Comparison

True Backgammon vs Hardwood Backgammon Pro

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

Head to head
About

True Backgammon

Engage in classic backgammon against challenging computer opponents or human players online. Customize your game with various board designs and difficulty levels. Connect with friends for local or online matches.

Highlights
  • Play against computer or humans
  • Three difficulty levels
  • Modern and ornate board designs
  • In-app purchase for world-class AI
  • Local and online multiplayer
  • Voice chat with opponents
  • Optimized for iOS
Features
Read full description

One of the most successful backgammon games on the iPad/iPhone, one of the most powerful computer opponents in the world. ALL THE FACTS IN UNDER 30 SECONDS * Play against computer or humans. Choose from three difficulty levels. Play on a cool modern wood or metal board, or choose from beautiful and richly ornamented optional boards. Play from left or right or play using black or white checkers. Play against friends in the same room or play against people anywhere on the Internet. Your choice, your game. * One of the best backgammon AI in the world (BGBlitz) is available as an in-app purchase as your opponent or tutor. Find out how good you already are and let BGBlitz teach you how to get better. After all, who doesn't like to win? * Connect with friends by playing with them in 2-player mode on the same device or anywhere in the world over the network. An occasional game is a great way to stay in touch with friends or to meet new people. * Available for iPad and iPhone (iOS 15 or later). Optimised for the latest iOS. * You could be playing backgammon like never before in less than a minute. What are you waiting for? STILL NOT CONVINCED? READ MORE… ALWAYS READY WHEN YOU ARE - COMPUTER OPPONENT Whether in the middle of the night or during your coffee break, your computer is always ready for a match. Choose from three difficulty levels to suit your skill level. For those who want to play only the best, a world-class artificial intelligence opponent is available as an in-app purchase. Casual play or competitive match? True Backgammon has an opponent for you that is fun to play with or that is a teeth grinding challenge. PLAY WITH PEOPLE NEAR YOU - GAME BOARD MODE Imagine you are with friends and want to pass the time with a game? Or are you on the train playing against the computer and one of your fellow commuters turns out to be a backgammon player too? You don't need to carry around a real board with you all the time. Instead, True Backgammon is your board. CONNECT WITH FRIENDS OR PLAY AGAINST RANDOM OPPONENTS ONLINE - GAME CENTER Would you rather play against a human than an AI, but there is no opponent in sight? Join the growing community of people playing True Backgammon online every day on an iPad, iPhone, iPod, iMac or MacBook. There's always someone ready to play. And not only can you play with them, you can talk to them using the built-in voice chat. BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER - GAME BOARDS We didn't just want to make good AI and smooth gameplay, we also wanted to make it look good. No, not just good... we wanted them to look drop dead gorgeous. We found a skilled designer and then tortured him with feedback until we were satisfied. The result is two boards (metal and wood) that look awesome, while offering little visual distraction to keep you focused on your strategy. And for those who love a little distraction, we let the designer run wild with a selection of (optional) fancy boards, rich in decoration and beautiful detail. Which is your favourite? AAAND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOARD, A MULTI-OLYMPIC CHAMPION AI - BEEE GEEEE BLITZ From time to time there is an Olympic tournament for backgammon programs. We have persuaded the creator of the three-time winner BGBlitz to make his AI available to True Backgammon users. This AI is a world class opponent for those who want to play only the best. And it is a patient tutor. BGBlitz offers a tutor mode that will point out moves that are not optimal and show you better ones. It also gives you statistics, and you can export your current game to the common SGF format to analyse it with other applications like XG2, BGBlitz or gnuBG. WHAT ELSE CAN WE SAY? To cut a long story short, we have put a lot of effort into this application, not only in the gameplay, but on every level. If you choose it, we are sure you will not be disappointed.

About

Hardwood Backgammon Pro

Experience the classic board game with a modern twist. Play against AI or players worldwide with customizable boards, dice, and checkers. Enjoy achievements and immersive environments for endless fun.

Highlights
  • Single player vs. AI
  • Online multiplayer
  • 2 player local mode
  • Full match play with doubling cube
  • Customizable boards, dice, and checkers
  • Achievements
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Pull up a chair at the Hardwood Inn. Backgammon is one of the oldest games in the world -- and Hardwood Backgammon has been bringing players together for over 20 years. Whether you're a seasoned player or just learning the board, you'll find a welcoming atmosphere, good company, and a great game. If you're tired of board games dressed up as casinos, you've found your Hardwood Inn. Play online with players worldwide, challenge a friend sitting next to you, or test yourself against our world-class Neural Net AI. For the ultimate face-to-face experience, our exclusive Tablet Board Mode lets you place your device flat on the table like a real backgammon board -- the UI flips automatically between players on each turn. Why Players Keep Coming Back: • Ad-free experience -- no interruptions, ever • World-Class AI: Neural Net engine plays like a real opponent, not a pushover • Play Anywhere: Solo, online, or local multiplayer -- no internet required for solo • Tablet Board Mode: Place your device flat and play face-to-face just like a real board • Full Match Play with doubling cube support • Competitive Edge: Online tournaments and global leaderboards • Immersive Experience: Stunning environments and high-quality audio • Total Customization: Unique boards, checkers, dice, and backgrounds -- available with tokens, purchasable anytime Sign in with your Hardwood account across all our games and your cosmetics come with you. One collection, every game. Want online chat, rated games, and 200 tokens every month? Plus membership is optional and affordable -- your first 30 days are on us. More Hardwood Games: • Hardwood Spades -- the classic trick taking game • Hardwood Euchre -- Jacks are Trump • Hardwood Hearts -- avoid the points • Video Poker Duel -- competitive Video poker for two Prefer a quiet game alone? All of our games can be played solo -- but for the ultimate single player experience, check out Hardwood Solitaire IV, also available on the App Store. Questions, suggestions, or found an issue? We love hearing from our players at support@silvercrk.com ____________________ Hardwood Games Subscriptions are optional and available at a rate of 1 month for $4.99, 3 months for $14.99 or 1 year for $29.99. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions will auto-renew unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Your subscriptions can be managed from your iTunes account settings. Cancellation of subscriptions is not allowed. Our privacy policy may be viewed at http://www.hardwoodgames.com/about/privacy/ Our terms of service may be viewed at http://www.hardwoodgames.com/about/terms/

Screenshots

True Backgammon4 screens
Hardwood Backgammon Pro3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Hardwood Backgammon Pro at 4.7 against True Backgammon's 4.3. Hardwood Backgammon Pro also leads on price ($0.99 vs $3.99) and review sentiment (57% vs 48%). True Backgammon's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 15) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

True Backgammon costs $3.99 and Hardwood Backgammon Pro $0.99 up front. True Backgammon sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Hardwood Backgammon Pro sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hardwood Backgammon Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: True Backgammon has 2.6K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of True Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 57% of Hardwood Backgammon Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

True Backgammon ships an update fortnightly, Hardwood Backgammon Pro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
True Backgammon versus Hardwood Backgammon Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrue BackgammonHardwood Backgammon Pro
Price$3.99$0.99 — better
Rating4.3 (2.6K ratings)4.7 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.9% of reviews57.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.6K — better15
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#33 — better#186
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB95 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperCompuLab, Markus GömmelSilver Creek Entertainment

Customer experience

True Backgammon

All ratings2,649 ratings
Positive82.3%
Neutral5.2%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews472 reviews
Positive47.9%
Neutral8.5%
Negative43.6%

Hardwood Backgammon Pro

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral9.5%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

True Backgammon

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Dice not registering correctly
  • Game freezing or becoming unresponsive
  • Issues with the human-computer move synchronization

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to play against other human players online
  • More customization options for the board and pieces
  • Detailed player statistics and progress tracking
  • Improved doubling cube functionality

Hardwood Backgammon Pro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

True Backgammon

One-time12
  • Playboard Orient 3$0.99
  • Playboard Neon 1$0.99
  • Playboard Neon 3$0.99
Show 9 more
  • Playboard Orient 1$0.99
  • Playboard Orient 2$0.99
  • Playboard Leather$0.99
  • Playboard Neon 2$0.99
  • Neon Package$1.99
  • Orient Package$1.99
  • BGBlitz Tutor$1.99
  • BGBlitz Gameplay Engine$3.99
  • BGBlitz Package$4.99
15 purchases

Hardwood Backgammon Pro

Subscriptions4
  • Plus Membership$4.991 Month
  • Plus Membership$14.993 Months
  • Plus Membership$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • 12 Month Plus Membership$29.991 Year
One-time11
  • Pack of 80 Tokens$0.99
  • Pack of 165 Tokens$1.99
  • Plus Membership$2.99
Show 8 more
  • Pack of 425 Tokens$4.99
  • 1 Month Plus Membership$4.99
  • Pack of 865 Tokens$9.99
  • Plus Membership$19.99
  • Pack of 1800 Tokens$19.99
  • 12 Month Plus Membership$29.99
  • Plus Membership$29.99
  • 12 Month Plus Membership$34.99

Questions

Is True Backgammon free?
True Backgammon costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Hardwood Backgammon Pro free?
Hardwood Backgammon Pro costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, True Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon Pro?
Hardwood Backgammon Pro is rated higher. True Backgammon averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Hardwood Backgammon Pro averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do True Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon Pro have ads?
Neither True Backgammon nor Hardwood Backgammon Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, True Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon Pro?
True Backgammon ships an update fortnightly, and Hardwood Backgammon Pro every 2 months. Most recently, True Backgammon was updated on September 22, 2026 and Hardwood Backgammon Pro on September 9, 2026.
Which is more popular, True Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon Pro?
True Backgammon currently peaks at #33 in the App Store charts, and Hardwood Backgammon Pro at #186. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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