Comparison

Backgammon Classic Board Live vs Shelem

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon Classic Board Live

Experience the classic board game with progressive skill levels and competitive online play. Master the game through solo challenges or compete against players worldwide with an ELO ranking system. Enjoy fair play with random dice rolls and customizable graphics.

Highlights
  • 10 progressive skill levels
  • Competitive online play with ELO rankings
  • Solo mode for skill mastery
  • Pass & Play for local multiplayer
  • One-tap checker movement
  • Fair play with random dice rolls
  • Customizable board skins and themes
Features
Read full description

Master Backgammon — rise through 10 skill levels from Novice to Grandmaster and compete online with ELO rankings! 10 SKILL LEVELS Challenge yourself with progressive difficulty that grows with you: • 10 levels — from Novice to Grandmaster • Unlock new levels as you win matches • Track your progress and statistics for each level • Perfect for beginners learning the game or experts seeking a challenge COMPETITIVE ONLINE PLAY • ELO Rating System — climb the ranks against real players worldwide • Fast matchmaking — find opponents in seconds • Play friends in private rooms GAME FEATURES • Solo Mode — master your skills through 10 progressive levels • Pass & Play — challenge a friend on the same device • Online Mode — compete with players around the world • One-Tap Movement — intuitive checker controls • Fair play guaranteed — 100% random dice rolls • Doubling Cube — with Crawford rule support • Beautiful graphics — multiple board skins and themes • Premium sound — immersive music and effects FREE TO PLAY All game modes and features are completely free. No paywalls, no pay-to-win — just pure backgammon skill. Supports Portrait and Landscape on all iPhone and iPad devices. Download now and start your journey to Grandmaster!

About

Shelem

Test your strategic thinking and memory in this challenging card game. Compete with friends online or join a league to face skilled players. Prove your worthiness for the Shelem title and enjoy hours of fun.

Highlights
  • Strategic card gameplay
  • Memory and reasoning skill improvement
  • Online multiplayer with friends
  • League competition
  • Challenging gameplay
Features
Read full description

Do you have what it takes to be a ruler? Are you smart enough to win against all the odds? Are you worthy of the Shelem title? Bring it on! Boost up your memory and improve your reasoning skills by playing the most strategical card game known to man. Play with your online friends or compete in a league against top-notch players. Either way, Shelem is going to take you on a journey of fun. Be ready to play all night long!

Screenshots

Backgammon Classic Board Live4 screens
Shelem4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shelem at 4.8 against Backgammon Classic Board Live's 4.2. Shelem also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 24%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. Backgammon Classic Board Live sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shelem sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shelem holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53K and 27K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Backgammon Classic Board Live's written reviews are positive against 59% of Shelem's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon Classic Board Live ships an update every 11 days, Shelem every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Backgammon Classic Board Live versus Shelem: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammon Classic Board LiveShelem
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (53K ratings)4.8 (27K ratings) — better
Positive reviews24.4% of reviews59.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings53K — better27K
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS189.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB68 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAdikusBabak Bostan

Customer experience

Backgammon Classic Board Live

All ratings53,046 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral4.9%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews3,297 reviews
Positive24.4%
Neutral8.0%
Negative67.6%

Shelem

All ratings26,953 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews130 reviews
Positive59.2%
Neutral13.8%
Negative26.9%

User reviews

Backgammon Classic Board Live

From 53K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
  • ✨ Enjoyable for backgammon enthusiasts

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Questionable dice roll algorithms
  • 🤖 Suspected use of bots or rigged AI
  • 🤯 Frustrating and unbalanced gameplay
  • 💰 Excessive advertisements and monetization

Shelem

From 27K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fantastic game
  • 🤔 Challenging brain game
  • 🎨 Great graphics and design
  • 🎶 Soothing background music

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🤖 Dumb AI/computer players
  • ⏱️ Short timer/time issues
  • 🔌 Server/connectivity problems
  • 🤯 Frustrating gameplay issues

Bugs and requests

Backgammon Classic Board Live

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect piece movement tracking
  • Freezing or crashing during gameplay
  • Inconsistent behavior when resigning a game

Requested features

4 requests
  • True random dice rolls
  • Ability to play longer matches
  • Option to disable doubling cube
  • Chat functionality for online play

Shelem

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Game progress not saved
  • Unexpected card discarding
  • Incorrect point calculations
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Frequent crashes and freezes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Online multiplayer mode
  • Customizable timer/time settings
  • Improved AI/computer player logic
  • Save/resume game progress
  • Detailed game rules/tutorial
Show 1 more
  • Leaderboard/ranking system improvements

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Backgammon Classic Board Live

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99
1 purchases

Shelem

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Backgammon Classic Board Live free?
Backgammon Classic Board Live is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shelem free?
Shelem is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Classic Board Live or Shelem?
Shelem is rated higher. Backgammon Classic Board Live averages 4.2 out of 5 from 53K ratings, while Shelem averages 4.8 from 27K ratings.
Do Backgammon Classic Board Live or Shelem have ads?
Both Backgammon Classic Board Live and Shelem show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon Classic Board Live or Shelem?
Backgammon Classic Board Live ships an update every 11 days, and Shelem every 2 weeks. Most recently, Backgammon Classic Board Live was updated on September 25, 2026 and Shelem on September 24, 2026.

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