Comparison

Backgammon Arena vs Hardwood Backgammon

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon Arena

Compete against real players worldwide in this classic dice board game. Master strategy and luck across multiple game modes, from beginner to expert levels. Enjoy fair dice rolls, HD graphics, and social features like chat and gifting.

Highlights
  • Compete with real players
  • Fair dice roll with secure RNG
  • Multiple live game modes
  • Daily coin bonuses
  • Global tournaments
  • In-game chat
  • Play with friends
Features
Read full description

About Backgammon Board Game Backgammon is the ultimate king lord of dice games! A challenging and addicting game with millions of fans all over the world! Backgammon Basics and Rules / How to Play Each player has a piece set of Backgammon checkers. In front of him/her is the home board where he/she should bear off while the side across is the starting point. This means the opponents starting point is exactly on the opposite side. The objective is to remove all of one's own checkers from the board before one's opponent does. When a player leaves a checker single, the opponent has the option to make a blot, plus leave the checker temporarily out of game. Once the player has moved all his fifteen checkers into his/her home board, might commence “bearing off”. Hints: If during a game a player has not been able to bear off neither of his checkers, the other player scores a gammon, a double victory, which counts twice a normal win (doubling). Backgammon Arena offers 6 live Game Modes (different rooms and themes) according to your progress. Start your unlocking journey, enjoy the trip with unlimited games! 1. Newbies (learn the tricks at level 1) 2. Amateurs (rush for the win at level 2) 3. Professionals (pro race unlocked at level 4) 4. Experts (high stakes matches unlocked at level 6) 5. Super VIP Players (unlocked by superiors at level 8) 6. Gods! (unlocked by the unbeatables at level 10) Backgammon Arena is multiplayer and can be highly competitive among elite dice gurus. Luck is needed but long practice is Gold! Test your skills and strategy, win one match after the other, have fun with buddies, level up, enjoy prestigious trophies, earn amazing prizes and become the master of the best and most popular dice game! Get in this premium club! Join the worldwide community of Backgammon champions! Backgammon Arena Features • Compete with REAL players: no robots / no artificial intelligence opponents. • FAIR dice roll and PLAYING: Backgammon Arena uses a "cryptographically secure" random number generator, implemented by the OpenSSL library, for all random aspects of the game. This is a state of the art RNG that is guaranteed to generate uncorrelated and unpredictable values. • Quality, hd graphics in each mode. Deluxe royale backgammon version with: • Daily coins BONUS: instant win. • Global TOURNAMENTS for elite players. • Different bet, earnings and settings: In each new Game Mode, you have the chance to win more Points and Chips for each victory while game completion can be achieved either on one or on three wins as you elevate across modes. More over quick decisions are needed while the time to play each one's turn, is reduced, as you progress. • In-game CHAT with your oppenents (Online feature). • "Play with a FRIEND" option: invite your chums to an extreme buddy challenge! • Fireworks effects to celebrate a match win! • Daily, weekly and monthly Leaderboards and CHARTS for TOP players • "Share the fun" feature by sending GIFTS (special items) to your friends even when they are offline. The game is popular in certain countries like Egypt, Greece, India, Turkey etc. Apart from the classic game, many variants exist, known with alternative names around the globe such as Tavli or Tavle, Tawla or Tavla, Tapa, Tabula (table for Romans), Gamao, Narde or Nardi, Nackgammon, Hypergammon, Gammon, Acey Deucey, Shesh Besh, Portes, Plakoto, Fevga, Mahbusa, Gul Bara. Backgammon is oftened considered a type or parlour games or part of social casino style games.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Single player vs AI
  • Online multiplayer
  • 2 player local mode
  • Full match play
  • Doubling cube
  • Achievements
Features
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. 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

Backgammon Arena4 screens
Hardwood Backgammon4 screens

Verdict

The call

Backgammon Arena and Hardwood Backgammon both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 26% of Backgammon Arena's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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 Arena sells 10 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Backgammon Arena against 4.3 for Hardwood Backgammon. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 72 and 166 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of Backgammon Arena's written reviews are positive against 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Backgammon Arena versus Hardwood Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammon ArenaHardwood Backgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (72 ratings)4.3 (166 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.7% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings72166 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB105 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperLazyLand LTDSilver Creek Entertainment

Customer experience

Backgammon Arena

All ratings72 ratings
Positive80.6%
Neutral6.9%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive25.7%
Neutral20.0%
Negative54.3%

Hardwood Backgammon

All ratings166 ratings
Positive82.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral8.8%
Negative28.7%

Bugs and requests

Backgammon Arena

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
Show 3 more
  • Ability to select teammates in multiplayer
  • Penalty system for players who quit mid-game
  • Improved Apple TV compatibility and local multiplayer

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Backgammon Arena

One-time10
  • 500 Chips2 variants$0.99
  • 2000 Chips$2.99
  • 2000 Backgammon Chips$2.99
Show 7 more
  • 30 Diamonds$3.99
  • 5000 Chips2 variants$4.99
  • 400 Diamonds$10.99
  • 15000 Chips$10.99
  • 150 Diamonds$13.99
  • 40000 Chips$21.99
  • 40000 Chips$23.99
16 purchases

Hardwood Backgammon

Subscriptions6
  • Plus Membership$4.991 Month
  • 1 Month Plus Membership$4.991 Month
  • Plus Membership$14.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • 3 Month Plus Membership$14.993 Months
  • Plus Membership$29.991 Year
  • 12 Month Plus Membership$29.991 Year
One-time10
  • Pack of 80 Tokens$0.99
  • Pack of 165 Tokens$1.99
  • Plus Membership$2.99
Show 7 more
  • 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 Arena free?
Backgammon Arena is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hardwood Backgammon free?
Hardwood Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Arena or Hardwood Backgammon?
Hardwood Backgammon is rated higher. Backgammon Arena averages 4.3 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while Hardwood Backgammon averages 4.3 from 166 ratings.
Do Backgammon Arena or Hardwood Backgammon have ads?
Both Backgammon Arena and Hardwood Backgammon show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon Arena or Hardwood Backgammon?
Backgammon Arena ships an update every 2 months, and Hardwood Backgammon every 2 months. Most recently, Backgammon Arena was updated on October 29, 2026 and Hardwood Backgammon on October 23, 2026.

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