback, it's all welcome! I'm glad you're generally having a good experience with the game! If you would like to provide more information you can post your ideas at https://feedback.gritstone.games Many of your ideas have crossed my mind previously and some plans are in motion already. There are numerous features that would be great to add in the future - if time and budgets allow then it's entirely possible. I hope you continue having fun and supporting us in the future! ## Frequently asked questions about Tafl Champions ### What is Tafl Champions? Tafl Champions is a digital adaptation of Tafl, an ancient Viking strategy board game. The core gameplay involves attackers trying to capture the defender's king, who is attempting to escape the board. ### How do you win in Tafl Champions? The objective varies slightly depending on the Tafl variant. Generally, attackers win by capturing the defender's king, while defenders win if the king reaches a designated escape square on the board. ### Can I customize my pieces in Tafl Champions? Yes, you can earn runes to customize your game pieces. This allows you to choose different patterns and colors to personalize your appearance and stand out to opponents. ### Does Tafl Champions have online multiplayer? Yes, Tafl Champions allows you to challenge other players globally. You can compete on the leaderboard to prove your tactical prowess and climb the ranks. ### Is Tafl Champions available on multiple platforms? Yes, your game progress is synced across multiple platforms. You can start a game on one device, such as a desktop, and seamlessly resume play on another, like your mobile device. ### Does Tafl Champions have ads? Yes, Tafl Champions contains advertisements. This is typical for free-to-play games that offer in-app purchases. ### What is the age rating for Tafl Champions? Tafl Champions has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide range of players, including younger audiences. ### How often is Tafl Champions updated? The latest version of Tafl Champions is 1.3.4, last updated on October 16, 2025. This suggests regular updates to the game. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.3.4 — 2025-10-16 Some minor but necessary behind the scenes updates ### 1.3.3 — 2025-07-15 Minor fixes ### 1.3.0 — 2023-11-16 Quality of life improvements in performance and experience. ### 1.2.1 — 2023-09-13 Fixed a blocking issue for new players ### 1.2 — 2023-08-25 General quality of life updates ## Apps similar to Tafl Champions | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [LEGION: RTS](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/legion-rts/id6448806401) | 4.2 (131) | Free | Games | | [Feud](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feud/id1380347680) | 4.7 (82) | Free | Games | | [Chess variants - Chess Remix](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-variants-chess-remix/id1547819624) | 4.5 (87) | Free | Games | | [Chessify - Magic Chess Tools](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessify-magic-chess-tools/id1397066775) | 4.4 (392) | Free | Games | | [Mini Chess - Quick Chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-quick-chess/id1048990809) | 4.6 (336) | Free | Games | | [Tsumego Pro (Go problems)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tsumego-pro-go-problems/id892041876) | 4.5 (1,774) | Free | Games | ## More apps by Gritstone Games - [Cubicoe - 3D Tic Tac Toe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cubicoe-3d-tic-tac-toe/id6745341953) All apps by Gritstone Games: https://appshunter.io/developer/1559207112 ## Related topics [viking chess](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/viking-chess) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*