Comparison

iGammon vs Backgammon by George

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • Play against AI
  • Four difficulty levels
  • Replay opponent's move
  • Get AI hints
  • Undo moves
  • Shake or tap to roll dice
  • Auto-complete moves
Features
Read full description

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

iGammon4 screens
Backgammon by George4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Backgammon by George sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iGammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
iGammon versus Backgammon by George: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriGammonBackgammon by George
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (85 ratings)3.1 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews23.2% of reviews55.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings85 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTom KeithGraphics Software Labs

Customer experience

iGammon

All ratings84 ratings
Positive15.5%
Neutral7.1%
Negative77.4%
Written reviews220 reviews
Positive23.2%
Neutral6.8%
Negative70.0%

Backgammon by George

All ratings10 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral10.5%
Negative34.2%

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
Show 1 more
  • 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

None

iGammon

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Backgammon by George

One-time1
  • Ad-Free HARDEST level unlock$2.99

Questions

Is iGammon free?
iGammon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Backgammon by George free?
Backgammon by George is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iGammon or Backgammon by George?
Backgammon by George is rated higher. iGammon averages 1.9 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Backgammon by George averages 3.1 from 12 ratings.
Do iGammon or Backgammon by George have ads?
Neither iGammon nor Backgammon by George shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iGammon or Backgammon by George?
iGammon ships an update every 3 months, and Backgammon by George fortnightly. Most recently, iGammon was updated on October 22, 2026 and Backgammon by George on October 27, 2026.

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