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

Master strategy and skill in this classic board game. Move your checkers, hit opponents, and use the doubling cube to increase stakes. Enjoy hours of exciting gameplay on mobile and tablet.

Highlights
  • Move checkers based on dice rolls
  • Hit opponent's checkers
  • Use doubling cube for stakes
  • Play in 1 to 15 point matches
  • Smart and adaptive AI opponent
  • Auto-save progress
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Backgammon Classic, one of the most popular board games in the world! Strategy, skills and good planning will be key to master the game. How to play? • The objective of the game is to be the first player to move all the checkers into their home board and bear them off • The roll of the dice indicates how many points, you can move your checkers • Roll a double to play twice • Hit your opponent’s checkers to remove them from the board • Use the doubling cube to increase the stakes at any point Why choose Backgammon Classic? • Start playing right away with a single touch • Tailored for mobile and tablet devices • Easy to play with a modern and relaxing look • Smart and adaptive opponent AI • Play in 1 or up to 15 points • Double the stakes anytime • Choose the controls • Auto save so that you can resume whenever you want Enjoy now hours of exciting card games with Backgammon!

Screenshots

Hardwood Backgammon4 screens
Backgammon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hardwood Backgammon at 63% against Backgammon's 21%. Hardwood Backgammon also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months). Backgammon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On price, ads 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. Hardwood Backgammon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Backgammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 166 and 735 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 21% of Backgammon's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hardwood Backgammon ships an update every 2 months, Backgammon every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Hardwood Backgammon versus Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHardwood BackgammonBackgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (166 ratings)4.6 (735 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews — better21.2% of reviews
Number of ratings166735 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB172 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperSilver Creek EntertainmentBlackout Lab SL

Customer experience

Hardwood Backgammon

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

Backgammon

All ratings735 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive21.2%
Neutral9.6%
Negative69.2%

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

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Backgammon

No in-app purchases

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 no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hardwood Backgammon or Backgammon?
Backgammon is rated higher. Hardwood Backgammon averages 4.3 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Backgammon averages 4.6 from 735 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 11 months. Most recently, Hardwood Backgammon was updated on September 19, 2026 and Backgammon on September 27, 2026.

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