iGammon vs Backgammon by George
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iGammon
Enjoy classic backgammon with a user-friendly interface. Play against AI or friends, with options for different game modes and helpful features like hints and an undo button. Improve your strategy and have fun playing anytime.
- Play against AI or friends
- Table stakes and match play modes
- Doubling cube with Jacoby and Beaver rules
- Undo button and hint feature
- Autoplay and fast-forward options
- Choose direction and checker colors
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Play backgammon against the computer or your friends. You'll have a lot of fun and you'll see your backgammon game steadily improve! "The interface in iGammon is clean and easy to use. Best of all, it just works." ---------------- FEATURES: • Large board and checkers • Fast animation • Autoplay forced moves • Fast-forward plays both sides to the end of the game for you • Undo button lets you to take back moves • Running pip counts • Choose direction of play and checker colours • Human-vs-human play. Use your iPad or iPhone as a traveling backgammon board! • Hint feature gives you a suggestion if you can't decide what to do *** Try the Hint feature! Just watch the lightbulb (hint indicator) to see if it disappears when you finish your move. If so, you can pick up the dice knowing you've make the best move. Otherwise, try something else or tap on the lightbulb to see the computer's suggestion. ---------------- MODES OF PLAY There are two modes of play: "table stakes" or "match play". In TABLE STAKES, you and your opponent start with an equal number of chips. The goal is to collect all the chips before your opponent does. Use the doubling cube to increase the stakes. If you play with the "Jacoby rule", gammons and backgammon don't count unless the cube has been turned. If you play with the "Beavers rule", a player who accepts a double may immediately redouble and still keep the cube. In MATCH PLAY, the goal is to be the first player to reach a specified total number of points. Use the doubling cube to increase the stakes. The "Crawford rule" takes the doubling cube out of play for one game when a player gets to within one point of winning. You offer a double by sliding the cube over to your opponent's side of the board. Opponent can accept the double by pressing "Take" (the game continues at twice the previous stakes), or reject the double by pressing "Pass" (he loses the game and must pay the previous stakes.) ---------------- COMPUTER PLAYER The computer AI is VERY strong. There are two levels of play: Average and Strong. Both are fun and challenging. ---------------- Thank you for all the suggestions. If you have a feature you'd like to see, please email me at tom@bkgm.com. Many user suggestions have already been incorporated into this app. I hope you enjoy iGammon. Thank you for playing! Tom Keith, August 2017
Backgammon by George
Experience the classic board game on your iPhone or iPad. Play against an AI with adjustable difficulty, get hints, undo moves, and customize your game with various settings. Perfect for both casual players and those looking to hone their skills.
- Play against AI
- Four difficulty levels
- Replay opponent's move
- Get AI hints
- Undo moves
- Shake or tap to roll dice
- Auto-complete moves
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Master the ultimate game of strategy with the neural-network-powered Backgammon app. Play against the AI at four levels of difficulty. REPLAY the most recent opponent's move. Get a HINT from AI to help you with your next move, or UNDO your most recent move. ROLL your dice with a shake, or with a single tap. AUTO COMPLETE a move with a single tap on your stone. Use the SETTINGS menu to select board style, enable or disable sounds, control speed of the stone animations, and more. Use the HELP screens to learn about the game. A quote from http://www.65cubes.com/windows-shopping-backgammon.html: "Backgammon, by George is one of those which gambling players consider as an ancient backgammon program... But do not laugh at it. Some of the most successful gambling players confess that they have started humbly by practicing backgammon with Backgammon by George." Art by Miguel. Programming by George!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Backgammon by George at 3.1 against iGammon's 1.9. Backgammon by George also leads on review sentiment (55% vs 23%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). iGammon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (85 vs 12). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Backgammon by George sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iGammon asks for nothing beyond the download.
Backgammon by George holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iGammon has 85 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of iGammon's written reviews are positive against 55% of Backgammon by George's.
iGammon ships an update every 3 months, Backgammon by George fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iGammon | Backgammon by George |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.9 (85 ratings) | 3.1 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 23.2% of reviews | 55.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 85 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tom Keith | Graphics Software Labs |
Customer experience
iGammon
Backgammon by George
Bugs and requests
iGammon
Reported bugs
2 issues- Dice disappear as soon as they are rolled
- Incompatible with older devices
Requested features
6 requests- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Ability to play matches (7-point etc) with appropriate cube play from the program
- Option to reverse the board
- Sound
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- Ability to change the board or the color of the checkers
Backgammon by George
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iGammon
No in-app purchases
Backgammon by George
- Ad-Free HARDEST level unlock$2.99
Questions
Is iGammon free?
Is Backgammon by George free?
Which has better reviews, iGammon or Backgammon by George?
Do iGammon or Backgammon by George have ads?
Which is updated more often, iGammon or Backgammon by George?
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