Planned
Backgammon,
dice you can trust.
The ancient race game, against a computer opponent that plays it well. Every roll comes from a seed you can check. The doubling cube counts in match points. No chips. No coins. No rigged dice. Ever.
This is our plan for Backgammon, one of six board and puzzle games on our roadmap. We haven't started it yet, and its place in the build order is still being decided.
- Price
- Free, optional Pro
- Players
- You vs. the computer
- Devices
- iPhone and iPad
- Ads
- None, ever
- Data collected
- None
A classic board. Honest dice.
A proper board, a clear doubling cube, and every roll on the record.
Illustrations of the planned design. The finished app may look different.
How Backgammon plays
Two players. Fifteen checkers each. A race around the board and off it.
Roll and move
Roll two dice. Move your checkers by each number.
Hit and enter
Land on a lone opposing checker and send it to the bar. It has to come back in before anything else can move.
Bear off
Bring all fifteen checkers home, then bear them off. First one off wins.
The race game, done honestly
Dice you can trust
Every roll comes from a seed you can check after the game. No streaks engineered to keep you playing. Just dice.
The doubling cube
The full game, with the cube scored in match points. No chips. No wagers.
A strong, fair opponent
It sees the same board you do and thinks within a fixed budget. It never peeks at the rolls to come.
Undo within your turn
Change your mind about a move any time before the next roll.
A free hint every game
Ask for a suggested move, and get the reason in plain words.
Works offline
Play anywhere. Nothing ever leaves your device.
Backgammon for everyone
A clear board, spoken rolls and moves, and a pace that's all yours.
VoiceOver throughout
Every square and every checker is announced. Every move is spoken. Backgammon works beautifully without looking.
Voice and Switch Control
Standard accessibility actions, including a list of the moves you can make.
Sizes that fit
Larger pieces and a larger board, whenever you want them. Full Dynamic Type everywhere else.
High contrast
Pieces you can tell apart by shape and shade, not just color. Never color alone.
Reduce Motion
With Reduce Motion on, pieces fade into place instead of sliding.
Pip count on screen
Show each side's pip count if you like. No mental arithmetic required.
Free to play. Pro if you want more.
Pro is one optional purchase for dedicated players. Nothing to renew. Nothing to remove.
Free
Forever. Not a trial.
- The complete game against the computer
- Undo within your turn
- A free hint in every game
- Board sizes and every accessibility feature
- Works offline, no account needed
Pay once
A single optional purchase.
- More hints in each game
- Themes for the board and pieces
- Saved games, synced through your iCloud
- Detailed stats and streaks
One-time purchase. Yours forever. Shared with your family.
What's in Pro, and what it costs, will be decided closer to release. The free game will always be complete.
Good to know
When will Backgammon be released?
Not yet. Backgammon is on the roadmap after our card games, and we haven't started it. We don't announce dates we can't keep. The day it's ready, there will be a download link right here.
Will it cost anything?
Backgammon will be free to download, and the whole game free to play. Pro will be an optional one-time purchase. There will never be ads, and never a subscription.
Are the dice really random?
Yes. Rolls come from a random seed chosen when the game starts. Afterwards you can see every roll and the seed itself, so you can check that nothing was nudged.
Can I play with friends?
Yes, with the people you know. Invite friends over FaceTime or Messages with SharePlay, or through Game Center, and any open seats go to fair computer players. It's always free, with no accounts and no servers of ours. No strangers, no matchmaking. You can also take turns over days through Game Center.
Do I need an internet connection or an account?
No. Everything will work offline, with no account and no sign-in. Your games and stats stay on your device.
Will it come to Android?
Yes, that's the plan. The whole collection comes to Android after the iPhone and iPad apps.
Data Not Collected
That's the App Store privacy label on every app we make, Backgammon included. No accounts. No analytics. No advertising. Nothing you do in the app leaves your device.
Something to play now.
Backgammon comes after the card games, and its place in line is still being decided. There's no mailing list, because we don't collect email addresses. So check back here.