Comparison

Backgammon vs Backgammon NJ HD

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon

Experience the classic board and dice game with multiple variations and play modes. Challenge yourself against AI or friends online, with helpful features like move assist and unlimited undos.

Highlights
  • Multiple game variations (Nackgammon, Old English, Acey Deucey)
  • Single player with adjustable AI difficulty
  • Online and Bluetooth multiplayer
  • Match play with Doubling and Crawford Rule
  • Move-Assist feature
  • Unlimited Undo in single-player
  • Extensive game statistics
Read full description

Challenge yourself in the deluxe board & dice game! Both the press and customers agree: Backgammon's got it in spades! __________________________________________ PRESS LOVE: Recommended by MacWorld Magazine as a Top Download for your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. “Backgammon Premium is the crème-de-la-crème ‘gammon’” 9 out of 10 stars from Appaddicts.com! Nominated for “Best Dice Game” in the Best App Ever Awards hosted by bestappever.com! __________________________________________ CUSTOMER LOVE: "Elegant and beautifully laid out. The play is terrific. I play a game every break I get. The fun just doesn't stop!" "This app is awesome!!! No problems and extremely fun." "Backgammon is a great game, simple and intriguing. This app does it justice. The AI is smart and sometimes infuriating. Five Stars!" __________________________________________ Play solo or live online against friends! Great for players who enjoy Gin Rummy, Spades, Cribbage, Blackjack, or Dominos. GREAT GAME VARIATIONS: Backgammon - The classic game you know and love Nackgammon - Changing the token setup requires players to get creative. Old English - A British favorite! No more than 5 checkers to a single point. Acey Deucey - Start in your own goal tray and work your way into your opponent's! WAYS TO PLAY: Single Player- Prove you're the King against Backgammon's Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulties! Online Multiplayer- Match against friends or strangers to prove your mastery! Peer to Peer- Play against your friends on their devices with no network required. __________________________________________ FEATURES: - Single Player Games (with Easy, Medium, Hard) - Match support! Play to 3, 5, 9 or 15 points with Doubling. Matches use the Crawford Rule - Four distinct board designs - Online and Bluetooth multiplayer - Move-Assist, highlights available moves - Unlimited “Undo” in single-player games - Extensive game statistics

About

Backgammon NJ HD

Play backgammon against a powerful AI, a friend on the same device, or players worldwide. Improve your skills with tutor mode and detailed analysis. Offers customizable options and supports all iOS devices.

Highlights
  • Neural network AI
  • Online multiplayer (real-time & turn-based)
  • 2-player mode on one device
  • Tutor Mode & Hints
  • Customizable board and checkers
  • Match play and single games
  • Game Center integration
Features
Currently charting
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 ● UNIVERSAL -- Supports iPad, iPhone, & iPod touch Play & learn backgammon at skill levels from beginner to world-class! Backgammon NJ HD 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 & others. Using Tutor Mode & Hints, Backgammon NJ HD 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 & friends." -Phil Simborg, Professional Backgammon Teacher & 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 & 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 pts • 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 • Tap-to-move interface • Highlighted checker movement options • Hint & Undo • Learn with 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

Backgammon4 screens
Backgammon NJ HD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Backgammon at Free against Backgammon NJ HD's $7.99. Backgammon also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 56%) and ratings volume (15K vs 3.6K). Backgammon NJ HD's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#172 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Backgammon is free to download; Backgammon NJ HD costs $7.99 up front. Backgammon sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Backgammon NJ HD sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Backgammon against 4.5 for Backgammon NJ HD. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 3.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 56% of Backgammon NJ HD's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Backgammon versus Backgammon NJ HD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammonBackgammon NJ HD
PriceFree — better$7.99
Rating4.4 (15K ratings)4.5 (3.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.3% of reviews — better55.7% of reviews
Number of ratings15K — better3.6K
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#172 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB55 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperWildCard Classics IncJimmy Hu

Customer experience

Backgammon

All ratings14,844 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews1,406 reviews
Positive65.3%
Neutral10.1%
Negative24.6%

Backgammon NJ HD

All ratings3,647 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews574 reviews
Positive55.7%
Neutral7.8%
Negative36.4%

User reviews

Backgammon

From 15K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Refresher
  • 👍 Bugs worked out
  • 👍 Love this game!
  • 👍 Fun
  • 👍 Great way to pass time

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Ads in middle of game
  • 🔍 Ads doubled in one month
  • 🔍 Too many ads interrupt the game
  • 🔍 Ads During Play
  • 🔍 Ads every three moves

Backgammon NJ HD

From 3.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Excellent backgammon app
  • 🧠 Challenging AI opponent
  • 🔍 Helpful analysis and stats
  • 📚 Great for learning and improving

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Questionable dice rolls and randomness
  • 🤖 AI appears to cheat or have unfair advantage
  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 💰 Paid app with in-app purchases

Bugs and requests

Backgammon

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Pieces no longer hand on the bars on iPads or iPad minis
  • Doesn't work anymore with the last update of the iPhone
  • Game freezes after ads
  • Crashes every time I try to open it
  • Pieces become minuscule after ads

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow offline playing
  • Turn based option
  • Ability to review board before doubling
  • Ability to undo moves

Backgammon NJ HD

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes
  • Unreliable online play and matchmaking
  • Issues with syncing progress across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Manual dice rolling option
  • Ability to undo moves
  • Improved online/multiplayer experience
  • More difficulty levels

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Backgammon

One-time2
  • Christmas Theme$0.99
  • Acey Deucey$1.99
3 purchases

Backgammon NJ HD

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

Questions

Is Backgammon free?
Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backgammon NJ HD free?
Backgammon NJ HD costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon or Backgammon NJ HD?
Backgammon NJ HD is rated higher. Backgammon averages 4.4 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Backgammon NJ HD averages 4.5 from 3.6K ratings.
Do Backgammon or Backgammon NJ HD have ads?
Backgammon shows ads; Backgammon NJ HD does not.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon or Backgammon NJ HD?
Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, and Backgammon NJ HD every 5 months. Most recently, Backgammon was updated on October 2, 2026 and Backgammon NJ HD on October 1, 2026.

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