Backgammon Guru vs Backgammon by George
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backgammon Guru
Master the game of backgammon with a powerful AI opponent and tutor. Analyze your games, explore "what-if" scenarios, and improve your strategy with detailed move analysis and equity graphs. Play against the computer or a friend.
- Master-strength AI opponent
- Player-Tutor mode
- Position setup and analysis
- Unlimited undo functionality
- Match analysis with error highlighting (Pro)
- Equity graph and statistical chances
- Supports standard and HyperGammon
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Backgammon Guru & Backgammon Guru Pro are modern backgammon master-strength Players and Tutors based on the world-class neural net engine from gammonlab.com Backgammon Guru and Guru Pro versions feature attractive backgammon boards and support natural checker movement where both dragging and tapping are supported. You can play against the computer or with a friend. Guru & Guru Pro support standard Backgammon as well as HyperGammon. They will also allow you to set up any desired position for play and analysis. Guru & Guru Pro will answer your "what-if" questions, like what if there was a specific roll in a specific position and what's the best possible move there. In the default Player-Tutor mode, e.g. when you are playing against a master-strength AI, Backgammon Guru & Guru Pro will allow you to substitute a random roll with any specific roll of your choice. You will be able to take back and replay multiple moves as Backgammon Guru & Guru Pro support unlimited undo functionality. Backgammon Guru Pro version will analyze your match and color-code your errors in a move list. With Backgammon Guru Pro you will be able to navigate your move list interactively and see where you could have played better. You can also email the match to yourself for further analysis. While Backgammon Guru Pro by default continuosly shows the equity graph, in Backgammon Guru you would also be able to see, upon request, the statistical chances and best possible moves in any position. Backgammon Guru Pro supports 4 different skill levels, multi-point matches, doubling, Crawford rule. Both Guru & Guru Pro indicate pip count for players, support long moves, sound effects and multiple other options. As opposed to Backgammon Guru, Backgammon Guru Pro version has no ads and offers many more options. You can always play Backgammon Live and other games for prizes at GameColony.com
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.
- Play against AI
- Four difficulty levels
- Replay opponent's move
- Get AI hints
- Undo moves
- Shake or tap to roll dice
- Auto-complete moves
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Backgammon Guru at 3.9 against Backgammon by George's 3.1. Backgammon Guru also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (80% vs 56%). Backgammon by George's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 14 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
Both are free to download. Backgammon by George sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backgammon Guru asks for nothing beyond the download.
Backgammon Guru holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon Guru has 87 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Backgammon Guru's written reviews are positive against 56% of Backgammon by George's.
Backgammon Guru ships an update every 14 months, Backgammon by George fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Backgammon Guru | Backgammon by George |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (87 ratings) — better | 3.1 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.7% of reviews — better | 56.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 87 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BPS Software | Graphics Software Labs |
Customer experience
Backgammon Guru
Backgammon by George
Bugs and requests
Backgammon Guru
Reported bugs
8 issues- Board displays all pips as initial position
- Scrambled board display on iPhone 12 with iOS 14
- Game crashes frequently during gameplay
- Server connection issues prevent auto-move functionality
- Game crashes when changing settings
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- Slow and delayed piece animations
- Cramped screen layout with permanent ad banner
- Game doesn't properly handle multiple checkers on bar
Requested features
7 requests- Fix continuous doubles bias in dice rolls
- Improve analysis explanations for why moves are good/bad
- Add volume control separate from on/off toggle
- Better visual feedback for selected pieces
- Improve server connection reliability
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- Make board orientation free feature
- Add more detailed strategy guidance for beginners
Backgammon by George
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Backgammon Guru
No in-app purchases
Backgammon by George
- Ad-Free HARDEST level unlock$2.99
Questions
Is Backgammon Guru free?
Is Backgammon by George free?
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Guru or Backgammon by George?
Do Backgammon Guru or Backgammon by George have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backgammon Guru or Backgammon by George?
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