Backgammon Masters vs Hardwood Backgammon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backgammon Masters
Experience the classic board game with modern graphics and multiple variations. Play against AI, friends, or online opponents in tournaments, with customizable profiles and live chat. Enjoy fair dice rolls and track your progress with extensive statistics.
- Multiple backgammon styles (Narde, Tavla, Nackgammon)
- Online multiplayer and AI opponent modes
- Daily tournaments
- Hotseat mode for local play
- Customizable profiles and global chat
- Fair and verifiable dice rolls
- Extensive game statistics
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Want to learn how to play backgammon wherever you go? You are in luck! Backgammon Masters is an aesthetically pleasing game for online and single player backgammon. Enjoy the ancient board game in crisp, modern graphics on your smartphone or tablet! All board game fans will appreciate the easy to use interface, detailed visuals and many features. There is something for everybody! You can personalise your profile, challenge online players, make bets, gammon opponents, participate in tournaments, chat live, find new friends and learn all the tricks of this ancient and exciting board game! Want to play with friends and family? Easy! Play with your friends in hotseat mode, organise tournaments and improve your skill! Out on a trip and have no internet connection? Just challenge our AI in any backgammon style you wish! One match will take you only 5 to 30 minutes. Backgammon Masters supports many styles of backgammon: » Classic backgammon - the core of the game. » Narde (Nardi) - very popular in Russia. Longer play, since you can't hit opponent's checkers. » Tavla (Tavli or Turkish Backgammon) - popular in Turkey. Very similar to backgammon with some rule differences regarding checker play. » Nackgammon - variation invented by Nack Ballard with 2 differences from the original game. » Old English Backgammon - a style popular in United Kingdom. Despite the game's old age millions of people all around the world still enjoy this fantastic board game and its variations up to this day. Join and become a true Master of Backgammon! Game Features: ● 5 backgammon styles: Backgammon, Narde, Nackgammon, Old English and Tavla ● 3 game modes: Online game, against AI, and Hotseat ● 100% fair and completely random dice rolls ● Option to check dice fairness in the game in your profile and on the server ● 6 beautiful boards: Classic, Metal, 10,000BC, Profi, Casino and White Crocodile! ● 2 difficulty levels in game vs AI ● Daily tournaments in Backgammon, Narde, Tavla and Nackgammon ● Extensive statistics for the last match ● Share your success on Facebook or Twitter! ● Highlighting of available moves ● Find new friends and opponents in global chat! ● Elo score support and skill levels for players. Can you reach the top? ● Free and regular updates! ● Collect daily free bonus coins! ● Multi language support: Russian, German and Turkish translations! ● Cross platform support for devices all over the world! Internet access is required upon first launch of the app in order to download additional resources (size up to 100 Mb). Online play requires an internet connection. Here is what our players are saying about Backgammon Masters: “I had tried many backgammon apps: Backgammon NJ, Backgammon Deluxe, Backgammon Live, Backgammon Ace, Backgammon Gold, but I really think Backgammon Masters is the best and most exciting backgammon app currently available in the market! I play it with my friends and family all the time!" "To put it simply, Backgammon Masters is one gorgeous looking application." -- TheiPhoneAppReview "The game is exactly what a backgammon app should be. It has a great look, detailed instructions, and is faithful to the original game. The number of match-making offerings is impressive and the controls are easy to use." -- 148apps Like us and follow us for the latest news, updates and free offers: » http://www.facebook.com/2KBLLC » http://www.twitter.com/2kbcompany If you enjoy Backgammon Masters, leave us a rating! We listen to our players and work constantly to improve the game and make it better.
Hardwood Backgammon
Experience the classic board game with this digital adaptation. Play against a strong AI, challenge friends locally, or compete with players worldwide. Features include full match play, a doubling cube, and engaging achievements.
- Single player vs AI
- Online multiplayer
- 2 player local mode
- Full match play
- Doubling cube
- Achievements
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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. Free to play, always. 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: • A Mature Community: Moderated and friendly -- sportsmanship comes first • 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 chat, rated games, an ad-free experience, and 200 tokens every month? Plus membership is optional and affordable. 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Hardwood Backgammon at 4.3 against Backgammon Masters's 3.8. Hardwood Backgammon also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 34%). Backgammon Masters's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 166). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Masters sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Hardwood Backgammon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Hardwood Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon Masters has 1.1K ratings behind it against 166, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Backgammon Masters's written reviews are positive against 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's.
Backgammon Masters ships an update fortnightly, Hardwood Backgammon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backgammon Masters | Hardwood Backgammon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (1.1K ratings) | 4.3 (166 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | 62.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 166 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 329 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | 2KB LLC | Silver Creek Entertainment |
Customer experience
Backgammon Masters
Hardwood Backgammon
User reviews
Backgammon Masters
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fair dice rolls
- 🎨 Excellent graphics and visuals
- 💬 Good communication options with opponents
- 🕹️ Smooth gameplay and intuitive controls
Room to improve
- 🎲 Unfair dice rolls favoring opponents
- 🤖 Rigged algorithm to force losses
- 💰 Monetization tactics to force in-app purchases
- 🛑 Inability to block or avoid certain players
Hardwood Backgammon
From 166 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 High-quality graphics and visual design
- 🎵 Relaxing sound effects and audio
- 👍 Clean, intuitive interface
- 🎮 Multiple game modes (single and multiplayer)
- ⚡ Minimal ads and non-intrusive monetization
Room to improve
- 🎲 Perceived unfair/rigged dice rolls favoring AI
- 😤 Computer gets excessive doubles and perfect rolls
- 🔒 Paywall features and token-based progression
- 📱 Game board too small on large screens
- 🐢 Game performance issues and slowness
Bugs and requests
Backgammon Masters
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game crashes or freezes after updates
- Incorrect move registrations or inability to make legal moves
- Coins disappearing from user accounts
Requested features
3 requests- Resign button to avoid waiting for game to end
- Option to play against AI without connecting to internet
- Ability to choose opponents based on skill level or location
Hardwood Backgammon
Reported bugs
5 issues- App fails to load on some devices
- Apple TV version blocks legal moves
- Controls unresponsive on Apple TV
- Unclear how to enable local multiplayer between devices
- Game becomes unresponsive during gameplay
Requested features
8 requests- Acey-Deucey game variant
- Larger, scalable game board for tablets
- Better difficulty settings based on strategy, not just dice manipulation
- More multiplayer players available
- Customizable game rules and settings
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- Ability to select teammates in multiplayer
- Penalty system for players who quit mid-game
- Improved Apple TV compatibility and local multiplayer
In-app purchases
Backgammon Masters
- "No ads package GIFT"Free
- "No ads package"$1.99
- Gold coins$1.99
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- 20 Spins for Wheel of Fortune$1.99
- Bag of gold$4.99
- Sack of gold - FIRE SALE!$4.99
- Sack of gold - SALE!$7.99
- Sack of gold$9.99
- Chest of gold - SALE!$9.99
- Chest of gold$19.99
- Pile of gold - FIRE SALE!$24.99
- Pile of gold$49.99
Hardwood Backgammon
- Plus Membership$4.991 Month
- 1 Month Plus Membership$4.991 Month
- Plus Membership$14.993 Months
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- 3 Month Plus Membership$14.993 Months
- Plus Membership$29.991 Year
- 12 Month Plus Membership$29.991 Year
- Pack of 80 Tokens$0.99
- Pack of 165 Tokens$1.99
- Plus Membership$2.99
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- Pack of 425 Tokens$4.99
- 1 Month Plus Membership$4.99
- Plus Membership$4.99
- Pack of 865 Tokens$9.99
- Plus Membership$14.99
- Plus Membership$19.99
- Pack of 1800 Tokens$19.99
Questions
Is Backgammon Masters free?
Is Hardwood Backgammon free?
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Masters or Hardwood Backgammon?
Do Backgammon Masters or Hardwood Backgammon have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backgammon Masters or Hardwood Backgammon?
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