Comparison

Expert Sudoku vs Backgammon NJ

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Expert Sudoku

This app offers a challenging Sudoku experience with 1000 handcrafted puzzles designed for advanced players. It features multiple skill levels, advanced solving techniques, and helpful options to aid your gameplay. Track your progress and challenge yourself with unique, solvable puzzles.

Highlights
  • 1000 unique handcrafted puzzles
  • Advanced solving techniques
  • Show incorrect answers
  • Smart buttons and notes
  • Multiple color schemes
  • Challenge a friend
  • Hints and progress statistics
Currently charting
Read full description

Join over 21,000,000 of our fans and download one of our Sudoku games today! Makers of the Best Sudoku Game of 2008, Sudoku (Free), we offer you the same great features with 1000 extremely difficult puzzles! Warning! Expert Sudoku is for serious Sudoku players. Our hand-crafted puzzles are solvable with only one solution and no guessing. Show your expertise using advanced solving techniques: Naked and Hidden Triples, X-Wing, XY-Wing, Swordfish, Forcing Chain, 2-string Kite, Skyscraper, Unique Corner, and more. OPTIONS All options are OFF by default, but you can turn them on in the Options menu • Show Incorrect :: Shows incorrect answers in red. • Smart Buttons :: Disables the number button when that number is completed on the game board. • Smart Notes :: Removes the number from the notes in the box, column, and row that contains the cell with your correct answer. FEATURES • 1000 unique handcrafted puzzles • Four different skill levels • ALL puzzles are solvable WITHOUT guessing • Multiple color schemes • Challenge a friend • "ALL notes": tap the "All notes" button on to show all the possible answers for each square. Tap the "All notes" button off to remove the notes. • Hints: shows the answer for the selected square or a random square when one is not selected • Pause the game at any time and resume where you left off • Best times, progress statistics, and much more Are you a Sudoku Master? Then play Expert Sudoku; you will love it! Otherwise, check out our other popular Sudoku games for iPhone and iPod Touch. Do you want more? Try one of our other versions of sudoku which have all the same great features! * Look for our paid edition of Sudoku with 1000 easier puzzles. * Or try Color Sudoku for a fun twist to solving sudoku puzzles.

About

Backgammon NJ

Engage in classic backgammon against a sophisticated AI, a friend on the same device, or players worldwide. Improve your skills with tutor mode and hints, and customize your game experience.

Highlights
  • Neural network AI opponent
  • Online multiplayer (real-time & turn-based)
  • Local 2-player mode
  • Tutor Mode and Hints
  • Customizable board and checkers
  • Match play up to 25 points
  • Game Center integration
Features
Read full description

● GAME CENTER -- Play online, chat, invite friends, auto-match with random players { Real-time } Play online in real-time { Turn-based } Play online at your own pace ● VERSATILE -- Play offline vs. computer or against another person in 2-player mode ● CUSTOMIZABLE -- More options than any other backgammon app Play & learn backgammon at skill levels ranging from beginner to world-class! Backgammon NJ is a full-featured game which uses an advanced, neural network-based, artificial intelligence. Play against a computer AI, another person in 2-player mode on one device, or online against friends & other players. Using Tutor Mode & Hints, Backgammon NJ can show you how to improve your game! Discriminating players will appreciate how well the AI plays. It uses a neural network trained on millions of positions, a bearoff database, & a match equity table to achieve strong gameplay that will challenge even expert players. REVIEWS "[I] know strong bg play when I see it. This app is the strongest iPhone bg app I've played with by far. It does not cheat period. ...Analyzing these matches with eXtreme Gammon confirms a world class level of play with normal luck factors. If you are losing, get over it. So would 99.9% of the other backgammon players in the world. It is just that good. Learn from it." -Richard Munitz, Giant of Backgammon, #21 world ranking in 2009 "Backgammon NJ plays at an extremely high level with an excellent interface, and I often use it to practice on my iPhone when I am traveling. I recommend it highly to my students and friends." -Phil Simborg, Professional Backgammon Teacher and Player, www.mindgamescenter.com "I've played over 500 games now; I've checked about 5% of these against World Class Desktop programs (GNU, BGBlitz); and I've actually used some of the competition. NJ has the best interface and has more useful functions than any other backgammon apps out there." "For serious backgammon players, Backgammon NJ is the way to go." -Macworld.com, May 2012 IS THIS GAME RIGHT FOR YOU? This game is best for people: • Who recognize the strength of neural network backgammon bots • Who want to improve their game by playing against a world-class level AI • Who will use the in-depth, technical features included in the app to prove that it is honest (https://www.njsoftware.com/note.html) • Who won't expect to win consistently on the higher skill levels FEATURES • Neural network-based AI • 2 game types: Standard Backgammon or Nackgammon • 4 skill levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert • Customizable board design & checker colors • Mersenne Twister algorithm for random number generation • Doubling cube • Single games or match play up to 25 points • Crawford rule for match play • 1-player mode vs. computer • 2-player mode on one device • Game Center: Play real-time or turn-based online matches with friends & other players • Chat with your online opponent • Online Elo & Experience leaderboards • Block list for auto-match • User-friendly, tap-to-move interface • Highlighted checker movement options • Hint & Undo • Learn with Status Meter & Tutor Mode • Game & dice stats, including Elo rating & ER • Match info: GnuBG ID, win chances, equity, top 10 moves, & cube decisions • Email match files • Practice mode with unlimited undo (1-player vs. computer) • Manual match recording mode with unlimited undo & speed mode option • Options to reverse board direction, resign, use one-tap moves, auto bearoff, auto finish, use Jacoby rule, & much more • Match analysis (in-app purchase): Analyze past match files, view moves & errors for match, step through match, jump to position, play from position, save match files permanently IMPORTANT • If an online match ends for any reason, you'll receive the Elo pts you deserve. FAQ: https://gamecenter.njsoftware.com • Contact us for help: https://contact.njsoftware.com

Screenshots

Expert Sudoku4 screens
Backgammon NJ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Expert Sudoku at none against Backgammon NJ's 3. Expert Sudoku also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 51%) and price ($2.99 vs $4.99). Backgammon NJ's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 75). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Expert Sudoku costs $2.99 and Backgammon NJ $4.99 up front. Backgammon NJ sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Expert Sudoku asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Expert Sudoku against 4.4 for Backgammon NJ. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon NJ has 1.5K ratings behind it against 75, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Expert Sudoku's written reviews are positive against 51% of Backgammon NJ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Expert Sudoku ships an update every 5 months, Backgammon NJ every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Expert Sudoku versus Backgammon NJ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExpert SudokuBackgammon NJ
Price$2.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.4 (75 ratings)4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews — better51.1% of reviews
Number of ratings751.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#199#32 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.4
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMighty Mighty Good GamesJimmy Hu

Customer experience

Expert Sudoku

All ratings75 ratings
Positive85.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews168 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral4.8%
Negative9.5%

Backgammon NJ

All ratings1,498 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral6.0%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews405 reviews
Positive51.1%
Neutral11.1%
Negative37.8%

User reviews

Expert Sudoku

From 75 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent game
  • 👍 Great challenge
  • 👍 Intuitive interface
  • 👍 Visually appealing
  • 👍 Keeps mind sharp

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional clock issues
  • 🐛 Puzzles can be inconsistent in difficulty
  • 🐛 No undo/cancel option
  • 🐛 Repeated puzzles
  • 🐛 Hint feature not very helpful

Backgammon NJ

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent gameplay
  • 🤖 Challenging AI opponent
  • 📊 Detailed game analysis and statistics
  • 👍 Smooth and intuitive interface
  • 🏆 Helps improve player skills

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Perceived unfairness in dice rolls
  • 🤖 AI opponent seen as cheating or having an unfair advantage
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
  • 💰 Expensive for a mobile game

Bugs and requests

Expert Sudoku

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Incompatibility issues with iOS updates
  • Incorrect answers sometimes marked as correct

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to color cells or notes
  • Progress tracking and puzzle history
  • More frequent updates with new puzzles

Backgammon NJ

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Forced moves not always the best option
  • Inconsistent behavior in auto-bear-off mode
  • Online games prone to disconnections and timeouts

Requested features

4 requests
  • Manual dice roll option to verify randomness
  • Ability to set custom difficulty levels
  • Online multiplayer with chat functionality
  • Improved tutorial and learning resources

In-app purchases

None

Expert Sudoku

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Backgammon NJ

One-time3
  • Analysis Package$2.99
  • Online VIP$2.99
  • Power User$4.99

Questions

Is Expert Sudoku free?
Expert Sudoku costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Backgammon NJ free?
Backgammon NJ costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Expert Sudoku or Backgammon NJ?
Backgammon NJ is rated higher. Expert Sudoku averages 4.4 out of 5 from 75 ratings, while Backgammon NJ averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Expert Sudoku or Backgammon NJ have ads?
Neither Expert Sudoku nor Backgammon NJ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Expert Sudoku or Backgammon NJ?
Expert Sudoku ships an update every 5 months, and Backgammon NJ every 9 days. Most recently, Expert Sudoku was updated on October 18, 2026 and Backgammon NJ on October 20, 2026.
Which is more popular, Expert Sudoku or Backgammon NJ?
Expert Sudoku currently peaks at #199 in the App Store charts, and Backgammon NJ at #32. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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