True Backgammon
Enjoy this Classic Board Game
Ratings
Age
4+
Category
Games
Languages
English
Thu Aug 27 2026
* Low Vision board added, which can be activated in the Game Aids dialog
* Resigning a game now only offers useful options based on match points, cube value and board situation
* The network game protocol has changed, so you will need at least v6.30 to connect through GameCenter
* Optimized for iOS 26.6 and iPadOS 26.6
True Backgammon brings the ancient board game into the modern era with a focus on realism and fair play. Whether you're a casual player or a grandmaster, you'll appreciate the smooth gameplay, detailed statistics, and the ability to use the Doubling Cube. Customize your experience with different board themes and piece styles, and challenge yourself against four levels of AI designed to test your tactical thinking and probability management.
Dinsun Expert Review
Our Expert Score
True Backgammon earns its name by providing one of the most statistically honest and aesthetically pleasing backgammon experiences on iOS. Many digital board games suffer from 'AI cheating' complaints, but True Backgammon utilizes a high-quality random number generator that feels genuinely fair. The board designs are classic, emphasizing clarity over unnecessary flash, which is exactly what a purist wants.
The inclusion of various difficulty levels makes it accessible for beginners, while the 'Expert' AI is a formidable opponent that understands complex doubling cube strategy and endgame bearing-off. The touch controls are responsive, allowing you to tap or drag your checkers with ease. If you're looking for a digital version of the 'Royal Game of Ur's' younger cousin, this is arguably the best implementation available for mobile play.
Features
True random dice rolls (RNG)
Four levels of AI difficulty
Doubling Cube support
Detailed match statistics
Tips & Walkthrough
Always try to secure points in your home board or your opponent's bar point early on. This creates obstacles for your opponent's checkers and gives you a safer path home.
Gameplays
Roll the dice and move your checkers according to the numbers shown. Use the Doubling Cube to increase the stakes if you feel you have a clear advantage.
Screenshot
Q&A
Yes, you can play against a friend locally on the same device in pass-and-play mode.
Ratings & Reviews
Your game is no fun to play
Tue Jun 08 2021 Basqueman1I am going to cease playing your game. I have been playing in advanced mode now for several days and am amazed at how frequent it hits the open piece, how frequent the AI generates the perfect role of dice. So many times have I witnessed the AI roll the dice to hit the one and only open point. I have witnessed the same when two pieces are on the bar with two open points available and the AI roll hits it perfectly. Yet the player roll rarely hits an open AI piece or point. Your comments to other users is to use the roll your own dice feature. With that feature I can select the dice number to land on whatever point I chose. That’s not how the game works.....but it’s exactly how the program AI works. I would like to see a pure game, without beginner, intermediate or advanced. No gimmicks. Despite what the developer says, the dice are rigged. When an opposing token is open the game hits it....often. When a game token is on the bar and all points are covered except for one the game dice roll hits it....again....often. Many times there are two points out of the six that are open with multiple tokens on the bar....and guess what, the game dice roll hits the two open point and both tokens are back in play. It’s a beautiful board though with a great user interface. With dice games, the outcome is always a game of chance when playing on a real board with a human opponent. The dice roll is rigged on a software game since most of the backgammon games have a beginner, intermediate and advance gameplay option. Why all developers do this is baffling. Just play the game with random dice On every roll.
One of the best on iOS
Thu Mar 30 2023 David1105True Backgammon is absolutely one of the best backgammon apps on iOS. I would rank this one right up there with Backgammon NJ and XG Mobile. This one has the cleanest interface of the three, best boards, world class AI and fair dice. No glitzy graphics and ads. The in app purchases are totally worth it and if you want to play on the same device or online against others that is all there. I would like to see a clock option to simulate matches irl and like online on Galaxy and perhaps a real time evaluation engine option but even if these things aren’t implemented it is a near perfect app. Icing on the cake would be a built in clock and score card to use for live backgammon matches but this is probably outside of scope of what this app is trying to be. Developer support is up to date and communicative too. In any case I highly recommend this one. I only have 5 BG apps on my phone after sifting through the sea of apps out there. True Backgammon is on par if not a notch above NJ for general play and features. XG is probably best for analysis. Galaxy best for online timed matches against strong opponents and BG Buddy for my scorecard and clock.
Excellent but needs several basic improvements
Tue Jun 07 2022 Gumby The GreenThis is a great app (that does NOT cheat - more on that below) except for several basic but much needed improvements. Fix these and I’ll change it to 5 stars with a glowing review: 1) The New Match button should immediately start a new match using the current settings (otherwise it serves no purpose). I shouldn’t have to move over to the other screen and specify the type of match every single time. 2) There should be an option to show the pip counts right on the board or next to it. 3) The undo button should be right next to the board (at least optionally). 4) In the mode where you tap to move, I should be able to tap anywhere on the stack of checkers. I shouldn’t have to tap on the top checker. 5) The indicator that shows where I can move a checker to should also show which checkers I can move. 6) When the doubling cube is turned off, there should be an option to have the app roll my dice automatically after the opponent moves. 7) The board slides side to side way too slowly. It shouldn’t take so long to go to the settings menus and back (especially since I have to go to them every time I need to check pip counts, undo a move, or start a new match). 8) In Human vs Human mode, it should either let you enter the players’ names or it should say what color the checkers are on the scoreboard. Just calling them “Dark” and “Light” doesn’t work for the Metal board design or for most of the paid board designs since the two colors are equally dark. I have worked with randomization algorithms myself and can say that no, the app does NOT cheat by biasing the dice or looking ahead at them, and it has features that fully prove this. So you can ignore reviews that claim otherwise. People have been making such false accusations against trustworthy backgammon apps for decades. Look up the article “Does Your Bot Cheat?” by Bill Robertie.
Everything is perfect except for…
Wed Nov 08 2023 fcb2012-backgammonThis backgammon game could be the best one if it weren’t for one small detail: moving the checkers requires pointing to a specific checker rather than just the whole point (triangle) where the checker is. This makes it cumbersome to use. It requieres too much fine motor coordination. It is especially tricky to use on a small screen or on a triangle that has many checkers. I think the solution is simple, when using the high-low move mode, the interface should work by just clicking on the triangles (this is the same way in which Backgammon NJ operates and it’s much easier to use). But apart from this interface issue, I really like True Backgammon: it plays very well (particularly with the BGBlitz extension), the interface is simple and well thought out, and analyses and recommendations it provides are strong and useful. If the interface was fixed in the way I mention, this would be the best backgammon app for the serious players, above NJ and XG.
Decent - but….
Thu May 14 2026 GammonCatSo I play this game often, and over many years. I should have already switched. But I haven’t. Why? laziness and convenience. However I’m going to download another version? My reason? The app will go on incredibly impossible runs over and over again to the users detriment. The probabilities simply aren’t accurate. Example: often I’ll take a safe risk after calculating probabilities; i.e., “this is a safe move and it shouldn’t backfire, as the only way this hurts me is if the computer hits a 1 and a 6 on their next roll (1/18 chance).”… only to see that roll happen on the apps next roll, when it would help the app the most. “Ok, sure that happens sometimes”, I think to myself.. My next roll I need an outcome that should have a 50% (or more) hit rate and miss it. Again and again, while the app seems to land the perfect needed roll on its next 5 turns. It wouldn’t be a big deal if it wasn’t happening time and time again, making it obvious that the app seems to have an “auto screw-you” mode enabled; which legitimately just becomes anger inducing. Surely there are more realistic versions than this. If this is really how probabilities worked, casinos would go broke.
Goobob
Thu Jul 24 2025 BauxMtnIt took a while to figure out how to win the game. The game sees all possible moves at the start. The game knows all the ways to get you in a vulnerable position at the outset. It is more like chest than backgammon. No matter how well you play it only takes ONE slip to lose. To win you must use the dice rolls to stay two rolls ahead of all possible moves. Both black and white. Problem here is my brain can’t calculate the moves as fast as the game. Therefore playing the game is no longer fun. I’m playing against the dice rolls not the game. I will continue to play just to past time but playing with real dice is more rewarding. No one read my review. I never accused the game of cheating. WHAT I SAID was the game can use the speed of a processor to calculate possible moves which more often than not will result in the player being trapped usually late in the game but it can occur on the first few moves depending on the players moves. By using the list of moves one can win by making moves with no logic. Leaving men open. Keeping off the bar. Planning more than one move ahead. However it takes all the fun out of the game cause one is not playing the opposing player but trying to beat the processors moves.
Challenging but fair
Wed Nov 14 2018 Lts15I’ve been playing this version for years and consistently winning matches, either 100 points and the more statistically significant 1000 pointers. I generally win between 65% to 70% of the points. The programmer is definitely an expert player and his/her expertise is reflected in the strategies the program employs. The previous version had a definite weakness with regard to when it would accept a double and it was possible to trick it into multiple doubles when it did not have the advantage. This problem was eliminated entirely. That said, the program still has a weakness that you can exploit for extra points. It will not accept a double in most cases when you have a pip count of 8 in your favor. That said, the programmer’s expertise is so good that if you have to play expertly and avoid mistakes. In the past I’ve read reviews where the reviewer felt the game cheats. Yes, it looks that way sometimes but the law of large numbers prevails and in the end the dice favor neither side.
All we want are randomized dice rolls!
Sun Sep 05 2021 lopinabqqqThis backgammon is just like the rest of them…laughably predictable dice rolls to the advantage of the computer. If you leave any uncovered, they will get you. If they leave any uncovered, you won’t get them and their next roll will neatly match up so they’re covered. If they get you out in the second half of the game, there is almost zero percent chance you will roll anything to get back in. The computer gets back in on the first or second roll. What’s even funnier is that 9/10 times, you’ll get a high doubles after these little entrapments, after the computer is well on their way to bearing off. Please—just give us randomized dice rolls. Edit (after getting the developers canned response): The AI knows the upcoming dice rolls too. Which is why they know exactly which spaces to leave open because they know the human will not roll the correct dice. This happens often: the AI leaves multiple marks open (even in home) and my dice sold never allow me to hit them. The only explanation is that the program watches the upcoming rolls and adjusts accordingly.
