Backgammon HD vs Leon's Mahjong
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backgammon HD
Experience the classic board game with a modern twist. Play against friends or strangers online, challenge the AI, and compete on leaderboards. Offers multiple game variations and visually rich board designs.
- Online multiplayer with Game Center
- Background match-making
- Turn-based and live online play
- Play against AI (Easy, Medium, Hard)
- Bluetooth peer-to-peer multiplayer
- Multiple board designs
- Game variations (Old English, Nackgammon)
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Play the #1 Backgammon on the App Store! Now with the best online Backgammon experience with background match-making and two ways to play online: Turn-based gameplay or live games via Game Center. Challenge your friends, play against random opponents, compete for leaderboard glory, and earn achievements. - - - - - - ** Recommended by MacWorld as a Top Download for your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad in their November 2010 issue. ** “Backgammon Premium is the crème-de-la-crème ‘gammon’” 9 out of 10 stars Appaddicts.com! ** Nominated for “best dice game of 2009 in the 2009 Best App Ever Awards hosted by bestappever.com! - - - - - - Backgammon is believed to have started in Persia, eventually finding its way to Britain with the Roman conquest in the 1st century and was played by Emperor Claudius who even had his carriage equipped with a playing board! It became such a gambling mania that it was declared illegal under the Republic. Playing on the history of the game, there are 6 visually pleasing, rich board designs; Egyptian, Roman, Medieval, Victorian, Modern and Classic. We also offer, out of the box, two classic game variations: “Old English” and Nackgammon. “Old English” is the most popular game variation in England. Nackgammon is a more challenging variation designed to add more creativity and skill to the game. With integrated Bluetooth Peer-to-Peer support you can play with your friends over Bluetooth with no network required! You can also play against the computer in either Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulties. Features: - Play online: Live with Game Center - Background match-making: search for opponents while you play! - Universal. Play on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad - Single Player Games (with Easy, Medium, or Hard) - Match support! Play to 3, 5, 9 or 15 points with Doubling. Matches use the Crawford Rule - On the phone Multiplayer and Bluetooth peer to peer games - Move-Assist, highlights available moves - Unlimited “Undo” in single-player games - Extensive game statistics
Leon's Mahjong
Experience a classic Mahjong solitaire game with a unique retro pixel art style. Enjoy 63 handcrafted boards, offline play, and no intrusive ads or in-app purchases. This timeless game offers a peaceful, ad-free experience.
- Retro pixel art graphics
- 63 handcrafted Mahjong boards
- Offline play
- No ads or popups
- No in-app purchases
- Family sharing
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This is a calm, handcrafted Mahjong solitaire experience, designed to help you unwind. Your quiet moment at the end of the day. Beautifully designed boards, rendered in a warm retro pixel-art style, and the simple satisfaction of solving them. What you get • 99 handcrafted, always-solvable boards, from quick sessions to deeper challenges. • 5 tilesets to choose from, switchable in real time, with more on the way. • Unlimited hints and undos, so you never get stuck. • Over an hour of original music by composer Bjørn Lynne. • Play in 15 languages across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. • Now you can also play with an MFi game controller! • Buy once, all future updates included. No ads. No tracking. No in-app purchases. No internet required. Why this game exists This game is a tribute to my father, who introduced me to Mahjong in the 1980s. He passed away before my son Leon was born, so they never met. Leon helped shape the game as its youngest (and loudest) stakeholder. In a small way, this game became a bridge between them. Three generations. One love for games. Lucas and Leon
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Backgammon HD at Free against Leon's Mahjong's $0.99. Backgammon HD also leads on ratings volume (3K vs 70) and iOS requirement (13 vs 15.0). Leon's Mahjong's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On rating, review sentiment, in-app purchases 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
Backgammon HD is free to download; Leon's Mahjong costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Backgammon HD against 4.5 for Leon's Mahjong. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon HD has 3K ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Backgammon HD's written reviews are positive against 84% of Leon's Mahjong's.
Backgammon HD ships an update every 2 months, Leon's Mahjong monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backgammon HD | Leon's Mahjong |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (3K ratings) — better | 4.5 (70 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 84.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3K — better | 70 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #112 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 328 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | WildCard Classics Inc | Lucas Dima |
Customer experience
Backgammon HD
Leon's Mahjong
Bugs and requests
Backgammon HD
Reported bugs
3 issues- Counting errors on goals
- Pieces not lining up on board
- Crashes when about to win
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to invite friends to play
- More challenging difficulty levels
- Acey-Deucey game mode
Leon's Mahjong
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Backgammon HD
No in-app purchases
Leon's Mahjong
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Backgammon HD free?
Is Leon's Mahjong free?
Which has better reviews, Backgammon HD or Leon's Mahjong?
Do Backgammon HD or Leon's Mahjong have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backgammon HD or Leon's Mahjong?
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