Comparison

Backgammon vs Hardwood Backgammon

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

Hardwood Backgammon

Experience the classic board game with this digital adaptation. Play against a strong AI, challenge friends locally, or compete with players worldwide. Features include full match play, a doubling cube, and engaging achievements.

Highlights
  • Single player vs AI
  • Online multiplayer
  • 2 player local mode
  • Full match play
  • Doubling cube
  • Achievements
Features
Read full description

Pull up a chair at the Hardwood Inn. Backgammon is one of the oldest games in the world -- and Hardwood Backgammon has been bringing players together for over 20 years. Whether you're a seasoned player or just learning the board, you'll find a welcoming atmosphere, good company, and a great game. Free to play, always. If you're tired of board games dressed up as casinos, you've found your Hardwood Inn. Play online with players worldwide, challenge a friend sitting next to you, or test yourself against our world-class Neural Net AI. For the ultimate face-to-face experience, our exclusive Tablet Board Mode lets you place your device flat on the table like a real backgammon board -- the UI flips automatically between players on each turn. Why Players Keep Coming Back: • A Mature Community: Moderated and friendly -- sportsmanship comes first • World-Class AI: Neural Net engine plays like a real opponent, not a pushover • Play Anywhere: Solo, online, or local multiplayer -- no internet required for solo • Tablet Board Mode: Place your device flat and play face-to-face just like a real board • Full Match Play with doubling cube support • Competitive Edge: Online tournaments and global leaderboards • Immersive Experience: Stunning environments and high-quality audio • Total Customization: Unique boards, checkers, dice, and backgrounds -- available with tokens, purchasable anytime Sign in with your Hardwood account across all our games and your cosmetics come with you. One collection, every game. Want chat, rated games, an ad-free experience, and 200 tokens every month? Plus membership is optional and affordable. More Hardwood Games: • Hardwood Spades -- the classic trick taking game • Hardwood Euchre -- Jacks are Trump • Hardwood Hearts -- avoid the points • Video Poker Duel -- competitive video poker for two Prefer a quiet game alone? All of our games can be played solo -- but for the ultimate single player experience, check out Hardwood Solitaire IV, also available on the App Store. Questions, suggestions, or found an issue? We love hearing from our players at support@silvercrk.com ____________________ Hardwood Games Subscriptions are optional and available at a rate of 1 month for $4.99, 3 months for $14.99 or 1 year for $29.99. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions will auto-renew unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Your subscriptions can be managed from your iTunes account settings. Cancellation of subscriptions is not allowed. Our privacy policy may be viewed at http://www.hardwoodgames.com/about/privacy/ Our terms of service may be viewed at http://www.hardwoodgames.com/about/terms/

Screenshots

Backgammon4 screens
Hardwood Backgammon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Backgammon at 15K against Hardwood Backgammon's 166. Hardwood Backgammon's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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 and Hardwood Backgammon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. 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 4.3 for Hardwood Backgammon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon has 15K ratings behind it against 166, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, Hardwood Backgammon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Backgammon versus Hardwood Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammonHardwood Backgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (15K ratings) — better4.3 (166 ratings)
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews — better62.5% of reviews
Number of ratings15K — better166
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB105 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperWildCard Classics IncSilver Creek Entertainment

Customer experience

Backgammon

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

Hardwood Backgammon

All ratings166 ratings
Positive82.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral8.8%
Negative28.7%

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

Hardwood Backgammon

From 166 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 High-quality graphics and visual design
  • 🎵 Relaxing sound effects and audio
  • 👍 Clean, intuitive interface
  • 🎮 Multiple game modes (single and multiplayer)
  • ⚡ Minimal ads and non-intrusive monetization

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Perceived unfair/rigged dice rolls favoring AI
  • 😤 Computer gets excessive doubles and perfect rolls
  • 🔒 Paywall features and token-based progression
  • 📱 Game board too small on large screens
  • 🐢 Game performance issues and slowness

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

Hardwood Backgammon

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App fails to load on some devices
  • Apple TV version blocks legal moves
  • Controls unresponsive on Apple TV
  • Unclear how to enable local multiplayer between devices
  • Game becomes unresponsive during gameplay

Requested features

8 requests
  • Acey-Deucey game variant
  • Larger, scalable game board for tablets
  • Better difficulty settings based on strategy, not just dice manipulation
  • More multiplayer players available
  • Customizable game rules and settings
Show 3 more
  • Ability to select teammates in multiplayer
  • Penalty system for players who quit mid-game
  • Improved Apple TV compatibility and local multiplayer

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Backgammon

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

Hardwood Backgammon

Subscriptions6
  • Plus Membership$4.991 Month
  • 1 Month Plus Membership$4.991 Month
  • Plus Membership$14.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • 3 Month Plus Membership$14.993 Months
  • Plus Membership$29.991 Year
  • 12 Month Plus Membership$29.991 Year
One-time10
  • Pack of 80 Tokens$0.99
  • Pack of 165 Tokens$1.99
  • Plus Membership$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Pack of 425 Tokens$4.99
  • 1 Month Plus Membership$4.99
  • Plus Membership$4.99
  • Pack of 865 Tokens$9.99
  • Plus Membership$14.99
  • Plus Membership$19.99
  • Pack of 1800 Tokens$19.99

Questions

Is Backgammon free?
Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hardwood Backgammon free?
Hardwood Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon?
Backgammon is rated higher. Backgammon averages 4.4 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Hardwood Backgammon averages 4.3 from 166 ratings.
Do Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon have ads?
Both Backgammon and Hardwood Backgammon show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon?
Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, and Hardwood Backgammon every 2 months. Most recently, Backgammon was updated on September 25, 2026 and Hardwood Backgammon on September 19, 2026.

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