Hare and Hounds

The classic two player strategy board game Hare and Hounds was popular in medieval northern Europe up until the 19th century.

In this game, a hare is trying to get past three hounds who are trying to surround it and trap it.

You can play against the iPad (4 difficulty levels) or another player.

Rules of the game:

One player represents the three Hounds, which try to corner the other players Hare as it seeks to win by escaping them.

Each player can move one piece one step in each turn. The Hounds can only move forward or diagonally (left to right) or vertically (up and down). The Hare can move in any direction.

The Hounds win if they "trap" the Hare so that it can no longer move.
The Hare wins if it "escapes" (gets to the left of all the Hounds).
If the Hounds cannot succeed in 49 moves, they are considered to be "stalling" and the Hare wins.

A mathematician stated that Hare and Hounds "combines extreme simplicity with extraordinary strategic subtlety". With perfect play, the game is a win for the hounds.