Comparison

Backgammon vs Backgammon by Staple Games

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 by Staple Games

Experience the classic game of Backgammon with a focus on simplicity and pure enjoyment. This app offers clean graphics and intuitive controls for an undistracted gameplay experience. It's designed for players who appreciate the core mechanics of the game.

Highlights
  • Pure Backgammon gameplay
  • Simple and classic design
  • Easy-to-use controls
  • Clean graphics
  • No distractions
Features
Read full description

Backgammon at its best.  Dive into the pure essence of Backgammon with our app. Celebrate the simplicity and classic nature of Backgammon. With easy-to-use controls and clean graphics, our Backgammon app offers nothing but the game you love. No distractions, no excess—just pure Backgammon enjoyment.

Screenshots

Backgammon4 screens
Backgammon by Staple Games4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backgammon by Staple Games at none against Backgammon's 2. Backgammon by Staple Games also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Backgammon's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 47%) and ratings volume (15K vs 2.5K). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. Backgammon sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Backgammon by Staple Games asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backgammon by Staple Games holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon has 15K ratings behind it against 2.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 47% of Backgammon by Staple Games's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, Backgammon by Staple Games every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Backgammon versus Backgammon by Staple Games: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammonBackgammon by Staple Games
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (15K ratings)4.7 (2.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews — better47.3% of reviews
Number of ratings15K — better2.5K
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB171 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperWildCard Classics IncStaple Games

Customer experience

Backgammon

All ratings14,844 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews1,403 reviews
Positive65.4%
Neutral10.1%
Negative24.5%

Backgammon by Staple Games

All ratings2,484 ratings
Positive91.9%
Neutral6.4%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral23.6%
Negative29.1%

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 by Staple Games

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast gameplay
  • 👍 Simple and good design
  • 🎨 Great art style

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Dice rolls seem unfair
  • 👎 User-unfriendly interface
  • 🎨 Hard to see game pieces
  • 💰 Too many ads

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 by Staple Games

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Incorrect move counting
  • Game gets stuck on ads

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add doubling cube feature
  • Improve AI difficulty settings
  • Add undo/cancel button
  • Provide rules and procedures

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Backgammon

One-time2
  • Christmas Theme$0.99
  • Acey Deucey$1.99
None

Backgammon by Staple Games

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backgammon free?
Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backgammon by Staple Games free?
Backgammon by Staple Games is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon or Backgammon by Staple Games?
Backgammon by Staple Games is rated higher. Backgammon averages 4.4 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Backgammon by Staple Games averages 4.7 from 2.5K ratings.
Do Backgammon or Backgammon by Staple Games have ads?
Both Backgammon and Backgammon by Staple Games show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon or Backgammon by Staple Games?
Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, and Backgammon by Staple Games every 3 months. Most recently, Backgammon was updated on September 25, 2026 and Backgammon by Staple Games on September 26, 2026.

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