Comparison

Hardwood Backgammon vs Backgammon ▽▲

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

Head to head
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/

About

Backgammon ▽▲

Enjoy the classic board game of Backgammon on your mobile device. Play against a computer opponent with adjustable difficulty or challenge a friend. Customize the game's appearance and utilize helpful features for a smooth experience.

Highlights
  • 1 and 2 player gameplay
  • Three AI difficulties
  • Theme customization
  • Move highlighting
  • Doubling Cube
  • Universal app support
Features
Read full description

Play the classic game of Backgammon for free! Backgammon Free! supports 1 and 2 player gameplay, so you can play with friends or against a challenging computer opponent. • Three difficulties of AI: easy, medium, and hard. • Simple & Intuitive controls. • Theme customization including board and background colors. • Move highlighting for easy play. • Configurable match points. • Doubling Cube. • Play as White or Black chips. • Hands down the best looking Backgammon on the store. • Universal app tailored for iPad and iPhone. If you've been looking for a great Backgammon game for your iPad or iPhone, you've found it! Please send us your feedback at: contact@maplemedia.io

Screenshots

Hardwood Backgammon4 screens
Backgammon ▽▲4 screens

Verdict

The call

Hardwood Backgammon and Backgammon ▽▲ both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 35% of Backgammon ▽▲'s. Hardwood Backgammon also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 12 months). Backgammon ▽▲'s advantage is ratings volume (4.4K vs 166). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Hardwood Backgammon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Backgammon ▽▲ 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Hardwood Backgammon against 4.2 for Backgammon ▽▲. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon ▽▲ has 4.4K ratings behind it against 166, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 35% of Backgammon ▽▲'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hardwood Backgammon ships an update every 2 months, Backgammon ▽▲ every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hardwood Backgammon versus Backgammon ▽▲: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHardwood BackgammonBackgammon ▽▲
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (166 ratings) — better4.2 (4.4K ratings)
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews — better35.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1664.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 12 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB165 MB
Age rating9+17+
DeveloperSilver Creek EntertainmentDo More Mobile, LLC.

Customer experience

Hardwood Backgammon

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

Backgammon ▽▲

All ratings4,400 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral8.5%
Negative12.1%
Written reviews160 reviews
Positive35.0%
Neutral7.5%
Negative57.5%

User reviews

Hardwood Backgammon

From 166 App Store ratings

What 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

Backgammon ▽▲

From 4.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Fun game
  • 🧠 Challenging opponent
  • 🧑‍🎓 Good for learning

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Unfair dice rolls
  • 🤖 Predictable computer moves
  • 🐢 Slow gameplay
  • 🔍 Confusing UI
  • 🧭 Incorrect scoring/rules

Bugs and 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

Backgammon ▽▲

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes/freezes
  • Pieces get stuck or move incorrectly
  • Incorrect scoring/doubling

Requested features

4 requests
  • Undo move option
  • Customizable difficulty levels
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Accurate backgammon rules

In-app purchases

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
1 purchases

Backgammon ▽▲

One-time1
  • Backgammon Remove Ads$14.99

Questions

Is Hardwood Backgammon free?
Hardwood Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backgammon ▽▲ free?
Backgammon ▽▲ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hardwood Backgammon or Backgammon ▽▲?
Hardwood Backgammon is rated higher. Hardwood Backgammon averages 4.3 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Backgammon ▽▲ averages 4.2 from 4.4K ratings.
Do Hardwood Backgammon or Backgammon ▽▲ have ads?
Both Hardwood Backgammon and Backgammon ▽▲ show ads.
Which is updated more often, Hardwood Backgammon or Backgammon ▽▲?
Hardwood Backgammon ships an update every 2 months, and Backgammon ▽▲ every 12 months. Most recently, Hardwood Backgammon was updated on October 14, 2026 and Backgammon ▽▲ on October 18, 2026.

Other comparisons