Backgammon NJ vs Backgammon ∙
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backgammon NJ
Engage in classic backgammon against a sophisticated AI, a friend on the same device, or players worldwide. Improve your skills with tutor mode and hints, and customize your game experience.
- Neural network AI opponent
- Online multiplayer (real-time & turn-based)
- Local 2-player mode
- Tutor Mode and Hints
- Customizable board and checkers
- Match play up to 25 points
- Game Center integration
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● GAME CENTER -- Play online, chat, invite friends, auto-match with random players { Real-time } Play online in real-time { Turn-based } Play online at your own pace ● VERSATILE -- Play offline vs. computer or against another person in 2-player mode ● CUSTOMIZABLE -- More options than any other backgammon app Play & learn backgammon at skill levels ranging from beginner to world-class! Backgammon NJ is a full-featured game which uses an advanced, neural network-based, artificial intelligence. Play against a computer AI, another person in 2-player mode on one device, or online against friends & other players. Using Tutor Mode & Hints, Backgammon NJ can show you how to improve your game! Discriminating players will appreciate how well the AI plays. It uses a neural network trained on millions of positions, a bearoff database, & a match equity table to achieve strong gameplay that will challenge even expert players. REVIEWS "[I] know strong bg play when I see it. This app is the strongest iPhone bg app I've played with by far. It does not cheat period. ...Analyzing these matches with eXtreme Gammon confirms a world class level of play with normal luck factors. If you are losing, get over it. So would 99.9% of the other backgammon players in the world. It is just that good. Learn from it." -Richard Munitz, Giant of Backgammon, #21 world ranking in 2009 "Backgammon NJ plays at an extremely high level with an excellent interface, and I often use it to practice on my iPhone when I am traveling. I recommend it highly to my students and friends." -Phil Simborg, Professional Backgammon Teacher and Player, www.mindgamescenter.com "I've played over 500 games now; I've checked about 5% of these against World Class Desktop programs (GNU, BGBlitz); and I've actually used some of the competition. NJ has the best interface and has more useful functions than any other backgammon apps out there." "For serious backgammon players, Backgammon NJ is the way to go." -Macworld.com, May 2012 IS THIS GAME RIGHT FOR YOU? This game is best for people: • Who recognize the strength of neural network backgammon bots • Who want to improve their game by playing against a world-class level AI • Who will use the in-depth, technical features included in the app to prove that it is honest (https://www.njsoftware.com/note.html) • Who won't expect to win consistently on the higher skill levels FEATURES • Neural network-based AI • 2 game types: Standard Backgammon or Nackgammon • 4 skill levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert • Customizable board design & checker colors • Mersenne Twister algorithm for random number generation • Doubling cube • Single games or match play up to 25 points • Crawford rule for match play • 1-player mode vs. computer • 2-player mode on one device • Game Center: Play real-time or turn-based online matches with friends & other players • Chat with your online opponent • Online Elo & Experience leaderboards • Block list for auto-match • User-friendly, tap-to-move interface • Highlighted checker movement options • Hint & Undo • Learn with Status Meter & Tutor Mode • Game & dice stats, including Elo rating & ER • Match info: GnuBG ID, win chances, equity, top 10 moves, & cube decisions • Email match files • Practice mode with unlimited undo (1-player vs. computer) • Manual match recording mode with unlimited undo & speed mode option • Options to reverse board direction, resign, use one-tap moves, auto bearoff, auto finish, use Jacoby rule, & much more • Match analysis (in-app purchase): Analyze past match files, view moves & errors for match, step through match, jump to position, play from position, save match files permanently IMPORTANT • If an online match ends for any reason, you'll receive the Elo pts you deserve. FAQ: https://gamecenter.njsoftware.com • Contact us for help: https://contact.njsoftware.com
Backgammon ∙
Enjoy the classic board game of Backgammon on your mobile device. Play against friends or a computer opponent with adjustable difficulty. Features include move highlighting, match play, and automatic saving.
- 1 and 2 player modes
- Challenging AI with 3 difficulty levels
- Highlighting of possible moves
- Match play to configurable points
- Undo function
- Automatic save
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Play the classic game of Backgammon on your iPhone or iPod Touch for free! Backgammon Free is the best free Backgammon app available for iOS. Backgammon Free supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Backgammon Free includes a host of exciting features, including: • Outstanding AI with three difficulty levels • Highlighting of possible moves • One touch or double touch move entry • Match play to a configurable number of points • Undo function • Configurable player names and score tracking • Automatic save when you exit or suspend the app • Great graphics and awesome sound effects If you've been looking for a great Backgammon app for your iPhone or iPod Touch, look no further. Download Backgammon Free today!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Backgammon ∙ at Free against Backgammon NJ's $4.99. Backgammon ∙ also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (80K vs 1.5K). Backgammon NJ's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 months). On rating, device support and iOS requirement 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
Backgammon ∙ is free to download; Backgammon NJ costs $4.99 up front. Backgammon NJ sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Backgammon ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Backgammon NJ against 4.5 for Backgammon ∙. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon ∙ has 80K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of Backgammon NJ's written reviews are positive against 26% of Backgammon ∙'s.
Backgammon NJ ships an update every 9 days, Backgammon ∙ every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backgammon NJ | Backgammon ∙ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (1.5K ratings) | 4.5 (80K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.9% of reviews — better | 26.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K | 80K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #44 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 127 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jimmy Hu | Optime Software LLC |
Customer experience
Backgammon NJ
Backgammon ∙
User reviews
Backgammon NJ
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent gameplay
- 🤖 Challenging AI opponent
- 📊 Detailed game analysis and statistics
- 👍 Smooth and intuitive interface
- 🏆 Helps improve player skills
Room to improve
- 🎲 Perceived unfairness in dice rolls
- 🤖 AI opponent seen as cheating or having an unfair advantage
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Expensive for a mobile game
Backgammon ∙
From 80K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Good visuals and interface
- 🕰 Great for passing time
Room to improve
- 🎲 Unfair dice rolls favoring the computer
- 🤖 Computer AI cheats on higher difficulty levels
- 💢 Frustrating when computer gets perfect rolls
- 🔍 Lack of randomness in dice rolls
Bugs and requests
Backgammon NJ
Reported bugs
3 issues- Forced moves not always the best option
- Inconsistent behavior in auto-bear-off mode
- Online games prone to disconnections and timeouts
Requested features
4 requests- Manual dice roll option to verify randomness
- Ability to set custom difficulty levels
- Online multiplayer with chat functionality
- Improved tutorial and learning resources
Backgammon ∙
Reported bugs
2 issues- Game resets in the middle of a match
- Ads cover the screen and are difficult to close
Requested features
3 requests- Add option to see game statistics and win/loss record
- Improve randomness of dice rolls
- Adjust AI difficulty to be more challenging but fair
In-app purchases
Backgammon NJ
- Analysis Package$2.99
- Online VIP$2.99
- Power User$4.99
Backgammon ∙
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Backgammon NJ free?
Is Backgammon ∙ free?
Which has better reviews, Backgammon NJ or Backgammon ∙?
Do Backgammon NJ or Backgammon ∙ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backgammon NJ or Backgammon ∙?
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