Comparison

iGammon vs Backgammon Mastery

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 Mastery

Features
Read full description

Enhance your backgammon skills with quizzes focused on your weak spots. Explore over 75,000 challenging positions from elite tournament players, featuring errors in checker plays and cube decisions. Select quizzes using a variety of position filters to tailor your practice. Test yourself and see if you can make the right moves! Build your personalized database by extracting positions from match files analyzed by eXtreme Gammon. Automatically update your database with positions that were played incorrectly for efficient review and improvement. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Subscribe now and enjoy a 3-day free trial (first time users only). Cancel anytime before the trial ends to avoid charges.

Screenshots

iGammon4 screens
Backgammon Mastery4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iGammon at none against Backgammon Mastery's 2. iGammon also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.6). Backgammon Mastery's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). 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 Mastery sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. iGammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iGammon ships an update every 3 months, Backgammon Mastery every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iGammon versus Backgammon Mastery: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriGammonBackgammon Mastery
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (85 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews23.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings85 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB133 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTom KeithFreddie Noer

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 Mastery

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iGammon

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Backgammon Mastery

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Annual subscription3 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is iGammon free?
iGammon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Backgammon Mastery free?
Backgammon Mastery is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do iGammon or Backgammon Mastery have ads?
Neither iGammon nor Backgammon Mastery shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iGammon or Backgammon Mastery?
iGammon ships an update every 3 months, and Backgammon Mastery every 9 days. Most recently, iGammon was updated on October 22, 2026 and Backgammon Mastery on October 10, 2026.

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