Comparison

Backgammon vs The Backgammon

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon

Experience a vast collection of backgammon variants, playable offline against AI or online with friends. Track your progress with detailed statistics and compete in tournaments. Offers customizable gameplay and daily challenges for endless entertainment.

Highlights
  • 18+ Backgammon Variants
  • Offline AI Play
  • Online Multiplayer
  • Backgammon Tournaments
  • ELO Rating System
  • Daily Challenges
  • Customizable Gameplay
Features
Read full description

Play classic Backgammon and explore regional favorites including Tavla, Narde, Plakoto and Fevga, all in one collection for iPhone and iPad. Choose a quick offline game against AI, play online, or take turns with a friend on the same device. Explore different rules and find the style of backgammon you enjoy most. YOUR FAVORITES, PLUS NEW VARIANTS Switch between classic Backgammon, long backgammon (Narde), Tavla, Plakoto/Tapa, Gul Bara, Fevga, Nackgammon, American Acey-Deucey, Hyper Backgammon and more. Read the rules for each variant before you play. PLAY YOUR WAY - Practice offline against the computer. - Play online and track your ELO rating. - Challenge a friend on the same device. - Take on daily missions. - Follow your wins, losses and statistics. - Customize the board and appearance. - Explore the board designer and game settings. FROM A FAMILIAR GAME TO A NEW CHALLENGE Stay with the rules you know or try a regional variation. Different starting positions, movement rules and scoring give you new ways to think about every turn. Internet access is required for online features. Offline play against AI is available without an internet connection. The app contains advertising and offers in-app purchases. Questions or feedback: bobibp@gmail.com

About

The Backgammon

Engage in classic backgammon matches online against players worldwide or offline against an AI with adjustable difficulty. Enhance your skills with detailed game analysis and practice tools. Enjoy a free, feature-rich experience with customizable rules and visually appealing boards.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer games
  • Offline AI opponent
  • 5 difficulty levels
  • Rating and ranking system
  • Match replay and review
  • Customizable rules
  • Hint facility
Features
Read full description

Play online games against players all over the world! Play against the offline AI to improve your skills! Enjoy the classic board game completely Free with The Backgammon. *Online Games - The Backgammon Quest* You can play online games against backgammon players all over the world completely free! The Backgammon Quest provides the features below to make your online games more exciting and competitive: -Rating system -Ranking table -Watch other player's live games -Match against your friend using a keyword -View replays of previous games If you make a Quest account you will be able to enjoy other boardgames such as Go, Chess, Shogi, Othello and Gomoku with the same account. *Offline Games* There are 5 levels of difficulty which should be challenging for everyone. Also we have provided very useful features for beginners to learn and improve your game. Please select the match length and the rules as you want, and enjoy this game of skill and strategy. Collect medals by defeating computer in the 'Challenge mode'. We have provided a more challenging and thrilling game mode to test your skills. The Backgammon offers you the following features that makes the game more enjoyable and challenging: -- Strong Backgammon AI -- 5 Difficulty levels -- Human vs Computer, Human vs Human (sharing a single device) -- 6 types of match length -- Doubling cube (ON/OFF) -- Crawford rule (ON/OFF) -- Beautiful boards and piece sets -- Hint facility -- Review mode during a game -- Save/Load game records -- Autosaves your current game -- Saves history of your matches -- Dice Statistics -- Manual dice input (ON/OFF) -- Show possible moves (ON/OFF) -- Show PIP count (ON/OFF) -- Background music (ON/OFF) -- Auto-move when forced (ON/OFF) -- Animation speed (Normal/ Fast) -- Music and sound effects (ON/OFF)

Screenshots

Backgammon4 screens
The Backgammon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Backgammon at 4.1 against The Backgammon's 2.3. Backgammon also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 8%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). The Backgammon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads, 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

Both are free to download. Backgammon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Backgammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon has 709 ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 8% of The Backgammon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon ships an update every 3 weeks, The Backgammon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Backgammon versus The Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammonThe Backgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (709 ratings) — better2.3 (64 ratings)
Positive reviews35.8% of reviews — better8.0% of reviews
Number of ratings709 — better64
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB324 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBoyan PaskalevUNBALANCE Corporation

Customer experience

Backgammon

All ratings709 ratings
Positive79.1%
Neutral8.9%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews274 reviews
Positive35.8%
Neutral10.2%
Negative54.0%

The Backgammon

All ratings64 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral10.9%
Negative64.1%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive8.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative85.7%

User reviews

Backgammon

From 709 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Variety of game modes
  • 🎨 Visually appealing
  • 🕹️ Responsive controls

Room to improve

  • 🤖 Suspected AI manipulation of dice rolls
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🕰️ Slow performance after updates
  • 💰 Ads even after paid purchase

The Backgammon

From 64 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Good for learning the game
  • 👍 Pleasant interface and display
  • 👍 Efficient matching
  • 👍 Good for casual players
  • 👍 Can be played for free

Room to improve

  • 😠 Overwhelmingly negative sentiment due to rigged dice
  • 😠 Excessive and intrusive ads
  • 😠 Dice rolls are not random
  • 😠 AI favors the computer
  • 😠 Unfair advantage for higher-rated players

Bugs and requests

Backgammon

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Dice disappearing during gameplay
  • Scoring and game progression issues
  • Multiplayer functionality not working
  • Orientation lock problems on mobile

Requested features

4 requests
  • Online multiplayer mode
  • Undo/rollback move option
  • Detailed game statistics tracking
  • Customizable AI difficulty settings

The Backgammon

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Ads block the game board
  • Ads won't go away, requiring app restart
  • Game freezes frequently
  • App crashes and closes unexpectedly
  • Game rolls back after restart
Show 5 more
  • Timer issues (losing time when not on turn, clock resetting)
  • Videos play in the background and cannot be exited
  • Disconnection results in a loss
  • Cannot move pieces that should be movable
  • Count is sometimes off

Requested features

6 requests
  • Option to buy a version with no ads
  • Improve sound settings (separate BGM and SFX)
  • Add a chat option for online play
  • Improve controls and piece manipulation
  • Option to choose dice button position
Show 1 more
  • More frequent updates based on user feedback

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Backgammon

One-time1
  • No adds$4.99
None

The Backgammon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backgammon free?
Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Backgammon free?
The Backgammon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon or The Backgammon?
Backgammon is rated higher. Backgammon averages 4.1 out of 5 from 709 ratings, while The Backgammon averages 2.3 from 64 ratings.
Do Backgammon or The Backgammon have ads?
Both Backgammon and The Backgammon show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon or The Backgammon?
Backgammon ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Backgammon every 2 months. Most recently, Backgammon was updated on November 13, 2026 and The Backgammon on November 11, 2026.

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