Play Hare and Hounds Online
Play the Hare and Hounds game at a sunny garden table. Three hounds try to seal every exit while one hare looks for a way behind them. Hare and Hounds combines complete computer games on the eleven-point board with 14 progressive trap studies. Play free online with no ads or download.
How to play Hare and Hounds online
- Choose a study or a full computer game. Read your role, move budget and the vertical counter.
- Select your piece, then a connected empty destination. Hounds may move right or vertically; the hare may move either way.
- Check the opponent's reply and plan around the remaining exits. Use Hint, Undo or the rules panel while learning.
- Trap the hare within the study budget to unlock the next level, or finish a full game and try the other side.
Controls
Click or tap one of your pieces, then a highlighted destination. Select the same piece again to cancel. Arrow keys cycle points; Enter or Space selects. H asks for a hint, P plays it, and U or Ctrl+Z undoes your last turn and the computer reply. Previous point, Next point and Use point also provide button controls.
A tip before you start
Watch the hare's exits before advancing. A hound cannot retreat to repair a gap. Keeping a coordinated wall is often more useful than moving the frontmost hound closer to the hare.
The Hare and Hounds game on eleven points
This is the board game, played along a small network of twenty-two connecting lines. It is separate from the outdoor paper chase with the same name. The hounds begin on the left endpoint and the top and bottom points of the next column. The hare begins at the right endpoint. The hounds move first, and the two sides then alternate turns.
Follow the lines, not the empty space
Each turn moves exactly one piece to an adjacent empty point along a drawn line. A hound can move right or vertically, but never left. The hare can follow a line in either direction. Diagonal connections pass through the endpoints and the central point; a nearby point without a connecting line is not a legal destination. Nobody jumps, and no pieces are captured.
Two very different goals
The hounds win by leaving the hare with no legal move on its turn. The hare wins by getting strictly to the left of all three hounds. Reaching the same column as the last hound is not enough. Escape also counts if a hound advances and leaves the hare behind. Think about the complete set of exits, rather than simply trying to stand next to the opponent.
Understand the ten-vertical rule
The counter tracks consecutive vertical hound moves. A hare move leaves it unchanged, while a forward hound move resets it to zero. If it reaches ten, the hare wins for stalling, unless that move has already trapped the hare. This table checks escape first, then a trapped hare, then the vertical limit, then blocked hounds. That explicit order settles rare overlaps. The game does not use a separate thirty-move limit or a repetition ban.
Fourteen studies that ask for longer plans
Study challenges put you in charge of the hounds at positions reached through legal play from the normal opening. Every study has a guaranteed trap against all replies. The shortest such plan grows from one hound turn in the first study to fourteen in the last. The number of reachable positions and consequential choices also grows. Some studies start with an existing vertical count, so read the counter before moving. A study ends successfully only when the hare is actually trapped within your move budget.
Full computer games on either side
Full CPU match starts from the normal opening. You can play the hounds or the hare; Other side starts a fresh game with your role switched after confirmation. The computer uses exact play for this rule set. From the standard opening, perfect hounds can force a win, so choosing the hare is a defensive challenge. There is no promise that both sides can win against a perfect opponent. Look for ways to delay the trap and understand why each route closes.
Use hints to understand a decision
A study allows two successful hints. The suggested move preserves a fastest guaranteed win when one remains within your budget. If a mistake has lost that possibility, the game tells you to try Undo. In a losing full-game position, a hint chooses the longest resistance against perfect opposition. Undo restores your whole previous turn together with the CPU reply, but never refunds used hints. Restart repeats the current starting position and role after confirmation.
Keep the board clear and the rules nearby
The main board, vertical counter and necessary controls stay together, with Help and Board & rules in separate panels. The latter lists the exact coordinates and the legal opening history of the current study. Progress stores unlocked studies, best scores and sound preference locally when storage is available. Unfinished games restart after reloading. If artwork fails to load, Retry loading keeps saved progress intact.
Frequently asked questions
Can a hound move backward?
No. Hounds can move right or vertically along a connecting line. The hare can move in any direction along a line.
Does the hare jump over a hound?
No. Both sides move one connected step to an empty point. This profile has no jumping or capturing.
Does every vertical move count toward ten?
Only hound moves count. Hare moves preserve the current count, and a forward hound step resets it.
What if the tenth vertical move traps the hare?
The trap takes priority at this table, so the hounds win. The priority is stated in Help and Board & rules.
Can I always win as the hare?
No. The standard opening is a forced hound win under this profile when both sides play perfectly. The hare role lets you practice defense; every hound study begins with a proven win.
Is Hare and Hounds free with no ads?
Yes. Play free with no ads, account or download. The opponent is the local computer; this game does not provide online multiplayer rooms.
About Hare and Hounds
Play the Hare and Hounds game at a sunny garden table. Three hounds try to seal every exit while one hare looks for a way behind them. Hare and Hounds combines complete computer games on the eleven-point board with 14 progressive trap studies. Play free online with no ads or download.
Play this puzzle / casual game in the embedded browser player. No app installation or MangoFun account is required. Follow the instructions shown inside the game; controls and device support depend on the title.
